Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-27


US with cots and bedding, gave us a
dandy dinner and breakfast in the
morning. There were perhaps
half dozen other officers there re.
turning from the front. or going on
leave, and they all had some very
pleasant" remarks to make about
the X. Z. O.
LAUDs WORK
OF Y. M. C. A.
The Y. NJ. c. A. in my opinion,
and that of everyone else, is doing
the greatest work in the army. They
are doing their utmost to make the
almost unbearable conditions bet.
ter. They are brave. sacrificing.
and loyal. and if anyone at home is
asked to subscribe to their fund
hope they will do so generously. I
wish could tell you all it is doing.
U. S. ENGINEERS ON
TRAINS-SEES RUINS.
| August rs. After breakfast we
Went over TO the narrow gauge and
We're pleased to find it being run by
company of American railway en-.
/ giheers. There was no train until
700 p. m. went back to the rail.
/ road yard, hunted up motor truck
driver 1.-THE yard was full of motor
trucks loading with supplies for the
front and found one going our wav
IN an hour. We got our baggage, put
| II on, and started Off across i've
most dismal country | ever saw.
rms Is in the district in which the
Germans made their so-caled
strategic retreat" The country is
absolutely swept clean, Every tree
has been cut down. villages RACED
/ to the ground-not one stone left
standing on another. Absolutely de-
yastated. And to think that a few
years ago this desert was a fertile
/ productive country. | cannot des.
scribe the sadness I felt, or my
/ pity for these people robbed Of
their homes and many of them of
their lives. We passed many more
old trenches, and barbed wire en-
tanglements, saw many Of the old
German dugouts. built of concrete.
and steel. at present blown to pieces,
and now in these fields grown up to
weeds, we passed many motor
trucks unloading brick and tile.
Our driver told me the British were
rebuilding these houses and villages
in order that the French civilian
population might come back and
till the soil AsVwe worked off to-
ward the edge of this area, we pass
ed village in which the church
had been left standing the steeple
blown off, great holes in the sides.
and curiously enough, crucifx
untouched between two great shell
holes in the wall | am enclosing
picture OF II.
We finally reached headquarters,
delivered and received our orders.
were assigned to quarters, and given
servant. My servant is an Eng
/ lishman, but has spent several years
/ in Ottawa. Canada
MEETS ENGLISH
! HOSPITAL CHIEFS.
August Goth. We didn't do any
/ thing all day yesterday, but are
/ moving today. Nobody knows where
/ We are going. This is mobile hos
/ pital attached to one of the oldest
/ divisions in the British army.
/ have an idea. but am by no means
! certain, that we are. in part at
/ least, here for observation in order
/ that we may have an idea of meth
! DDS when our troops get over These
( officers are a fine lot, ali of them
have been in service since tne be.
i ginning Of the war The command
ing officer Is a SCOtchman with a
/ burr-r on everything he says The
second in command is a doctor from
/ Dublin, another from London and
/ the quartermaster is most anus
i ing character joke in every.
thing He is an old soldier, having
served his time in India, Egypt and
South Africa typical kipling
( type; a rough old codger but he has
a pretty keen idea of things just the
same This for sample, 1T haint
the size of the fist that tells nor
the size Of the man. but the will be-
hind the blow ! ave seen men with
Il fist like The foot of an elephant
wot couldn't knock fly off piece
of cheese, an others. tiny blokes,
"ot nd make yer hair stand on end
they was that for ell
We are very comfortably situat-
ed and | feel quite pleased to find
! am with seasoned troops, rather
than new recruts-the organization
is so much better
NOVEc ON