The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-12-14
Robert Bentley Writes From France.
S. |. F., Nov. l, 1917.

S. |. F., Nov. l, 1917.
Dear Mother: At last we've had an
other mail day. About $50 sacks ar
rived In two days. Quite lot for one
regiment, isn't it? This is the first we
have received in about three weeks,
which accounts for the large amount
/ received my share-a handful of let
tiers and an armful of papers, maya
zines, tobacco, cigarettes, candy and
cigars. The letters / made last whole
day, reading one as found time dur
ing the day on the job. The papers
and magazines will keep myself and
some of the other boys busy for some
time to come. Mail day is one great
occasion in our lives here now that we
have stopped our travels and settled
down to work. We understand there
was some tle-up in the service some
where, and that better service will be
rendered in the future. Our stove
pipe" committee was busy, of course,
and every day there was some different
news of our mail. 1t was sunk by the
Germans, burned mp, was lying in some
port, and various other things had hap
pened to it. We are very thankful
nothing did happen worse than the de-
lay in delivery. Now the boys are all
busily engaged in trying to catch up
with their correspondence.
I've moved again and am now at the
regimental headquarters where the.
largest part of the 18th is located.
Hope | don't have to pick up my bed
and walk again soon, unless it's on the
conclusion of the war and in the direc-
ton of home. The glory and glamour
of a soldiers life has all disappeared
and now it's simply doing your daily
task as well as you can, the same as
you did at home We are operating
very important piece of road upon
which thousands of men, horses and
guns depend for sustenance, and very
efficiently too, I understand. Besides
the supply trains we have many hos
pital and permissionary trainss The
permissionary trains are for troops go
ing to and coming home on leave. The
hospital trains are made up of large
steel cars nearly of the same appear
ance as our own and very we'll equipped
for handling the wounded,
The weather here has been terrible
for the last three weeks. Rain, rain,
and still more rain. Not day without
it. The last three days have been nice. !,
Today was a regular Indian summer
day, and tonight it's cloudy, for which
we are truly thankful. Before the
rainy season the Boche birdmen~were
quite a nuisance to US. Don't ever say
beautiful moon to any of us again. We
can see no beauty in moon of any de-
scription. They'll not bother US much
before spring now as it is getting pref
ty frosty for them to fly at night. This
place is not within shell range so on a
cloudy night there is nothing to worry
about. The place | was at before COM
ing here was shelled occasionally. The
whistle and explosion of shell is quite
terrifying until one becomes Injured.
Our men are running trains up we'll
within shell range every day. Some
can go only by night. Camoufage pro-
tects the track from the Boche's view
where necessary.
There is little going on up front to-
night. The guns were booming rapidly
about an hour ago but have now sub
sided and there. is only an occasional
roar of some big fellow. The men in
the trenches who are not on guard any
get few winks of sleep before the
morning stand-to. Some of our men
are now in the trenches, we hear. Hope
they all have the luck of the 18th.
| am not in the same line of work as
at home There are no signals here.
Am in the track department as assist
ant gang foreman. Helped to repair
camouf1age one day. This was quite
interesting. On the track we have
Indo Chinese troops as laborers. They
come from a French colony in Indo
China. They are little fellows and it's
quite interesting to watch them work.
They are intelligent and are very anx-
ious to learn American. | haven't tried
to learn their language yet but may do
so when become proficient in French,
which I've about made up my mind will
be never.
Made application for a three days
furlough to go to Paris today. We are
permitted to GO three from each COM
pany at time. Those who have re-
turned to camp from the Paris trip say
it's grand city and all report good
time.
[ am enclosing the army edition of
the Chicago Tribune so you may see
what it's like. Not as large as the
Chicago edition but it gives us the
news.
/ am as we'll as can be in spite of the
rain and mud and expect to keep SO.
am now located in barracks where
can dry my shoes and socks at night,
so have dry feet to start out with every
morning, which is great help.
Love to all,
ROB.