The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-03-14
LIEUTENANT KIGER
or SHERRARD WRITES
FROM FRENCH FRONT

Lieutenant Alvin kiger. a Sher
rard boy attached 10 the United
States engineering corps OF the
United States army. writing 10 his
brother, Herbert kigcr. tells interest
ingly OF conditions back Of the hight
ing lines in France. He says:
In France, Fec. ~, 1918.
Dear Herberl--l am trying 10 wrIlr
in the company office, and with Two
typeWrilrrS running and several per
sons talking il is aard TO collect my
thoughts We arc sull at the same
place as when | wrote last, although
expected TO go out on Il side irlp
several days ago. Something has
happened 10 hold UP The move. but
il is very linrly 10 20 through soon.
mis- "trip will keep nc away several
weeks.
Have just taken 4 long walk, but
it WAS moi very pleasant on account
OF the mud. Mui is we'll nigh uni.
rerSal here The only time We nave
not had mud was when the ground
was covered with SNOW. This has
been 4 strange winter; that is. a. TO
weather. Early in december II
turned cold and began 10 snow. II
remained very cold for about Il month.
There was moi Il let-up in that time,
and we began 10 think that we We're
going 10 have Il real New England
winter But all OF sudden there
was Il rain and 4 thaW. and all rae
snow disappeared. Since then there
has been frost: otherwise il has been
spring weather right along. The bad
thin is The iOc. whlCii hangs over
the country for days.
see plenty of intnreS, .nG .hlngS
and have plenty Cf interesting rX-
pe1icnc",. but practically all Of thoS"
things am forbidden io speak OF III
letters. 1here Is such Il variety OF
interesting work that lho time passes
very rapidly So far we ;lavp had no
experiences that were al ali exciting.
France is going 10 be beautiful in
the spring ana summer. The roads.
which are nearly all very fine. are
lined with trees on both sides. Solus
Of ,hc irr"~ very large. a. YOU know.
this is Il very old country. SAW Il
part ri city wall sill in perfect
state OF nTpSrrVitlon. The gardens
and hu So yard; arr all enclosed by
stone walls. and some OF them arc
Lie. small forts: nat i. some Of INC
oldest ones. Il relic of III" oIdrn
times when bandits n"owJcG around
AZ nights and III" only safety was
behind an in$urmountahl" Sinn". wall.
ono city have visited has lis
walls. mnar. and gate: all in a. per
fr.i condition ~ when they wfr"
built Df COurS" such iricnc"s are
worthless in :, modern Wa. and they
serve no useful purpose nd" at all.
sn ar" nor H. pt III. hH; no work MAS
done 20 we'll AMI il is all 50 maSS!v"
IT, il will stand "a Ion" a. IN" world
LASTS TIL" gates arc all double
arches. not only massive. hnt arusiI'
Icaliy decorated with: earrings and
slai1lary. The wall, arc sixty feet 81
more thick, and passing through IN"
caicS is like going through tunnel.
WGcn look II such things and r'tl"ri
on ihr amount of labor required IC.
do All this. AMI 'Iat it WAS done with
out any aid from machinery AMI. III
fac. practically all by hand. | i"e
like taking off my hat To those ait
tli'iI -. Iliill I1N''ll '''Al'u ~
old times with modern times. and II
| had been hcTr b"!ur" mis- war !
should hav" said that The human racn
had advanced beyond the necessity
for building forts. And if Germany
had been rlimlnai"d. think ;,IcTr
vas no other country that would
have fought war OF aggression
Th" more see Of the war AT close
range. and the more ! hear ;i.'si hand
Of German methods. tie more ! am
convinced that he German ruling
rlass j. absolutely without conscience
nr morals: and III" German people
have been trained until they cannot
sc~ 'hincS from any point OF view
than that OF their rulers. As hay"
said many times before, i'1iS weird
will moi b" worth living in for any
or" except Germans if they WIN The
war. They will never he satisfied
until they dominate the world; 81
tie world in sclf-deienSr must put
them oui of business. Write as often
as YOU have lime. for The greatest
pleasure We have over here is IT,.
ccivinG mail from nc States.
Your brother. ALVIN.
Address: II. -, Kiscr. first ieuten-
an Engineers. /. s. ~, Co. 4. 2ylh