Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-10-16
MAJOR SAM ROBERTSON SAYS
ENGLISH RAILROADS JOKES
Well-Known Valley Man Now With American Rail.
road Builders In France Writes OF His
Impressions of Countries

WIN 'ai~ hhNibS y carrying faTutuN "a
ten 10 twelve tons each as again forty 10
sixty IONS zach in American ears, and with
trains carrying four hundred tons of
freight :iS against tweni,-five hundred
tons in the United States, English railroad
freight service i a Joke. declares Major
gineers. railroad building section. now on
duty Somewhere in France helping to
Americanize the railroad systems of that
country. AZ home, Major Robertson lives
nj San Beniio. cha>eS bandits. build
drainage and canal bitches, end betimc~
railroads and other big things.
Major Robertson wrote To Mrs. Robert
son, who is now nj their HON mt San Be
niio. He says that he does not know when
he will hear from home again or when he
can write again, for the camp was To he
moved on the morrow, and. he said. 1--WE
will he up against the real thing What
the 'real thing was he did not explain
for II would have been censored. anyway.
Mr.. Robertson says in part:
England is n most beautiful country.
However, the houses in the towns nave n
great sameneSs. | did not 90 to London.
but some Of the officers spent a few hours
there. The English freight service j. a
joke: ears here have a capacity of from
ton To twelve tons. while our are from forty
10 sixty tons capacity. Their freight train
load is only about 400 10 o tons against
$500 tons on our lines of equal trade.
Their railroad track is well maintained. but
our heavy ears and equipment would crush
1t. Their passenger ears are comfortable.
hut no way TO pass from one 10 the ether
and no toilets.
w were most kindly received by the
people and English officers everywhere in
England. Their soldiers are better equip
pod in many respects than ours. but are
not 50 well fed. However. their food j.
good and wholesome. but they have "a
much tea and but little coffee. and our
men are coffee drinkers.
Sergeant Presented to Royalty.
w had n very rough time crossing the
English Channel and all of Us were very
sick. : You viii remember seeing the
big Sergeant Eagan in Detroit. the one who
was too glib to secure a uniform. We got
one for him finally in Halifax" Herr
Major Robs rtson ~reciies incidents in con
with a tug Of war between IN.
Americans and British. Although the
weight on the American side was greater,
they lost the game because of inexperience.
The men of the squad were I'll of large
size. and included Sergeant Eagan.
''But the king and queen were 80 wei
pleased with our big boys that they had
Sergeant Eagan presented with his squad
and presented him and his men n silver
medal each. The queen complimentcd the
sergeant and spoke very kindly 10 the boys.
The ranking American officer was present
ed to the king and queen. but no others, 50
the sergeant had the bulge on the colonel
There were "A number Of Australians
and South Africans at cur camp today and
they and are men get along fine. hut the
Australians are not liked by the British
soldiers. The Australians are like some
of our Texas boys, regular rouehnecks. but
fine fellows.
"The streets are paved in the camp and
are a clean a. "A ribbon. Ii rains all the
time and If the camp streets were not
paved the mud would be knee deep. We
are guests of the Officers club. and have
good food and clean beds. and we are
treated very cordially and courtcou-ly
But this French and English money is very
confusing. However. the French il easier
than the English.
IL wish | could write fully about all
have seen and learnde. but ! shall have I,
wait until the war j. over 10 discuss mill
tary matters n il j. forbidden 10 writ,
on account of the possibility of getting in.
formation into the hands of our enemies