Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-23


"They were dropping shell all around.
But somehow we oil got in our dusout With
out getting hit. We we're running around In
circles like rats from cas but in this case
the rats won As have told you we are
now on the Front The Hun does not seam
10 like the Americans. They say our boys
fight too much for them. And In a kind OF a
way I believe It myself
AS yet have not met one boy from the
Church. In fact have not met anyone
know At. the present, time I am in the
Field Hosptal am all in. down and out.
outside OF that everything is great. The
weather Is fine, Hoping this will find YOU
Private, HARRY y. HARRIS,
Bait C. i0sth +. A..
"a. r. f. France"
Have YOU any more letters Of the same
kind?' the rector OF this church was asked
when found at his study IN the parish house
on South Thirteenth street.
Reaching 70 drawer OF his deSlS, Doctor
Steele drew forth packet and replied :
Here are more than 500. and ] would not
exchange them FOR anything 7 own. They
are full Of things that may not he divulged !:
but there Is also wealth Of interest and
hunlor. think that. put together. they
would comprise n moving-p.eture OF the life
OF the average soldier from the time the
boys started Off TO training camps year
ago. II the writer's were assembled, and
COuIu nave tnelE pictures taken, tney ~Ould
make up composite photograph OF the
typical American soldier.
''rhese letters are OF all degrees OF literary
merit-and demerit. Some of them have all
the faults there are OF structure, grammar,
syntaN' punctuation and the like but have
yet to receive one word of discomfort from
anybody. one word Oc criticism about food or
clothing. treatment or equipment. one note
or homesickness or one single element OF
fear-except that the thing may he over
before they get through with It: that some
thing will intervene to stop the norma,
process Of things before. Rs they all put It.
we make thorough Job Of it,"
In looking over some proffered specimens
the reporter culled such names and sentences
and paragraphs as the following:
'I5have time TO make this letter" writes
Corporal Jack White Company II. t0ath
United States Infantry. because through
Jerry's fault ] am in a Red Cross hospital
with lot OF gas burns But I'll get over
that soon. ! certainly hope will anyway.
l want to get back TO the front line again.
| would have had restful sleep last night
except that ] had peculiar dream about
YOU. Aren't YOU ashamed. keeping n sick
man awake? The reason was you gave me
and few OF my pals lecture on the sub
-ject Of not going 10 church. Ii was really
good lecture. Just like you used to talk 10
us boys; but in spite of that, had to laugh
Why did you pick; out such an exposed dug
out, where shells are bursting? hope YOU
Wen get back to church all right now
pretty soon.'
CORPORAL George Henry Sook. Company *.
llOth United States Infantry. was killed by
machne-gun fre at Chateau-rhierry on July
90. More than three weeks later came a let
ter written only two days before that date:
The American boys here are doing fine
york. while the Germans seem TO be tired
Their morale IT, poor. They give themselves
I'm a. hap Tn
day an American soldier marched in ninety
four Germans; and his only weapon was a
shovel. This sounds strange. but II IA
literally true. I saw II with my own eyes"
Private Edwin Buchwald. of the slxty-
fifth Engineers. A. f. F., writes a veritable
treatise on the habits and customs of the
natives. with sidellghts on personal ad-
venture. In particular he narrates his ex-
perience in being lost at the end of a two
days Journey on detached service" at/ a
point he had been sent to because there
are twenty-one towns In France with the
same name. and, OF course. got to the wrong
one. landed at 4: o'clock midnight and
could lind nobody within mile of the sta
ton TO speak a word OF English II was So
late that wanted to stay in the waiting
room until morning. But Mr. Frenchmsn
could not see this and chased me on, bafor,
had a chance to lie down. I didn't agree
with him. because couldn't. wa,tsd
I
got In tho waiting room through a window
at the back. Before he came again I yras
too sound asleep to- be moved"
Robert A. Crook. Company F.. sisth In
fantry. had prepared for his martial career
by being payins-teller In a downtown bank
and or or days playing semi-professionai
baseball. II Is one Of the anomalies OF milf
tary service that he SHOULD now be writing
rapturous descriptions OF French scenery.
concluding one page with this
Everywhere one looks are green fields ana
Towering plants. with cattle grazing In the
distance, and calm sense OF peace prevaii-
ing over all. We are blleted In n small
country village where we come in. contac,
with the poor class OF people The bo,,sss
mean, OF, course. the houses and barns mt
the barns and the people"
william Burke. A. p. O. Tle. Quarter
masters Department, A. -E. r., Is remem-
bered best by friends whose nickname FOR iin,
at the church was 'Rlie Burke" To g.
reminiscent Of his early traits TO find his
letter read: ...
Il eat with the Engineers and have harh.r
shop and shoemaker right here Now ,he,,
are building chicken house. see vhers
we get Christmas dinner" But IL is s,ranse
70 think OF little Billie" riding un 10 az
front on motortruck OF Ammunition and
under steady fire two hours at Z time.
His fondest hope Is that he ''n,ey be sert in.
a short time TO ----, because Il is a more
active front"
Seaman William A. Stewart, erstwhll. n,
1871 Feed street. Writes on Army and Navy
II have been sailing along this coast. rhs
drst stop we mada was here. -. n ,', a, -
4 Bit indefinite - 10 latitude ana lons,.
tude but Win evidently has hirh, rsrcrd
for ne esnsor H< eonqeqer 2 &he< ~ 4