Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-07-18
Letter From Sergeant Snyder.
Still in the same place, France,


| realized it the days had passed and |
find that il has been nine days since |
wrote home. But then today got the
first mail from home in a month, SO at
that you have something on me, | guess:
There seems to have been some sort OF
tie-up in the mail, for no one has peeh
getting any, and the fellows were lust
about ready to start home after IL wheh
this morning we got few letters,
enough TO slave of the impending pat
tie. | have not whole lot to tell you
this time. for there has been nothing
particular going on and everything mas
been going along as quietly as posSioie.
We are getting ready now for Dig 4th
of Julv celebration, and we are going 10
have all sorts Of athletic events ana
regular prizes, and the stir that is IN
the air shows that there Will De sonie-
thing doing. Our company is going 10
try and carry off some OF the honorS,
and we have some pretty good material
from which to pick. Our camp is get
ting mighty big now and every day sees
more men coming in, and there will sure
be some lively competition.
About the most interesting thing we
have had happen lately was a change
of post commanders. The major VINO
was in charge was pretty strict. we
all had to watch our step, and we used
TO complain when he hit US hard. But
YOU should see our new colonel. He
has our major stopped forty ways from
Sunday, and everyone, officers and all,
stand at strict attention and salute wnen
he goes by. He sure is burner, and
he mas the whole post on the mum.
When he sees something that ne does
not like he doesn't write letter about
it-he Just climbs out OF his car and
gives the information first hand. He
is about as popular as shower at a
lawn party, as | overheard one OF the
men say the other night.
Speaking of wit-we have a few OF
them in our company, and some OF the
repartee that goes back and forth is
sure great. One fellow comes in and
says that every time he sees horse or
dog in this country he gets so mad at
himself that he feels like falling IN the
creek, and when asked why, he said:
"Well, you see, the horses and dogs can
understand French, and | can't, and |
figure that they know more than | do"
Another fellow said that he sure was
crazy when he joined the army, and his
best friend came back with the follow
ing compliment: impossible for you
to have been crazy, for to be crazy you
must first have brains" That meant
a three-round bout with the boxing
gloves, and both of them carried marks
for few days. That is the way the
men settle their arguments, and it is no
uncommon sight TO see the company IN
a big circle and two men settling dis
pute with the gloves. And each fellow
has his crowd behind him and urging
him to lick the other fellow, and we
sure have some great fun.
The kitchen force has an antipathy
for muStacheS, and every now and then
they catch some one of our fellows and
smear molasSeS in his camoufage, and
they are not so careful with it, either.
Our kitchen force consists of eight men,
and their average weight is about $50
pounds, so that it is scarcely any use
for one man to say no" One day
last week one of the men they tackled
bit one of the cooks on the arm, and he
is still carrying the mark, also the bitter
is being thoroughly plastered every
day, and the only respite for him is to
shave off his mustache, which he seems
diSinclined to do. If it comes to ques-
ton of endurance | place my money on
the kitchen. Then the nicknames that
some of the fellows have wished on
them. We have one typical lrishman
who never turns his head unless you
call him "Home Rule" One other who
has never been able TO learn to keep
step is called "Route STEP" One "Y"
man who whenever he talks to you folds
his hands and stands back on one foot
is unanimously called Parade Rest"
even to his face, and so on down
through the line. One man says there
are two things about the army that he
doesn't like: "Corned Beef and Sny-
der" He missed reveille a couple of
times and put in some extra time after
supper chopping wood. The reveille is
very unpopular, but the woodpile is still
more so, and it is not often that we
have to put anyone on it.
The river is quite popular for fishing,
although there is only one man who can
catch any fsh-a Pennsylvania Dutch
man, who, when asked how he manages
to catch so many fish, says: ooh, |
just go and fish where they are"
The captain tried his hand at it the other
day, and when he came back and asked
him what luck, he answered, 81 had two
bites and caught the rheuma-
tism." And he spent ten francs for his
rod, hooks and tackle. He is now try
ing to sell it at half price. He is hav-
ing a hard time finding some one to
take it.
Just across the river is an abandoned
chateau, which is completely furnished,
and it seems that the reason il is
abandoned is because it is haunted. 1t
is beautiful place and it is a shame
that 1t is not occupied. Some of the
fellows have slept over there on differ
ent occasions, and they have not been
disturbed at all. 1t is perhaps nothing
more than the big imaginationS of the |
French working overtime, and you sure
have TO hand il TO them that they have |
The least thing excites |
them and it takes them some time to pet |
over it,
One OF the new rules that our new |
colonel put into effect was that the SOL |
dlers may promenade" and talk to the |
French women, and you should see the
fellows out walking with the French |
girls. The most of the talking is done
with the hands, and it is sure a comical |
sight TO see some American who knows |
about six words of French trying to |
carry on a full-hedged conversation
with someone who knows even less
English. My French is on the pickup, |
and before long | will be able to talk a
blue streak. am getting so now that |
when listen closely can get the main |
dea of conversation in French, al
though of course it is only general, but
am getting there slowly and before
ong ! hope to be pretty proficient. We
nave four men in the company who can
ak like natives, and whenever we have
need of an interpreter We can usually
get hold of one of them. The captain
says that he knows three words: "Oui,"
'Oui Oui !" and "Oui Oui Oui :"