The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-08

bacco Greatest Needs.
Capt, DR. Herbert w Taylor, captain
Of the lO3d ambulance company, 26th di-
vision, American expeditionary force in
France, has written the following letter
TO Wilfred F. Root, pharmacist, of this
village:
May %, 1918
My dear Mr.. Root
| have Just received package from
Brattleboro and in it / find many good
things from you Cigarets, cigars and
chocolate, just the things that we fellows |
appreciate the most, and ! hasten TO
thank you very, very much for remember
ing me in this most kindly way No one
who has not been here can just appre-
ciate how much a PIECE OF chocolate or
smoke means to MS sometimes, but ! can
assure you that there is nothing IN the
world that we need more. And 1t may
seem a bit queer to you for of course there
is little to even a. smoke that man can
not do without, but | tell you there u
mores cheer in old lady nicotine under
these conditions over here then you have
ever even dreamed Of and so long as we
cannot have many of the Pleasures and
Injuries Of life the smokes and the bits
of chocolate have come TO mean a great
deal more 10 MS.
One can see il so clearly in our
wounded For instance, you find one out
all alone in a shell hole. Perhaps he has
been there for hours and has suffered
lot with his wounds and the bitter wet
cold. but ten 20 one the second thing he
asks for is a fag The first thing is to get
him back out Of the zone OF hate as quick
~ as Won can. but once on his Joy ride he
always wants a fag to keep his courage
sky high and ease the pain. Yes one
would actually think that the good old
cigaret was an anodyne. OF course you
won't believe it for you know better, but
am nothing but a poor old dirty com
handing officer of an ambulance com
pany, have forgotten all / knew about
drugs and their action and am so foolish
az toIbctually think that the nicotine Is
the best remedy for conditions like these
that We have
Sometimes we have plenty of cigarets
but far the greater part of the time we
are down and out in this respect for the
fellows must have them and so long as
there is one in anybody's pocket it be
longs TO the whole army and must go, o
course We smoke anything and every
thing from French and English eigarets
which by the way are the worst ! have
seen. down To those which come iron
Africa and are brought in by eolonia
troops This last is bit better than the
French or English, but not much, anC
one must be case hardened all over Z
continue smoking them for long. Gu
best Of course comes from America and
think the favorite brands are Camels AM
Fatimas
But everything considered we are wei
cared for in all respects. We have enoug
good hearty food, plenty of clothing an
as comfortable quarters as 1t is posslol
to provide under the circumstances. 1t
sometimes bit hard to dig house
the middle of frog pond and make
comfortable and dry, but of course it ha
TO be done and we have to get along wit
the results the best we can. The mai
object of all is to keep happy and smilir
in spite of the devil or even the kais'
and this / believe we are doing in VOL
derful bit of way.
There is no complaining among the me
no lack of eagerness for the fight, I
show of laziness, and strange to say I
evidence to show that anyone wants
90 home All want to stay until the enti
show is over, even though at times it turf
out TO be uphill going. They are much a
ferent men than left the states a little ov
half a year ago; more serious in the
work and in their thoughts, more pla
ful when the time for play comes, bett
physically, morally and mentally, al
what counts Just now is that they a
better fitted and more eager to fight thu
is the German. He has had more trai
ing and longer experience. perhaps, b
il will take two of their best to lick o
Of our boys at anv time and at any pa
They lust fight differently. that's all; a
nut more self and energy into the gan
The general betterment which has been
suddenly brought about in our army is
believe due to the action taken by
men themselves, for they fully realize
danger which, is always present and h;
made I'M their minds that booze Q
WRONG living won't 20 when man ne
All his reserve strength ready at any N
ute Therefore they have automatics
calt but these things as it were. and
is not at ALI uncommon TO see a solo
giving some good sound advice to a n
conner among our ranks.
We are very nroiid Of our bows,
feek that this pride is fully justified
they have .sfovn themselves % be, as q
a. the best and win in the future, !
lieve. do great things. They fight hi
and die~hard. and do bothiwith de-
Of optimism that is amazing sometime
The business of war il fast fitting
oil TO take our casualties lightly and n
ina II easy to forget even though we
lifelong friends in the fight. Every
der is philosophical about the entire !
ter Of injury or death, that of co
making il thousand times more
for them
We have had now something oyer I
months Of trench life and in that
have learned much that is OF value
sector we are occupying now had
comparatively quiet for the mast I
wears. but as soon as the Yanks cam