The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1917-10-04


| the lumber here.
| have a room all to myself in one
OF the Ivy covered stone houses and
every night and morning they have a
large glass Of milk and a couple of
hot scenes or griddle cakes for me
One sees things here or can in the
I larger places that reminds him OF the
L. S A. every day Such as signs
advertising "Colgates Dental Cream"
FEELS Naphtha Soap" and Walter
Bakers Cocoa" have seen several
Wood Mowers also Fords and Indian
Motorcycles. AS gasoline is restrict
ed to those In government or Red
Cross work and is 75c per gallon, at
that most of the people prefer bicycles
or "Shanks Mare" There are no
barns here at all. all the stun IS
stacked or put In potato holes, etc
The stock is out 10 months year
and sheep all the year round and are
only corralled at shearing time
Shepherds are employed In keeping
the focks together because all are
turned out at large. The roads are
exceptionally fine, but narrow and
crooked with stone and cement walls
on either side, sometimes around
private estates six or eight feet high
surmounted by iron spikes Another
fellow and | managed to get into one
Of those places and found something
grand. There were acres OF gardens
and large hot house heated, or was
once, by steam and watered by foun-
tains, containing all kinds OF fruit
trees, grape vines etc, and some of the
most beautiful flowers | ever saw
The owner was an Austrian and his
wife an English Countess At the
outbreak of the war he cashed up
what property he could and went to
fight with Germany, while his wife left
the place, Carlisdale Castle, and Is
now in London, there used to be eight
gardeners just to work In and around
the gardens, lawns and hedges, but
there is only one in there now. Things
are in an awful state OF neglect. |
intend to get feed of fruit later IL
! can get in again
There is another castle near by on
the estate of Andrew Carnegie, and
part Of the lumber we are to cut is
owned by him. The mills have not
come yet and all we have to do Is to
eat, sleep and go to the station "a
miles away and watch the trains and
the mutilated returning "Kilties". The
lumber lot we are to cut out is in a
piece OF S or 10 square miles There
are six mills to set here, ii is estimat-
ed to contain IS million feet 1t is
rather small and short bodied and con-
sists chiefly of Scotch Pine, something
like our Norway, and Larch which is
a twin to our Hanback,. 1t has been
divided into six equal lots. I was out
with a surveying party yesterday and
they made an average of I'M per acre
so one can see it is not very heavily
wooded. 1t is one side of one OF the
large mountains that are very numer-
Gus about here. 1t was owned before
the war by Scotchman who now lives
In Canada and manufactures what is
known as the Ross rifle and is the
rife used by the Canadians in the war
| am in unit 6. Roy Tracy's unit and
am signed up as a Millwright and
filler, 1880 per month. A soft job.
have the mill to keep In repair, the
saws to file and six cross cut saws to
look after. The axes they furnished
are the most ungodly things I ever
saw they range from four to six, three
fourths pounds in weight Frank
Wade has made some iron boxes for
the men to stand in while chopping
so they won't make a miss and cut
off their feet The saws are about
all Simmonds. few Atkins perhaps.
1t won't be amiss to mention the
prices of some of the articles over
here Flour cost 81 per barrel of
240 lbs. which is cheaper than at
home. Sugar can't be had at any
price Tobacco costs los or $40
per lb. Cotton socks of the two-for-
a-quarter grade half a crown. Ask
Jim Coupe how much that Is Chew
ing gum is an unknown quantity here
so one doesn't see all the girls chew
ing as is the habit In the U. s. A.
forgot to mention the wagons or car
riages as they call them here They
are all two wheeled outfits even their
Sundayg o-to-meeting ones with
wheels as heavy as those on the rear
of Woodie's jigger, but they all seem
to enjoy riding In them. That this
part of Scotland has felt the war is
proved by the lack of young men, they
are all gone. the old men and women
doing the work on the farms
There are five girls in the family
where | room, all red headed The
oldest, about 90 carries mail on a
route OF IA miles, when the weather
is fine she uses a wheel and when bad
walks What do you think of that?
Her name is Joan, they pronounce
it like John. What do you think of
that too? There is great need of
men to drive tractors at 10L per
month and board They use two for
each mill to haul the lumber to the
station. This would be good job
for Henry were he here There was
company of 100 cyclists came over
from Canada with us to act as scouts
and messengers on the battle fields of
France They were furnished with
Indian machines on their arrival
Well | guess this is enough dope for
once and this may not all get by the
censor at London
Wishing more OF the fellows In Mer-
Ger could have the opportunity TO see
this old picturesque country, that Is
If they want to. I will close and
hope to get a card from some OF the
members OF Sandy River Grange No
SO. Fraternally yours.
W P r
Ardgay, Ross-shire. Scotland. Unit 6
p. ST have a months pay due
Monday. July 18th and would give |
half of 1t to be at the next baked bean !
M.