Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-12-14
"OVER THERE"
An Interesting Account of What
the Railway Engineers are
Doing somewhere in France"

The following letter was, received
by Frank Riggie from his brother
Joe Riggie who is 1st Sergeant, Co.
C, 18th Engineers, Railway, now
near the great battleields in France.
Somewhere in France,
November 13, 1917.
My dear Frank and Iva
Your package containing cigars,
etc., reached me October 30th, and
this is the first opportunity | have
had to write and thank you. You
have no idea what a treat those
smokes were, and such good ones.
Gave one to Bill Olson 1--WE call him
John Bunney) and you should have
seen him with his shower of thanks;
said that he used to toss the worries
with Steve Maroney for the same
brand. 1t is impossible for me to
thank you in manner that you will
understand just how much | appre-
ciate your generosity. On the same
day that your parcel arrived | re-
ceived one from Ruth containing
tobacco, candy, etc., so | was the
happiest fellow living. American
smokes of every kind are not OBJ
tainable here and the issue of Eng
lish tobacco is punk, mostly mixtures
and resembles and tastes like curled
hair. Our only pastilne is smoking
and reading as we are located in a
very desolate and barren section of
France. Of course there is plenty
going on in military way, action
galore, but absolutely nothing for
recreation. Lights are not allowed
at night any more than necessary as
they expose US to danger from enemy
aeroplanes but we have candles that
we can use until $50 p. m. Am
quarted in low hut (shaped like a
half barrel cut ngthWise) and have
been very busy with the carpenters s
tools manufacturing my office furni
ture. Just getting settled now
and it is somewhat better than do
ing business in a tent, especially
when the weather is such as it has
been here during the past six weeks.
Rains nearly every day and the mud
is terrible. The people at home lit
tie realize what tremendous Op-
Grafton this war means and those
who imagine that there is pleasure
with any of the active organizations
in this country should join the colors
Immediately. | am perfectly con-
tented however, and in the very best
of health, must weigh at least twenty
or twenty-five pounds more than
when ! left the States. Not very
cold here as yet but foggy and
damp. We are operating narrow
gage lines at present and you should
see our boys handle the dinky out
fits. Perhaps you imagine that the
trains consist of the locomotive, cars
and caboose of the ordinary make
up at home-no such trains here. To
be sure there is the engine, but no
caboose or coach for the crew, and
the cars are like large dry goods
boxes, no cover or running board.
The shells if large enough are loaded
like pulpwood as we'll as all other
kinds of explosives. Not a very
good place for a nervous man when
Fritzy drops a sixty-fve FOUNDER in
the middle of short string. While
we do not consider ourselves in any
particular danger it would amaze
you people at home if you only knew
how little life is worth in the war
zone. We have been exceedingly
fortunate though and none of the
boys in my company have cashed in.
Have quite few Grand Trunk boys
in Ethe company; Olson, Campbell,
Putney, Graham, Waldron, Bartlett
and know few others in another
company but in our battalion. We
call Jim Campbell "Campbell's
soup" The boys are scattered
around over quite an area but we
see each other occasionally. Camp
bell went over the "top" with his
pill box a couple of weeks ago and
tipped over into the ditch.
Father and mother sent me the
Essex County Herald of October 9th
quoting letters received from Camp
bell and Fatty (Ed) Foss. 1t sure
does seem good to us to get hold Of
home papers and every word in them
NJ ,ot .onnn nh ~ ho,