Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-08-21
Oontinned from last week.

~ AN06
Am going to see if 1 can tell you
a little war stuff in a general way
that the censor will pass. I'll place
it over in your country, so suppose we
take the hill down at Kings Ford.
Well as you ride by it you won't see
a thing but trees and underbrush,
but get out of your Old tin Lizzie and
climb Up the hill. Just inside the
brush you'll come upon this: from 3
to 5 rows of heavy barb wire, posts
about 6 feet apart and about 2 feet
high and wire stretched zig-Zag,
straight, loose and tangled. There is
generally a narrow path through but
you must hunt to find it. Well back
of that say so or 100 yards comes
your first line trench some 6 feet
deep. The step is to stand on to
shoot. The walls may be just dirt or
Of woven green fagots, sort of bas-
ket work. The trenches are never in
a straight line so that a grenade or
shell striking within would not af-
feet the occupant around the corner.
Every so OF 100 feet there is a dug
out, some large and some small,
some shallow and some as deep as
35 or 40 feet depending upon their
purpose, rooted with heavy logs,
sheet iron, wire, dirt, etc. Often 3
or 4 layers of 6 inch logs. Jake
places. Ha! Ha! Plenty of rats and
bad air, boards or shelves serve for
hunks. OF curse there are such
things as cement trenches, cots, etc.,
but I'm speaking of just plain holes
in the ground that anyone who e'er
smelt powder knows. Back of this
comes the second row of trenches but
in reality the important one. 1t is
similar to the first trench but larger
and better. Neither side cares much
about the first line trench and gen
orally make but little resistance. The
idea is to hold it after it is taken.
That's the trick. You are in a trap
if you come out day or night you're
shot; if you stay in there you starve;
hence you must retire or take the
second trench and then you run III
against the main body Of troops. At
night fighting the sky is full of star
shells which make the ground light
as day. Artillery generally works at
night and the dough boys who are
the only real soldiers, go over the
top at dawn.
Aeroplanes are of two general
types-fghting and scouting. The
former are small. The boche plane
looks like a swallow and is very
speedy attaining so to 120 miles de-
pendent on wind, etc. The scouts
are larger, heavier and slower ma
chimes for observation mainly. With
a magnifying attachment they take
pictures from heights of a mile or
so, hence when n comes in view
it's policy to stand under a tree or
close to the side of a building. AS a
matter of fact we are not much wor-
ried about the boche planes.
Observation balloons are used by
both sides. They make a fine sight
falling from the clouds a mass of
red flame with a heavy black smoke
trail. Once upon a time / heard of a
battery that picked n out of the
clouds some three miles off in two
shots. "Them's good. gunners."
So goes the blooming war. Many
things l could tell you if 1 were by
your side but / don't want to even if
it would slip through unnOticed as it
isn't healthy business to let Fritz
know, SO ali l IA tell you is ordinary
every day incidents and that in just
a general way. If it's wrong l trust
it will be clipped. Read the maya
zines as they publish stuff broadcast
that we wouldn't think of writing
What is Charley Webb's address?
Can you picture me standing at at
tention and saying Sir to Charley.
Ha! Ha! got to do it. A mans a
man in Uncle Sans uniform and re-
gardless of previous friendship or en-
nifty even, the stripes and the bars
must be respected. Charley is a
good conscientious chap and will
make good.
The cyclone sheet was of great in
terest to the boys. They had heard
of the storm but knew nothing defin-
lite. Seems pretty hard on those peo-
pie and yet it is nothing to the whole
sale destruction that has gone on ov-
er here the past four years. But at
that it is bad enough to give you an
insight as to what must happen when
nations war with each other.
Sis, you ask about the little chill
dren, the village and shops. Well,
kids are kids the world DER and
dressed like our own only perhaps a
bit coarser. Many of the boys wear
aprons, also the army caps and cut
down uniforms their fathers and
brothers wore The villages are of
all sizes and generally within a mile
or two of each other. No farm-hous-
es in between, just fields. The men
walk to their work. The best exam
pie I can think of is Rockville or
British Hollow only the houses are
all closer together and there are no
barns or out-buildings. House, stab
lie n all are combined into one. It's
not uncommon to see a COW sticking
her head out a stable door and 8 or
4 feet away the door of the main Iiv-
ing quarters, and naturally the ma
nure pile is nearby. Everything is
built OF stone and hewn timbers with
tile or slate roofs. The rooms within
the house are generally small.
The little shops are similar to u
cross-road variety. When n opens
n door a bell rings. Stock consists
mainly Of broad ~, ror05 .-