Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-10-03

IL surely Is plIllUl W SEE Lu0 pEl8.s
oners who are being brought in so
many are just children. They seem
rather happy to be out of it.
With love to all
Sgt. Harlan r. Amen.
S. S. U.583 Convois Auto.
American E. F. Par. 3. C. M.
u. C. FOX VISITS NO MANS LAND
IN FRANCE-SIGHTS Horribly
Fremont Railroader Says Americans
Have Got the Huns Badly Scared
Railroading Over There
A graphic description Of dismal No
Mans Land between the Hun and AL
lied lines in France is furnished by N.
G. Fox, formerly a North Western
railroader, now serving as railroad
man in France. Fox responded among
the first when a call was made for
experienced railroad men to serve in
France. He was brakeman on the
North Western with headquarters in
Fremont.
No Mans Land is filled with skel-
etons, which grin up heavenward
from every she'll hole, according to
Fox, whose interesting letter is writ
ten from what he has actually seen.
American troops, he says, have veri-
tally got the Huns goat. The Amer
leans are proving better than the best
"shock troops" the kaiser ever had.
The letter follows:
Somewhere in France, July 31.-I
received your long and interesting
letter few days hence and answered
it at once with what intended to be
a long and interesting letter but
had the misfortune to have it turned
down by the censor. Now am quite
discouraged because told you many
things which l thought might interest
you and others among the Fremont
railroaders.
I tried to tell you what horrify-
ing sight an cold no mans land" was
that / saw recently, but for some
reason or other it wouldn't go though
I'll try again to get a part Of it
through but am going to be very
careful because I don't love letter
writing well enough to have my ef-
forts go for naught.
In this old "No Mans Land" which
! walked through, it is chopped up
by shell fire that it will take years
before it will be worth anything with
all the rubbish, unexploded shells and
grenades, but from appearances it
seems to be we'll fortified with Ger
man dead who had been caught out
between the lines and killed. Every
shell hole had from one to five of
them or rather the bones of them,
and when all these grinning skulls
look up at me the cold chills creep up
my spine.
Many of their clothes were still
intact and leg bones and feet were
still in their boots. There is one es-
pecially interesting place I saw that
I'd like to tell you about where a lot
of boche were gassed but I want this
letter to go though so won't try it
this time.
One year ago July 81 we left Chi
eago and started on our trip to
France and at that time we wore all
afraid the war would be over before
we got cover there"
One year ag, July %, we left New
York and a. year ago today we were
lying in Halifax harbor awaitig our
convoy to start our trip across the
great Atlantic and the infested sub
marine zone where we all tried to APP
pear brave but I, for one, was little
nervous and / think if they'd all tell
the truth, SO per cent would say the
same thing. I'm glad though that we
were not in Halifax harbor the time
of the great explosion else the C. & N.
w. might be shy con afer the war.
The situation certainly looks good
to us now as the Yanks are certainly
here with the goods, "ne ce'st pas 2"
The second class troops, which Kaiser
Bill said the Americans were, have all
turned out to be "shock troops" Of the
first caliber and the French now deem
| it favor to be permitted to fight by
the side Of their "Comarade Ameri-
cans" It seems that whatever Fritz
pulls off the Yanks go him one better
especially when it comes to tetreaten
'em rough"
At first the Boche seemed 10 think
they could get their goats with dirty
work and think that now he must be
heartily sorry for having started his
unfair methods on a people who can
think Of more things in one minute
than they can in week.
No, / didn't win that Chip at
Monte Carlo because men in uniform
are not allowed to play and the play
would be decidedly too high for one
who is making no more jack than l.
Why, couldn't hardly spare the s
francs to buy that one chip for q
sou.
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