davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
France, June %, 1918.
Dear Mamma and Papa, \.

a.. = =
Dear Mamma and Papa:- B- ~.
One of the boys got an Ashland
paper today. which said the 65th was
at l. (Lemoges). I'm curious to
know how you found out, but I'm
mighty glad that you do know. You'll
gee by that I've Travelled around
France quite little, more than ex-
pected to.
was to company fatigue yester-
Jay and we nearly run over Baron dc
tCeDsor) with the water cart, but
I'VE didn't know who 1t was or We
might CD have been more careful.
we get white bread most of the time
and ] guess that's more than you do.
When we want chocolate creams
we buy sweet chocolate and get along
marvelously fine.
We get a beautiful view from this
place. 1t is situated on the side of a
hill, overlooking quite a large valley
to the north and west. There are
trees along all the fences, roads and
streams, which are carefully protec-
ted and preserved. The country is
rolling and cut up into small fields,
which gives II checker board effect.
I've been turned around ever since
came over here. think this whole
arrangement is upside down anyway.
expect that when | get to the front
and the first shell eXplodes and / get
"scart" I'll run in the wrong direc-
tion. CD
believe told you we had our
gas masks and helmets. 1t takes
some time to accustom soldier to
having his head in a tin can, his
nose pinched off and his face in d
vice, so these handy little articles
OF wearing apparel are issued early.
The dailies here do not have TIE
large headlines and news stories as
they do at home, so the drives don't
seem as big, and everybody here
takes it all as matter of course.
800 p. m.-The sun is just set
ting in the west, leaving a rim of
filmy scarlet clouds clear around the
horizon, the moon is rising in the
cast, a full moon, Just turning to
gold, and everything is quiet, peace
fuland beautiful. It's hard to real
ize we are in land of war.
Must close or I'll miss check -
Lovingly, HAROLD
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
This Is The True
Red Cross Spirit

A month ago the Red Cross chapter
in Bay City, Mich, received a hurry
up call for $50 dunnage bags. Troops
were about to move, and through an
oversight their equipment was not
complete. The bags had to be made
and sent within 48 hours. A request
for help was sent over the town, and
the stores were searched successfully
for the right materials. Among those
who quickly responded and came to
the chapter workrooms to help were
two little girls, sisters, about ten and
twelve years of age, each eager to lend
a hand and do something for the boys
who were going to the front All day
long the fingers Of the women ana
the little girls were fairly flying. Bag
after bag received the last stitch un-
I'll scores were piled up ready for
shipment. Closing time came, and the
woman experimenting the making or
the bags counted those completed and
announced that II every one OF the
workers could come early the next
morning and work all day the bags
would surely be finished In time for
shipping by evening. Two crestfallen
little girls. the little sisters. were walt
ing for her at the door as she de-
parted
Red Cross Dunnaee Bags.
1--WE are awfully sorry, ma'am," said
the older of the two, "but we can't
come back tomorrow. You see tomor-
row we have to" And, without fn-
ishing the sentence, she looked back
wistfully at the pile of bags.
ut is too bad you can't come back"
said the superintendent, but l want
to thank you, and we all thank you,
for the work you've done today. You
two have teen wonderful help, and
that pile of bags wouldn't be nearly so
big If you hadn't been here. Good
night"
The next morning when the super.
lntendent came down to unlock the
wOrkrooms for the da! she was aston
lshed to see the two little girls stand
Ing in the cold by the locked door.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you'll" she
said. 81 thought you said you couldn't
come?'
"Oh, we knew those Red Cross bags
Just had to be finished for the SOL
dlers," exclaimed the little one. with
Gllstening eyes, "and we got up at
three O'Clock this morning and got the
washing done early!"
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29

trucks we we're on, we're able to get
through. All along the streets were
little stands on carts, selling every
imaginable thing-hats, laces, dry
goods, vegetables, fruits, no end Of
things. Everybody from the coun-
try for miles had come, and little
two wheeled carriages were standing
around everywhere. The ponies or
donkeys which had hauled them we're
hitched elsewhere. Everybody was
"dolled up" in their Sunday best. We
found, a little pony or donky hard
ly larger than good sized dog,
almost covered with brush-to keep
the flies off-drawing a proportion
etely smart cart in which rode a
grown person or two and perhaps n
couple of children. Full grown
people surely look big and woefully
Out of place in cart like that.
The fellows from our battery left
at San Francisco and Camp Merritt
are here now, most of them, Claude
Saunders was the only other Ash
lander to reach the battery, as the
others were transferred TO other reg
iments.
Most close for tonight. Love.
Harold.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
igars that are not really the result Of
tyar hut uara harA aIwava

