The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1918-10-18

1n0 ne knew hetCn0m, or might NOT Il
have met him. One Of the boys had ai
letter from Elwood SCOTT, 20 We know
whore he issor rather what regiment bel
o with. Il IL the Goth regiment. lido
not know where the men Of any Of these
regiments are from. but Williams and
]. v. ThompsoA 81 the board Of Sunday
schools. are sent to regiments in the
same division to which I 60, 80 we will
be near each other. In fact the plan
seems now for the chaplains in the di.
vision to work together more or less as |
the most effective way to cover the
ground as much as possible which, we
are expected to cover.
As we understand it, there are already
other men with the regiments to which
we go, SO we will have things easier than
when the men first came over, but it re-
mains to be seen just who the men are
and how easy it will be to work with
them.
] hope soon to be able to tell more
definitely than :an yet just what our
work is to be, but it seems as though for
9 large part Of the time while ut or near
the front the work will be largely with
the men who are wounded. 1t is not
expected that we go into as much
danger as the men, though we are not
expected to run away from danger at
any time If our work is needed there, as
they say that chaplain IS too valuable
in his services to be allowed to expose
himself unnecessarily.
1t is going to be great experience,
and our instructions are to go into the
work with the spirit which has charac-
terlzed the whole program of the United
States in the war, and to instill that
spirit into the men as much>as wo can.
There are some parts of the army which
have not yet made the record which
they seem to be capable of doing, and
that Is one reason they want the chap
lalns SO badly. They are to be ministers
OF good cheer, making people happy
rather than being so exclusively evange-
lists, all OF which agrees perfectly with
my own conception of the place he can
Oil.
On our way here we spent day and a
half at Tours waiting for the congested
transportation facilities to allow US to
proceed. While there we fell in with al
captain who has seen service with the
army over here for a longer time than
almost any other officer here. He had
not only some mighty interesting tales
to tell US about his experiences and his
ideas as to what is to be the outcome of
it all, but be was man of clear discern.
ment who is planning to spend consider.
able time here after the war in the work
OF reconstructing the devastated part of
France, but he was also able to show us
the places of peculiar interest in Tours.
One thing which impressed US much
was the government plant for reclalmlng
the worn and discarded material sent
back from the front. They have built
upin six months plant which employs
8,OO0 people, about 1900 of them Bel
gian refugees, and is equipped with
thoroughly modern machinery to clean
and repair and work over, all kinds OF
clothing and equipment which has been
sent back for any reason, and the work
they do is simply marvellous in it's |
amount and its variety. I have never
seen q buster scene anywhere than in |
that factory.
Then we saw the great cathedral OF |
Tours, which is one Of the sights OF |
France. Here is painting Of Joan Of
Arc riding with her officers. as this is |
the place whore she started her CAM
paign. We spent little time in the
ars museum near by but not enough
time g see all that was there. Had our
dinner in real French hotel Of the
upper class, served without wine. which |
astpnished the waiter very much.
We also visited one Of the base hos
pitfalls d our army, and in one ward I
found two North Dakota men on cots
side BY side, one from Braddock and the
other from near Grand Forks. Did mot
have time to talk with them much as we
passed through hurriedly, but it was
getting pretty near home. They were
MT ysry serious cases, bnt Ne saw some
which were, . number Of men who VIII
not ~ able % get to the front again.
You probably wonder At my using
both 81 81 the paper, but paper is
scafos and expensive here. I paid III
most y cent 4 sheet Tor this, and II il
only ordinary paper. ood 81 some
kinds ID scarce too. IN the army Ne; oct /
ths bsst there -, ot substantial food,
but gthe people are' 81 pretty hard shape,
ml6y ot them. Bread ii lssned on
tiokst limited amount u saoh ,per-l
yon md ths hotels sqnirs the ticksts
q 0serye q guests. Bntter sis alnostl
ung milk no, INT they Ma i lots VI |
oslss TN cshss ~ eaks ths place III