El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-18
THO E PAS0ANS
At THE FRONT
Letters From Members of
Engineer Corps; French
Railroading Described.

4---- 4ADAA trainer UlolQtE OF aL4s-
j. J. Jones, Of EI Paso. who Joined an
engineer regiment some months ago
and left FL Paso with it, is now see
D ing active service in France. at the
front He sent his sister a Liberty
bond this week which he has bought
and wrote her some rather Interest,"
ing news about the doiugs over
there" IN part the letter said
an my last short note I mentioned
that We had no mail for weeks. but we
are now making MP for lost timce and
gettlng a batch every ,Hy or so.
Inc weather here is murNy, not
exactly cold nor rainy, either. but all
most either or both. 4 lot % the
sang, myself included. are barking
like prairie dogs but there is very
little hOneSt-to-God sickness.
You know can't tell YOU where
We are but u may interest YOU to
know that we are within ear shot Of
guns and to see the 'Fritzie' Ohserva-
tiOn balloons and TO see an occasional
airplaue fight 7 hand 1t 90 these air
men They sail over enemy lines and
when the auti-aircraft guns start pop
pins they turn and in an uncon-
cerned manner case back toward
home, only 20 saShay back the min
ute Fritz stops firing.
They have the satisfaction or
knowing that they can stir up a rum
pus at any hour they choose guess
I've seen several thousand shots
wasted and have never seen ono
brought down Vet. As q rule the
shells appear TO burst several hundred
yards from them but 7 suppose the
height etc. must deceive the eve.
anyway. pieces Of shranncl fall
around promiscuously and we are glad
for the steel helmet
None OF our regiment have vet re-
cclyed even a scratch from Fritz re
is remarkable, too, that we could be
so long so close to the line and still
be together and going strong
The TOmmies talk as though there
is no danger from any shell that was
not made especially for them. Again
the theory Of prcdestinaticn comes iu
to the flag Guess though II IL it
keeps their nerve ND its %. *
we we're in hopes we would all so
back together. the same as We came
over, but guess that is expecting too
much While ORGANIZED as an operat- .
ing regiment. we have spent most or
our time on construction work. sec
ton work on light railways. in other I
words
As we are on a quiet front and are
merely marking time we are being
subjected TO quite a bit OF military .
drill The trenches viii appear to rs a /
desirable place TO be Anyway we live T!
in hopes that our services as railway .
men viii in the very near future be +
needed"
Railroad Man writes
A. " DeDcW. better known as E
-Chauncey.' a conductor on the cast 4.
'rn division Of the FL Paso q south +.
western, IS in receipt Of letter from F.
Fred L Barker. OF FL Paso, another
FL Pasoan who IS in the engineer
service in France He says in part
Il have hardly seen the sun since
have been IN France. as this IS the
amy season . Inns IS s9relE some
country for rallroadirg- ] wish Eol
,ould see the cars-ten tons are the
arEssL They have but two pairs of
wheels and brakes on but one out Of
very five There is brakeman f1r
very brake. The passenger trains
lave about ten or T. cars 60 train
nd a brakeman for each car He
ides in a cupola ar the end of the
ar. The brakes work with a pressure
crew instead Of a chain and lever.
ut they are effective and the trains
make about as sood stop as VIC do
With air
1T Is getting cold over here and
most OF the boys have a cold. but oth-
rwise we are I'm good health. .
j understand they are E0luE 90 e.
rohiblt the sale OF liquor 20 soldiers =
fter the 18th. :
Irs- Depew TO help the Red Cross auo q
he y NJ. G. a. all you can. for they !
re doing a grand work over here. I
specially the y You should see the r
-owds Of boys that conEregate at the I q
reading, writing. eating and enjoy j
lg music. the picture shows and the G
.hcr amusements- ~
This is surely a beautiful Coultr1-. I
18th fine roads and lots Of trees and T
overs. They also have pretty homes. C
ut the people are q hundred years d
ehind the times and seem TO be glad Z
H. They are happy TO see US.
Rough"