THE HOME NEWS
EDITED IN THE INTEREST OF McCRORY AND WOODRUFF COUNTY
VOLUME 3
McCRORY, ARKANSAS, JUNE 7, 1918
NUMBER 46
W. E. “BILL” McCAIN
Lets Loose For Once
At last it has happened! Yes
the long looked-for letter has
arrived. Our old friend, Billie
McCain for the first time since
joining Uncle Sam’s forces six
months ago found himself all
alone Wednesday of last week
away out on the plains of Tex
as and with nothing else to do
and no one around to disturb
his thoughts began to ramble
and we give our readers in his
first letter which we publish
below just what was on his
mind at this time.
Taliaferro Field,
Hicks, Texas, May,29,
W. W. Raney,
McCrory, Arkansas.
Friend Raney:
No doubt you will be quite
surprised to hear from me at
this time, but nevertheless,
since I am down at the office
all alone and have nothing else
to do, thought I would write
you a few words to let you
know I was still in the land of
the living. I do not know
whether to call this Texas
Country the land of the living
or not, for if you had been in
this place the length of time
that I have, I think you would
recall fond recollections of
those old Western Movies you
showed upon the screen at the
Jewel Theatre. You know what
I mean by that, for almost all
of those wild west picture
scenes were supposed to have
been laid in Texas or Wyoming
or some other forsaken coun
try. Get me Steve? The pic
ture starts off by showing the
leading man’s picture as an in
troduction, then the next thing
on the program shows a bar
ren stretch of land for miles
and miles, then comes a little
printed matter saying “This
is the land of lizards and scor
pions and is called the old For
saken Country.” Then poor
Jim starts trudging his way
across this sandy desert, lead
ing his mule with one hand and
holding his trusty rifle with the
other. Well, take it from me,
every time I look across this
treeless country I think of
those movies. No kidding
^about it if I should see a tree
in five miles of this camp I be
lieve I would drop dead in my
tracks. And hot, believe me,
this is some place for warmth,
do not think I would be stretch
ing it one bit if I should tell
you I have removed a gallon of
perspiration from my face this
very day.
The longer I live m this day
and time, the more I think of
what Sherman said during the
Civil War, and suppose I will
be firmly convinced of its being
true when I get across the
pond. However I would be
more than glad to get over,
just simply to get out of this
country, for it would be a
mumwfiv////////A\m\\vw///»m
OUT FISHIN'
K
A feller isn’t thinkin’ mean—out fishin’;
His thoughts are mostly good and clean—out fishin’
He doesn’t knock his fellow men,
Or harbor any grudges then;
A feller’s at his finest when—out fishin’.
The rich are comrads to the poor—out fishin’;
All brothers of a common lure—out fishin’;
The urchins with the pin and string
Can chum with millionaire and king;
Vain pride is a forgotten thing—out fishin’.
A feller gets a chance to dream—out fishin’;
He learns the beauties of a stream—out fishin’;
And he can wash his soul in air
That aint foul with selfish care,
An’ relish plain and simple fare—out fishin’.
A feller has no time for hate—out fishin’;
He aint eager to be great—out fishin’;
He aint thinking thoughts of self
Or goos stacked high upon a shelf,
But he’s always just himself—out fishin’.
A feller’s glad to be a friend—out fishin’;
A helping hand he’ll always lend—out fishin’;
The brotherhood of rod and line,
An’sky an’ stream is always fine;
Men come real close to God’s design—out fishin’.
A feller isn’t plottin’ schemes—out fishin’;
He’s only busy with his dreams—out fishin’;
His livery’s a coat of tan,
His creed, to do the best he can.
A feller’s always mostly man—out fishin’.
Edward A. Guest.
i
I
g
I
$
I
1
ft
anmmwHnsBKogBasomMwv
pleasure to meet a “hun” (not
ice the little h) in preference
to staying here for the duration
of the war.