igars that are not really the result Of
war, but were here always.
/, I've wanted'to eat a real French
meal, the kind the common people
eat every day. but don't know how
to go about 1t to get one, SO probably
never will. Bread seems to be scarce
and for my part, don't care II it is,
as the French bread doesn't look
any more like Mays Substitute
bread than rocks look like peaches
/ should say French bread ought to
make great substitute for pave
ment, except that the bread is too
rough. The French are called great
cooks, and what other stuff I've eat
en- of theirs is really fine, but | can't
see why they cant make bread.
found place last night where
the most delicious Strawberries grow
and helped myself to two francs
worth, which almost made me sick
but did make me happy, so why
should ] care? | thought of that
good old separated cream while | ate
them, but my French did not equal
the task of rustling cream, so they
had to be served raw.
This French money is some ridic-
ulous. 1t looks Just like soap wrap
pers or the liable torn from canned
beans. You can't make yourself be-
lieve it is money at all. The franc is
worth about SC Of our money on the
exchange; but the American soldier
doesn't get but about zoe worth of
money value for cash two farncs, the
way figure. However, none of us
believe it is money anyway, so we
always feel we are getting what we
NY for nothing. AS near as ! can
tell, prices here are just little high
or than at home, for most things.
Well, ! must get busy at some
thing else now. | haven't got let
ter from you yet. With love to all,
JAMES M. SPENCER
Co. C, 31S Engineers.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
LAKE YIELDS TONS OF SALT
Natural Phenomenon In South Austria
Tia Constant Source Of Revenue
to Its Owner. s

On YOrks peninsula, In South Aus
tralla, says a writer In the Wide World,
is a wonderful lake Of pure salt. II
Is q huge depression In the earth which
fills up in the winter months. In the
hot summer sun the water quickly
evaporates, leaving a thick deposit Of
almost pure salt. Seen from dis.
tance the surface Of the lake has all
the appearance Of being covered with
q sheet of Ice. That salt crust is so
thick and strong that men and even
carts and plows can traverse 1t with
perfect safety. Yet below the crust
there is a considerable body of slug
glsh water.
After the rays Of the summer sun
have played their part, the salt Is
gathered. 1t is just raked into heaps,
and these pyramids Of salt are strik-
ing feature of the landscape. The salt
is now shoveled into carts and con-
veyed to various works on the sea-
board, to undergo the process Of re-
fining. Gathering the salt is trying
work on account Of the great heat and
the dazzling reflection. Often it Is
necessary for the men to wear colored
glasses to protect the eyes. After the
loose salt has been collected from the
surface a special kind Of plow is run
over it, when another harvest Of the
valuable material can be reaped. The
yield of salt from this strange lake
amounts to several thousand tons q
year, and it is among the finest OBJ
tainable. The lake is several square
miles in area and is naturally very
valuable property.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
France, June 20, 1918

France, June 20, 1918
Dear Mamma and Papa:
Pay day for most of the boys, but
not for me, for ! was paid the first
of the month, before left the school
so I'll devote the time to writing.
There is a little lake, or rather q
pond about half mile from here,
where we go swimming. 1t really is
little stream, which has been dam
med to supply power to little mill.
Fhe mill is not used now, but tha
tulding and the big old water wheel
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
9 8 9 Q o o o o 9 o 8 9 o o 8 o 0
o SOLDIERS LETTERS %

