The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-08-17
PAUL G, n DERR

are not very far away Camp is going
on as usual. / heard eight new men
went out soon after we left. i think
they keep about 125 there all the
time. While was there, Maurice the
dancer, came out; Maurice and Flor
ence Walton have a reputation second
to the Castles. He didn't like it out
there and heard he was put out of
the corps a few7da Later because of
some trouble he had with one of the
officers.
Spent Day in Paris.
We spent the day in Paris and
Just had time to have regular din
ner and get few necessary articles
to take to the front with me. You
can't imagine how good steak tasted
after three weeks of the same things
] told you about in one Of my other
letters. 1t took us all night to get to
Dyon and that is where we got our
cars. We stayed there nearly a week
and had nice time. Of course we
worked most of the time getting the
cars ready, but we had little time
to ourselves. Dyon is quite a large
town and we attracted a lot of ques-
tions because we were there when
France published the news of the ar
rival of the United. States troops and
the people thought we were part OF
them. One of the things Dyon is noted
for is sort of brown cake made with
honey, and l will say it is great.
We had great trip up to where
we are on the front. The roads are
wonderful and the, scenery beautiful.
You ought to have seen us at the end
of some of the days runs, just COW
cred with dust 1t took us several
days to get up here as we stopped for
a while at several cities. We were on
the road all day the Fourth and
the officers gave us dandy dinner
that night at little town where we
were treated royalty at restaurant.
We sang songs, ETC., and crowd OF
people gathered outside to listen. We
were quartered among the people that
night and I slept in a real bed for
the first time, since / left Paris for
camp.
Knows What War Is.
Well. 1 am now at work and want
to tell you am seeing what war is.
You will see u is pretty serious when
I tell you what has happened during
the past few days. / sleep in the car
which is now spattered with blood
every other night. prefer that to
barn. We work twenty -four hours a
a Stretch and of course if great many
wounded come in we work longer. We
90 I'D at noon coming back the next.
We work at a distributing hospital a
few miles from the trenches. The
x6nunded are brought there and we
take them to different hospitals fur
fher back, according to whether they
are sick or the nature of their wounds.
There are no women nurses up here at
oil. Now a section of, the American
oYob,i1ance brings the men to us, but
ebortly we will take their place. You
ought to see the poor soldiers brought
N covered with mud and blood and
With arms and legs shot off. For some
reason it doesn't bother me and help
handle them in fact eat near them. !
ouess 1t is because am living out OF
doors. The wounded are only kept
there a short time, being taken right
on nv MS. Some of the men die there.
while waiting our turn at night we
snatch a little sleep on stretchers in
the hospitaI. The hospital buildings
are only temporary shacks and tents.
-. One Driver Was Killed.
last night some of the Ford am
balances BRINGING men to us were
struck by shells. One young fellow
from Boston had his leg blown OFF and
died that night. Others received minor
wounds. They brought him in to us
and he talked to the doctor and his
friends. He was very game and joked
at. times. He has a brother here and