Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-05-10
PRIVATE MEssER IN TRENCHES.
Air Battle Was in Progress at the Time
He Sent Letter to His Grandfather,
H. G.. Clark.

All bdVtle was III fIoBIeSS dI Ine lihie
He Sent Letter to His Grandfather,
H. G.. Clark.
Private George L. Messer of Company
d, 102d machine gun battalion, who has
been in France several months, under
date of April IL wrote the following
interesting letter to mis- grandfather,
Harry G.. Clark:
Have been going to write you, but
have not as you probably have read the
letters ] wrote to mother.
The weather is fine here now and dur
ing the winter ] do not think the Their
mometer went much more than two or
three degrees below zero, and with the
exception of one or two heavy snow
storms there was nothing more than Il
covering of snow on the ground all
winter.
! have hardly seen any houses made
of wood, as they are most all made of
stone or plaster of thick mud which
is very sticky. The forests here are
very few and after they have been
shelled by the artillery about the only
thing left is kindling wood.
The cattle are about the same as they
raise at home only they seem to raise
great many steers. 1t is interesting
to see French shepherd with two or
three dogs keeping a large bunch Of
sheep together, as they are certainly
trained fine. Muscovite ducks and tur-
KEYS are very common here and the
peasants have bens in their houses for
pets.
They do all of their cooking over
fireplace and they seem to be able to
cook four or five different things at
once and as easily as we do over a stove.
They burn a big bundle of sticks four or
five feet long, light one end and as soon
rs it is burned they keep pushing it
into the fireplace.
Rabbits are a big food with them.
They look like coney rabbits, but much
larger, and the meat is white and tastes
exactly like chicken.
In every village they have village
baker who makes the bread, and while
it may have been good before the war
it is hard and coarse now. When we
land in a small town we generally have
good feed, as the French peasants will
do almost anything for us Americans.
From what | have seen of France
would not give the state of Vermont
for the whole republic, but of course
have only seen the poorest section of
France.
Most of the plows and rcapcrs and
from the L. s. and the other day l saw
a Singer sewing machine in farm
house.
You will always find hams, sides O
pigs and meat of one kind or anothc
hanging from the ceiling in the peas
ants kitchens, or in sitting room par
lors or bedrooms, which are general
one big room.
| am writing this in the trenches an
have been in a long time.
There is an air battle on now bctwec
American and German planes and TIN
German anti-aircraft guns are trying
get the American, but only about on
shot out of 1000 or 5000 ever scores
--Gas-alarms are so frequent here tina
we are used Go them and sleep with on
gas masks hung around our necks, on
where we can easily reach them. and
when the gas alarm is sounded, which
is generally by a Klaxon horn, the first
thing we do is to put on our masks
and put our shoes and leather leggfns
on later. / have not had by clothes off
since January and have got used to
sleeping that way.
You can hear the big shells coming(
10 to go seconds before they land and
have just about time enough to duck
before they land or explode.
When the Americans get good and
mad they will do almost enything, and
the other day a bunch of Americans
got started over the top, but did not
because such action would have been
disastrous. But when they are in that
condition they do not care a damn for
rifle, machine gun or artillery fire, it
is just "come on, boys, let get
--.' The words used here about
the Hun cannot be written, as they
would not look well.
Everywhere we have been we have
been able to start something, and have
been very fortunate so far.