oobpiEnO LEIlEhS 30
o o 9 o o 9 9 s o @ 9 @ o o o 8 o
France, June lG, 1918
Dear Mamma and Papa:
I'm writing this in the High School
OF the little village that | wrote you
Of and that ! liked so we'll before
went to the truck school. This is
quite Il modern school, with maps
and drawings on the walls but only
two small blackboards, and they are
on small marble stands. This is
Sunday and it's been raining all day.
The 65th band came over to give us
a concert, but because of the rain
called 1t off, and it is some" band
now, too.
Lawson and ! had our supper at
the Hotel de- Commerce tonight.
LAD beefsteak fried potatoes and
chocolate. We had strawberry
shortcake at mess today and It was
pretty good, only awfully short"
on Strawberries. The atrawberries
here are pleat full, but pretty ex-
pensiye, so we dent get many.
The battery has been working
hard since my absence Reyeille
is now at 5:lj a. m.
| passed through the city of l.
yesterday. place Of 100000 popu-
iation. whore we stayed before. It
has changed some, too. The mark
cts which | mentioned are now
crowded with fruit and vegetables.
and there IS ~" and a Red Cross
canteen. | saw Lieutenant Spencer
Earl Deigle, Everett Ackl'n, Steve
Erickson, John Enders and several
others, all in the best spirits.
! arrived here Friday, right in the
middle Of a fair. They hold them
here once a month. The streets
were crowded to their utmost capac-
ity and 1t was only by incessant honk-
ms of the horns, that the big L. ;.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
Men Reclassdied
In Jackson County

Glass OF the 1917 drafted men Of
Jackson county, with the August
allotments for calls already In, Is
now practically exhausted, although
decisions in a number Of cases now
reing considered by the district
hoard may put few more men In
this class.
The formal report made by the
Jackson county board to the adju-
tant general of the state on July 20
was as follows:
Remaining in class ! and qualified
Tor general military service, 20. For
limited service, 2S. Number of men
with remediable defects, 13. Emer-
yency fleet s. Delinquents, 20. Not
vet physically examined, 9. Induct-
ed and called for induction and no
report yet received, 1923.
Since July /, when the war de-
partment issued an order to the
draft boards to reclassify the men in
class /, the following Jackson coun-
ty men were reclassified;
Burk L. Brickmaster, from &c to
IA Cat own request.
Frederick E. Elder, &C to IA. Now
1n service.
Oscar L. Worth, from 5GA to IA.
limited service.
Edward Z. Kincaid, sc to IA, linn
iied service.
Earl b Daykin, 2B to IA Creme
diable defect.
William B. Roberts, "a to IA
lremediable defect).
William Il. Mckee, 2B to IA.
Carl r. Beebe, "A to 2B.
Dolph E. Phipps, 4C to E.
I r. Lloyd Miller, "A to 2B.
Claud L. Burkhardt, "A to 2B.
Frank II Ray, &C to 1E.
T. E. Dunnington, "A to 2B.
Lloyd Edw. Mckee, 81 to 1E.
Chester McDonough, 3B to IA.
Now in service.
Fred W. Nelson, 2B to IA. Now
in service.
William Nicholaus, At TO 2B.
Elmer Z. Simmons, 2B to IA. Now
in service.
Clarence D. Mathes, 2B to IA.
Now in service.
Joseph D. Silva, &C to IA. Now
in service.
Cecil A. Brown, 3B to IA.
Frank f. Trefren, 2B to IA. Now
IN service.
Daniel Watson, 2B to IA.
Lawrence l. Crawford, IA to IA.
Now in service.
Chauncey r. Casebeer. sd to IA.
Carl Hammond, sc to IA, limited
service.
Giles A. Citizen, 2B TO IA. Now
in service.
Norman Gage, 2B to IA.
Van c. Cleveland 2B to "A. Now
in service.
Lloyd Slilligan, 2B to IA. Now
in service.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
Gambling With Destiny

Spending your income as you make IT.
IL simply gambling with destiny
and with all the odds against you.
You stand all to lose and none to gain
SYSTEMATIC SAVING
even though small, if constant, elm
mates the element OF chance and
establishes your future on a basis Of
certainty.
This bank desires to cooperate
With you in building on that basis.
We have unusual facilities for pro-
moting the interest of our customers.
STATE BANK OF ASHLANp
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
France, A. p. o. III,
June II, 1918.

