The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-07
aearav WeII satIafied.


Cass county and now commander in
France with the 147th machine gun
battalion, writes to his brother, n.
w. Gearey of the Merchants National
bank, in an interesting strain.
Major Gearey departed for North
Dakota with the Second North Da-
lOota, which was merged with other
units at Camp Greene, Charlotte, N.
C. His letter follows:
Jan. 5. 1918.
MY dear Hal;
we are somewhere In France" all
right but you will have to guess
where and there are many places In
France.
The climate here is Just about like
North Dakota at this season, possibly
not quite so cold and little less
snow and wind. But the fora and
architecture show at a glance that
we are in a foreign land and the
quaint houses and little side door
cars, wooden shoes, small patches Of
land smack Of another civilization
than ours and of strict economy II
not poverty.
We have had our third change Of
service but / presume / had not bet
ter go too much into detail. So
soon as / make a little progress in
one thing, we have to take up an
other. i like to do things well, and
there is so much handicap and hurry
and change, never feel that am
doing we'll.
Just now / am battalion command
er and also, provost marshal for the
region and judge advocate OF q spec
ial court as well. Having only one
poorly trained clerk, no typewriter,
hut a few sheets OF paper, no t1les,
no desk, etc, ii is rather hard to get
results as / like. / sometimes Won
der how / get by for have been put
up against so many impossible situa-
tions. 1t makes me wonder.
But as the clock only has TO tick
once at a time, i keep on ticking and
/ can always tick once more.
And those sox-those Red Gross;
without them / should have died
many times. / wear two pairs every
day in a pair Of trench shoes with
hob nails and always sleep in one
pair. / used to think it barbarous to
sleep In underclothes but 1t is the
regular habit now. like to be rea-
sonably warm nights and not lie and
ehiver all night. 1t gets cold by 4
m in an open shack with no fire.
our day begins by frosty moonlight,
about two and a half hours before
sunrise and it is steady work until
about two hours after dark. said
work. did not say drill.
sIeepd with underclothes, sOx,
flannel shirt and sweater on. -Four
blankets added to this, makes me
quite warm, except nose and ears.
Everything procurable here Is hign
and scarce but the soldiers are wen
fed and as contented as could be
expected.
should like a few Cinco or
Portuando cigars and some Yucatan
gum-unproCurable here. trencn
cigars are scarce and vile.
ones impression Of France, as we
have seen it, is in a few words;
hedges, small tracts, wooden shoes,
masonry houses, tile roofs, narrow
streets. vineyards, economy, wines,
black coffee, rye bread, one horse box
carts, etc.
1t NAV be beautiful in summer
The peasants are red checked and
hardy: rather below us, should say
in general morality polite and hos
pItabIe. have not had a. letter, card
or paper for four weeks but am sure
there are many on the way follow
ing me and trying to And me.
There Is much / should like to
write but the iron band of censor
ship ia round about and as 1 am
fialtv bound to observe the regula-
tons. shall have TO wait a few
years and tell Il to you, that Is, If /
get back.
NV candle is getting short and
they ere hard to get. have some
work to do vet tonight and IL lis
rather hard on the eyes. have lost
some weight but am well. don't
know when I shall write again but
AZ Will not probably be soon.
Love to all,