Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-04-18
HOBART WRITES AN
INTERESTING LETTER
Former GratiOt "Y" Secretary
in France Tells of Exper-
fences "Over There"

+. c. Hobart. formerly the secre-
terry Of the Gratiot County Y. NJ. c..
A., who is now doing Y NJ. c. A. work
in France with the United States
army, has written a most interesting
letter to the present county secretery,
Blaine Curtiss, in regard TO his ex-
periences and work at the front The
letter viii be highly interesting to
Gratiot people. II follows:
My Dear Curtiss:
Was mighty glad to get your letter
and to hear that things are going 50
we'll in old Gratiot
! am perfectly willing to write a
sketch for your country papers, but
you will also recollect my inability
as a writer. | know the value of a
real red blooded' story right from
the field and if can help along this
line, | shall do so.
No words can ever describe the
magnificent service being rendered by
the association and wish | could
thank, personally, every man and wo-
man who has so generou ~ contrib
uted to the cause always realized
It's good work back in the States, but
this transcends any piece Of service
ever saw attempted. Just to illus
trate, in several of our huts, the men
come in from the trenches about three
or four o'clock in the morning and
from then till seven or eight o'clock.
and the secretaries stay up all night
and take turns sleeping to give out
hot tea and cocoa to the men when
they get in Several OF The hut lead
ers take turns in going to the line to
furnish writing material, tobacco,
candy, gum, cookies. and oranges to
the men on duty in the trenches.
In some of the raids. our men have
taken an active part in serving the
boys and helping to carry out the
wounded and prisoners. Transpor-
tation is the biggest problem which
we are facing and that is rapidly
being adjusted so we are able to fur
nish supplies in large quantities.
Since | wrote you last, have been
moved up with the rest of our divis-
ion TO the front lne-our army hav-
ing taken over quite sector, and /
shall never be able TO tell the wonder
full experiences have gone through.
| never was good at descriptive writ
ing, you remember. so III just have
to tell the story when | see you, in my
disconnected, clumsy way.
want to assure you. however, and
all the folks who so generously con-
tributed to the Y. NJ. c. A. work, that
the association is putting on mag
nificent piece of work. It's Godsend
TO the men in the trenches. | thought
it was great for the men in the train
ing camps. but for the men in the
trenches and under shell fire it is
blessing which never can be described
in words.
have charge Of the equipment de-
partment for our division and il is
my job to take cantcen supplies up to
the huts along the line, sometimes
driving big truck myself and some
times going with other men on the
big three-ton "Perce-Arrows." IL
all has to be done after dark, and it's
some job-to feel your way along
through the fog and darkness, meet
ing ration and ammunition trains and
of men going TO and from
the trenches. We finally feel our way
through it all to the yard Of an old
wreck Of building all shot to pieces
by the barrages of both armies, once
Continued on page four)