Dear Mother:
Another week has rolled around
and we are still at the old job, with
eli indications of staying at it in
definitely. I'm feeling fine, and am
beginning to learn something useful
now and then, besides. We are hav-
ins he most delightful weather;
with sunsets Just like home, except
the sun rises in the west here, and
sets in The south, ! claim hat is
rambling some; but it does lust that
same thing, I'm sure.
No, am not very good French
scholar yet, and don't expect to be
ever. ! Just can't savy their lingo
at all Things are moving real fast
mere, too, so that we can hardly keep
lusy. They say the army is a vast
machine, and I'm sure they are right,
therefore we must be cogs in the gear
wheels and only work when our turn
comes and the rest of the time we
have to wait for some one else, or to
he shown where to head in.
spent yesterday visiting in town,
as I'D almost everyone else.
think the town is as big as our town;
Tut vastly different. ! cant say that
] enjoyed the trip much, as all there
is to do is to run around the streets
and look, which gets very tiresomo.
Of course one can get drunk very
easily; but not for mine, | haven't
drinking appetite for some reason
or otheg. ! had fine lunch OF ONT
let's and French fried potatoes,
which, by the way, is the favorite
American meal. Anyhow that's
about the impression the French peo-
lie will get of us. They may get an
idea we are drunk and disorderly'
bunch, too; but perhaps they under
stand human nature enough to know
Why. Sometimes I'm disguised, yet
I've seen enough of that wild stuff
around the mines, so | ought to get
used to it by now.
| never had an idea that | would
care to visit this country as tourist,
hut now I'm really crazy to see the
whole country. 1t is sure fine, from
\ picturesque standpoint, although a
rather hopeless place to live.
Don sent me his picture and he
looks quite fine, but | suppose you
have received the same picture by
now. ! may have mine taken some
day, but not right now.
1t is rather funny to travel along
the streets here and watch the peo-
pie. They don't look much like for
eigners, except the old people. Es-
pecially is this true on Sundays,
when the people are all dressed up.
You will see them coming and swear
they are Just plain Americans, and
then you hear them talk, and the IL
lusion is all gone. have seen no
great amount Of poverty here, in
fact all the people are well, fed, and
-fave good clothes and clean clothes,
The only ones who show any signs
I'of hardship are the ones n mourning
for soldiers, and even some Of them
l,rnHt -look=-4Qgx.z4ilearnln Fhef
there are the ye.y cid ana the begt
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29

Charles Howard, who IS in the avi
ation service in Texas. has recently
been transferred from Austin to Dal-
las. Charles is the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. C. B. Howard of this city.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29

still stands, and they are practically
overgrown with shrubs and ferns,
and it is very pretty, quaint and
old
We are to have ball game to-
right-Battery B VS.. Battery F. Our
pitcher from Battery f is away on
detachment service, but we have a
good team and will stand good
chance
There has been about thirty fell
lows transferred into our company
ia place of the ones we have lost
y quarantine and otherwise.
| bought a wash pan the other
day, just light tin one, and it cost
me f., S0c-about 6jc-but | guess
t was worth It as it will be big
help in keeping clean. Ordinary
yellow laundry soap is 3jc a bar
here, and toilet soap higher in pro-
portion.
Things are pretty high here and
| guess the Americans get clipped"
a little perhaps. There is little
place here where the fellows buy
few things and they have nick
ramed 1t Madam de Gip's place. y
Just here somebody hollored
Mail" so went to get mine, AID
found six letters from home, besides
postals and some other letters, and
believe me, there is nothing like let
ters from home.
Lawson and were riding around
on tandem bicycle Tuesday even
ing. and last night we each got a
bicycle aud rode out into the coun-
try. through a couple OF villages.
France is very beautiful now, ana
the grain is ready for harvest. The
people were still working in the
fields, although it was I o'clock, and
in most cases the whole family, men,
women and children. We saw sew
eral Deering mowers from the L.
S. A drawn by oxen, and the rose
bushes are ladened with roses.
The women and children are most
or them nice looking, but oh, the
men-but, of course they are all at
the front. Dicycl'ng is very popular
here and we can rent bicycles for
T. per hour.
Battery Z has canteen OF its own
! now, supplied from the Y. 1t is much
easter to get supplies now than It
was two months ago.
The village church bells are toll
ms now. There must be several in
the towec, judging from the sound
nf them and they all ring at once.
Whenever there is a funeral hero
the bells toll from the time the pro-
ccssion leaves the church till it goes
10 the graveyard and back And
! French grayeyards-ea grave is
almost completely covered with
fancy decorations They have head
stone pieces just as we do and they
| arc .onverad with fancy head orna.
ments and elaborate designs and
some Of them are real works Of art.
I'm little tired tonight. We had
q seven mile hike. the. first have
had since. came hack frnm school,
Love, HAROLD.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-07-29
SUPPLYING FRENCH HOSPITALS.

