The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-12-21
Somewhere In France,
Nov. %, 1917.
Boss Elliott and Friends:
Idaho Springs. Colo

Idaho Springs, Colo,
Dear Boss: Wish YOU would let
the bunch read this as our officers
ask us not to write too many
letters or we will be limited to one
a week.
Our trip over was uneventful.
but | should like to tell you what
boat We came over in but we are
not allowed to give any dates or
anything that might be of it,
formation in case our mail is cap
tured by the enemy.
The most exciting thing on our
journey was target Practice, and
should a e. boat have made its ap
pearanec it surely would have gone
to the bottom.
We were on the boat several
days after docking and then be-
gan our journey in box cars, 30
men to the car. They are smaller
than the c. d 5. narrow-guage.
1t was as unpleasant journey but
was not of our choice. We saw
some German prisoners travelling
second class, while we had no class
at all Every SO often we would
stop for hot coffee, and it sure was
hot and black and strong. We
finally reached our destination
about $50 and had to unpack our
supplies in the dark and were then
marched to our sleeping quarters,
which were i'll lofts Of barns, over
the cattle, horses and poultry. 1t
WAS cold and rainy but we made
our beds as best we could. and
slept for the first time in several
days.
We established a camp hospital
at once in AN Old building that at
one time must have been an old
Dukal palace. as it was in two
sections with two dates-l730 and
1sO5. The walls are of great
heavy stone with many doors and
small rooms. The rafters are
mortised aud pegged together.
We kept this about week and
had some 20 patients-measles and
mumps-and then turned it over
to another of the hospital COM
panies aud made four hour march
to the place we are now in. l wish
| could tell you where am but it
is impossible.
Here We have taken over French
hospital. 1t is also an old Chateau,
built in 1904. THIS is quite nice
place on a historical river. The
lady who owns it lost her hus
band i'll the first two weeks Of the
war,
There was FIRE here few
nights ago which burned barn.
They have very poor fire Sighting
apparatus.
The houses and barns are built
together with no yards. The
people live in one part. keep then
stock in another aud grain in the
lofts. They live in little villages
and 90 out to their farms instead
of living on them.
| saw a threshing machine run
by tread mill and horse, but
some of them have small engines
They are all small and do in one
day about as much as our machines
do in half hour.
The Y. NJ. c. A. have a branch
here that supplies us with sta
tionery free 1t also has a small
canteen but very small stock so
that one cannot buy all he wants
at time, as it is proportioned out.
1t is quite difficult,to get American
tobacco and cigarettes except the
the ones that no one cares for.
! Wish yon would in some way
let the boys who are coming over
know to take alorg plenty of Lava
soap, for on the trip over ordinary
soap is of no use with the salt
water. and that is what they have
to wash in. and also to have a
towel for their mess kits as their
4 different things rust very quickly
and towels are not furnished on
/ the ship.
This is all l can think of for