If you remember when I left
Augusta to enlist, you will re
call that Billigsley of Augusta,
and I left at the same time and
joined the same branch of ser
vice. It sounds like a fairy
tale to tell you that we are still
together, in the same camp and
more than that, we are in the
same squadron. This little co
incidence certainly makes the
camp life much more agree
able, for we can get together
and have long talks about the
good old days when we were
in civilian life. We have been
extremely lucky in being kept
together. They have separat
ed us on several occasions, but
after I would give them one of
my famous hard luck stories,
they would get us back again.
You know how I could camou
flage in civil life, well since be
ing in the army nearly six
months I am almost a post
graduate, for I certainly can
shoot that stuff now with the
highest degree of efficiency.
Everything is more than
good in the camp, considering
we are at war and the coun
try is in such a hustle to train
troops. The eats are fine,
better than one would expect
in an army camp, and I have
been fortunate enough to be
placed in one of the best
squadrons in camp, as far as
the eats are concerned. We
have nice long roomy barracks
with hot and cold shower bath
and real window shades for the I
windows. Everyone has to be
in bed by ten bells, also be up
the following morning at 5. p.x.
That is the only thing that has
really gotten my goat since
joining the army. Can you
imagine me getting up at five
o’clock in the morning which
is the same as rising at four by
the old time? I usually wait
until the last call and go out
the door for reveille, with a
shirt in one hand and my hat
in the other, then by the time I
get to my place in the line I
am semi-dressed.
Tell the dude that mails your
papers out to do his best and
never forget to mail mine to
me, for I look forward to the
day I am to receive The Bing
ville News just the same as I
look, forward to a letter from
home. In fact it is just like a
letter only much larger in a
news way and appreciated
just as much.
Should you have time to
write, I would be more than
glad to hear from you at any
time, as a letter now and then
from your friends back home
cures the blues lots and lots of
times.
Wishing you every success in
your race for Senator, and at
the same time trusting you are
doing nicely in your newspaper
business, I am,
Your friend,
W. E. McCAIN.
HUTCHINS ELECTED
Following is the official vote
in the race between Judge A.
L. Hutchins of Woodruff coun
ty and Judge E. D._ Robertson
of Lee county for chancellor
of this, the Fifth Chancery Dis
trict :
County Hutchins Robertson
Woodruff .1273 615
Cross . 820 835
St. Francis .1183 1139
Lee . 184 845
Phillips .1179 804
Total .4639 4283
Majority . 401
This is the second time
Judge Hutchins has won out
over an opponent by the name
of Robertson. His last victory
previous to this was when he
defeated Hon. Ed R. Robert
son for district delegate to the
constitutional convention.
We join Judge Hutchins’
many friends in extending con
gratulations and we feel safe
in stating that the duties of
the chancellor’s office for the
next six years will be attend
ed to in an able and efficient
manner.
MOONLIGHT PICNIC
On last Tuesday evening a
large crowd of young people
assembled together in this city
and drove to Grays in cars to
enjoy the festivities of a moon
light picnic. The party was
chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs.
Leslie Sturdivant and was one
of the jolliest crowds ever as
sembled in this city. The pleas
ures of the occasion consisted
of swimming, boat riding and
fun in general and at 7 o’clock
a supper was spread for the
hungry young folk. On re
turning each one expressed
themselves as having spent a
most delightful evening.
I
Laundry basket now leaves
on Monday—J. A. Cullum. 2t
Another good Ford C :r for
sale—W. J. Mitchell. 5-7 tf
There will be Sunday School
at the Christian church Sunday
morning at 10 o’clock, all mem
bers are urged to be present.
Dr. H. P. Hargis and daugh
ter, Miss Margaret, left yester
day for Memphis where the
latter will undergo an opera
tion for tonsilitis.
W. B. Fakes Motor Company
has received a car load of new
Chevrolet cars which are on
display in the salesroom of that
enterprising firm.
A letter received yesterday
from T. W. Woodbury states
that he has moved to Memphis
where he has accepted a nice
position with the Bank of Com
merce.