The Red Crosy hospital supply serv.
Ice in France has IL warehouses filed
with drugs, medicines, surgical instru-
ments and dressings. 1t serves 3,423
French military hospitals
Tho United States railroad ad-
niristration has established a de-
pa-tment to be known as the agri-
cultural section, whose particular
duty will be to look after the rela-
tions between the railroads and the
department of agriculture. Its
purpose is to give all possible assis-
tance to the agricultural develop
ment of the country. The extension
work of the department CT agricul-
ture and the stimulation of agricul-
ture, especially in relation to trans
portation, will be assisted as much
as possible by the new section.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-27
Reichstag Committee Hears Why
Great Offensive on West
Front Failed.
BRITISH TOO STRONG
Reinforcements Arriving From Eng.
land and Fact That Attempt
at Surprise Attack Did Not
Succeed Are Cited.

Amsterdam, Sept. 27.-On behalf of
the minister of war, General Won
w risDerg addressed the main commit
tee of the reichstag.
He explained, according to a tele-
gram from Berlin that the failure OF
the German offensive on the western
front was due to the failure of the
German army to surprise the Allies
and the necessity OF assuming the de-
fensive On the arrival of the English
home army in the theater of war; to
the employment of colored troops and
to the Intervention of American diyi-
sions.
Won Hintxe Talks on Russia.
Admiral Won Hintze, the German for
eign minister, discussed at length the
Allied operation in Russia and ex.
pressed the opinion hat the southwark
advance of the Allied troops in the
Thurman region was not likely to pene-
trate much farther, the climate and
condition of the ground not favoring
such an advance. He asserted that the
B~olshevik policy was not clear, be
cause although fighting the Allies, the
Bolshevik leaders had not declared
war.
Accusing the Allies of fomentinf
conspiracies against the Russian re
public, Won Hintze said that these con
~spiracies, undertaken in collaboration
by the Allied representatives ant
America had been bloodily suppressed
Referring to the Allied attack OF
the Marine salient, General Won Wris
berg said the withdrawal of the Ger
man troops was necessary 'for stra
tegical reasons and was completely
successful"
Says Allies Win But Lose.
Thus the first offensive of the enc
my" he added, brought him q tao
teal success but, considered In thu
light of his great s~trategical aims, Il
can be regarded as not having sue
ceeded."
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-27
Coalition Government and Policy
Change as Result of Allied
Drive Expected.
MARTIAL LAW IN SOFIA
Germany Uneasy over Pacifist De-
monstrations - Crown Prince
May Be Regent,

London, Sept. pa Bulgarian
coalition government and perhaps
a separate peace may result from
the present offensive, is the belief
expressed here.
Paris, Sept. 27.-In we'll informed
circles there. are reports that a new
ministerial crisis and a complete
change i'm Bulgaria's foreign policy is
impending.
Martial law has been proclaimed in
Sofia, according to reliable news print.
ed in the German press, says the
Journal of Zurich. 1t is said that the
Bulgarian cabinet is in continuous ses.
sion and King Ferdinand has had a
long consultation with Premier Ma
linoff.
Kaiser Uneasy.
Paciist manifestations were held al
Sofia on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
The German government, according
to advices to the Havas agency from
Zurich, is uneasy owe the Pacifisi
demonstrations in Bulgaria and the
German minister has conferred with
King Ferdinand.
In Bulgarian political circles it ii
believed that Crown Prince Doris viii
become regent in the present crisis.
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-27
CAPTURE 265 CANNON
British Forces Take 10000
Prisoners in Holy Land.
Completely Defeated Turkish Army 10
Being Pursued by General
Allenby.

London, Sept. FIT Is officially an.
nounced that more than 40, 700 pris-
oners have been taken by the Allies
In their Palestine offensive. The
number of captured guns has been in
creased to 265.
In pursuit of Turkish forces east Of
the Jordan, British forces are ap-
preaching Amman, on the Hedjas rail-
way.
East of the Jordan, In pursuit OF
the enemy retreating in this direction,
We are approaching Amman" the
statement said.
North of this station important de-
molitions of the railway have been eff
fected by Arab troops. The Arabs
also are pressing the enemy retiring
northward from Mann. toward Amman.
The total of prisoners has increas-
ed to more than 40. 600 and we have
counted 265 guns"