The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-24
(Continued.l

L Hen 1 SuOOenly remembered W1Ln
Joy that I had letter for him, for it
gave US diverting topic of converse
tion- Tt proved to be from a brother
ofhcer who was in prison at Torgau, In
Germany He asked me to read it to
him. It RAM
My Dear Ian-I thought perhaps you
might want to know what q days work
out here Is like. You know 1 was taken
prisoner at Mons. First we were sent
to Cologne and then on to Magdeburg,
where we were Joined by party of Scots.
The journey was made in e cattle car,
but our keepers were a decent sort. and
it's all in a lifetime anyway. The only
thing really would like to register a kick
about is the German Red Cross. The jour
ney lasted seventy hours. We only I'd
refused us water. we got to Torgau
about 4 in the morning and were march
ed to. the fortress. Our particular build
ing is called the Bruckenkopf. Napoleon
the First built it to protect the bridge
made over the Elbe for his great Russian
exploit.
our building is divided into about fifty
rooms which are British quarters. Out
side in the passages there are crude tables
which are used for mess, Usually twenty
dye or thirty ofiicers mess together
we have an exercise ground here which
lis half a mile in circumference At first
we were comfortable little party, but
the other day 500 French came in, and all
the outhouses wagon sheds, etc, are used
for thenn-fhat4 is, all but one building IN
that they nanufacture shells. The wo-
men do the packing, and they must be
doing big business as 800 or 400 come
every day in fact they are now working
double shift
I mustn't forget to tell you about the
international football match. Those be-
tween the French and English always
draw good gates in spite of the fact that
tae English always win. The ground is
very hard and rough, so we only play
association. We did try the Elton game
mans to make up the two sides we had to.
Ill in With men wf1os in some cases, had
never seen the game played. The French
Were highly delighted at the formation
and maneuvers of the ram.
Discipline is maintained by the highest
ranking oMcer Of each nation. In our
don high1anders. 1.-The sick are looked
after by their own respective medical Of
dcers. The Germans gave them the bene-
mt OF their superior skill in the beginning,
same old patients day after day so now
we never see them except on hurried Wis
its for inspection.
up In the town, but they are very fussy
about selling anything with poison in any.
quantity In it. and Il is q much mooted
Question whether they fear We might use
it for suicide or to poison the guard.
hardly think it is the former because IL
it were there would, be regulations against
the daily bath, as the Germans often re-
mark to each other that If the English go
on bathing In this fashion all the time
there won't be a one Of them left when
winter Is over.
We have been able to buy, in the can
teens bread. cheese, chocolate, apples,
jam, sausage and even beer, but the list
has dwfadled until now only jam. sar-
dimes, sausage and ham are left. In an
other canteen certain days IN the week
one may buy clothes and the like.
True, our trousers are OF khaki corduroy
and must have a narrow red band down
the outer seam-this against an effort to
escape. Trying to escape, I might add,
isn't exactly popular as means of diver
sion, as good many fellows have tried
1t and paid for the attempt with their
lives We are never allowed on the battle
ments. and even IL one attempts to peep
over ia great big Hun with a. great big
gum brings his rifle Instantly to his
shoulder with an unmistakable expression
of business In his eye. The whole place is
water there exists the unpicturesque barb
cd wire ENHANCEMENT, and we are con-
stantly reminded that q high power live
wire runs through the whole OF it, At
some of the prisons the sentries carry
hxed bayonets, but here it is evidently
not considered necessary
For long time, as you know, we were
not permitted to write letters home, and
the knowledge that our families were suf-
7ering the greatest anxiety on our &C
count was the most distressing part of the
suggested by the commandment that we
might like to subscribe to the German
Red Cross fund Nothing could have been
received with greater GOODNESS than this
suggestion, as the MOST of US remembered
as our most humi1iating experiences those
which we suffered at the hands of the
Red Cross workers. But when he init
mated that If the amount was such as to
make it worth while to send the checks
to England to be cashed this would neees-
sar:ly carry with it to our friends the in
formation that we were at least alive. we
ALI suddenly became very generous in our
contributions. AS 1t is illegal to give money
In any way whatsoever to the enemy, to
get around this the checks were drawn on
an Amsterdam bank, and across the face
of each was a request that they should
notify our families. I am beginning to
world brought so much happiness, because
these checks were the first intimation that
England had that many Of the officers
were alive; In fact, in some instances fthey
had been reported officially as dead.
might mention that one of our diver
sions has been peeIing the potatoes neces-
sary for the day, for the main meal is at
half past II, which consisted generally of
a piece of boiled potato and occasionally
mutton floating IN vegetable soup, We al
ways have potatoes, and the potatoes have
to be peeled and, believe me, it takes lots
of them For some reason. suppose 1t is
inward cussedness none. of US took very
kindly to tie work, but we hear ruTaor
that the orderlies are soon going to fail
heir to that job.
English newspapers or books We don't
have, but are able to buy German ones
Often when there is German reverse
they publish it as an unconhrmed rlIr11or
from London. Rome or somewhere, but at
other times there seems no attempt to
disguise their losses. My own opinion is
that the press of Germany is inclined to
be creative rather than suppressionaI.
They continually lead their readers on
with great expectations, when one plan
falls through, to go after another. First
it was the move on Paris; then it was
Calais, and so it goes.
For some weeks past now we have been
able to write two postcards or one letter
a week You should feel highly compli-
rnented that this week have chosen to
spend my precious letter on you, though
it's pretty certain to be cut 20 pieces by
the censor, even If a decent German OH
Ger here has promised me to get 1t through
intact some way. But there Is no use
beating about the bush, old chap, behind
It all there is n1otiye-I want to borrow
eco You see, here all the officers of the
rank of captain and upward are paid 100
marks a month by the German govern
anent The junior officers receive from