The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-02

Mrs W. T. Wilder Of iG Western
avenue has received the following let
ter from her son, Private A. Wymau
Curtis Of the lst battalion, 5lst artil.
lcry, c. \. G., written in France Oct.
2j. lie writes:
Dear Nothcr:-- ...
Just now m down in our radio
dug out for the boche counter.batterv
work this evening is a bit too close for
suriace comfort Outside everything is
black as coal, and as / stuck my head
out the window a few minutes ago for
breath of fresh air n "l5j" came
to earth within fifteen feet of me, and
before ] could duck, the nying shell
fragments were striking all around
and gathering on my tin roof. Luckily
none happened to penetrate this solid
ivory dome OF mine, but / sure made
tracks (and they smokey for this
little "abriR of ours. over my head
there is between II and - feet of dirt
and rocks, at least, and it would take
a pretty big caliher proicctile, and a.
direct hit, to penetrate this far One of
those one double fves strike the top
III - AdAlNN VI itI lftl. III NONiU
be liable to cave the place in ON me,
tho. so as there is little satisfaction
in the tho't of being buried alive, /
will pass to more pleasant comment
You should see nay new shack upI
top, tho: il sure is q dandy. ] built
II alone, and believe me, that was work,
for every inch Of the material had
to tote, haul and carry on my back
FROM dugouts, the nearest of which is
"a good quarter of a mile away. Nv
door came over n mile 10 rcst where
II now docs. 1t was my choice, not
only for its size, but for its good latch.
and its little window near the top. Ny
lighting facilities are unusual, and the
product Of much labor Each wall has
y window, and the front has its win
dow besides the ono in the door. The
ones on the east and the west sides are
hinged, the others, fixed.
Ny roof | have ALREADY referred 10
as being OF tin, mighty thin bat water
proof, and proof fer water only The
walls are Of heavy plauking, .. 21a
and 3 inch stuff finding its place there.
The shack Is completely lined with
boche blankets, making il fairly sound.
proof and delightfully."- warm and cosy.
Except for the roof, I can say il is
Dramatically sealed. It's inner dimen.
hous arc approximately 6'x9xG' e.. tho
roof slopjug from about : feet nj rear
To feet at front. giving it plenty OF
pitch fer proper drainage. Ny floor is
Of hardwood l.neh boards. The bunk
Is a piece Of boche camoudagc wire
suspended between two 3-inch sapliug,
and these nailed securely to the rear
wall with the forward edge Of nv
hunk suportcd by q block arrangement
ON each side wall
Each window is camouHagcd NJ might
by drop curtain OF -ack-cloth. and
satin, at that; guess il was an altar
cloth or corpse robe at one time. for
40 IS sure classy. and black as they
make en-. My writing desk is hinged
80 the wall, with hinged adjustable
legs bracing il diagonalv from the
wall, In the day time, my curtains
are rolled up and each is held at the
top Of the window by dull red band
with tascl on il; guess it belonged to
n priests garb at one time Nv stove
beats EN- all: il is an army field oven,
which ! salyagcd over half a mile
"'"' "a" NH"9' itdutliul hundred Udd
pounds enjoyed carrying home. with
pictures in my mind of how ''bon -
II was going TO be this winter. Ard a
vanished ycncercd shelf rack adorns
the southwest corner.
Aud last, but not lcast-my electric
lights. don't forget them! Real. too.
Iound hochc protector, which T
think / already have spoken of as be-
ing my pct souvenir Well, it rests on