davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
In Ambulance Service

The following letter is from son of
Mr.. and Mrs. A. S. Kingsfurd, Bara5oo:
! have been here about two weeks
now and | like the life fine, although
there is nothing easy about it. The
first ten days | was here | did prac-
tically nothing but drill. We drilled
all day last Sunday, and we have put
in some evenings in study. They are
putting us through three months
course in little less than four weeks,
en- my case. This week ! am work
dng nights on what they call garage
detail We work in various garages
all over the city repairing cars, and at
the same time are given instruction.
4 happen to be working at the Vel
low Cab and Shaw Taxi's central ga
rage. Our hours are s p. m. to 4 a.
an, and we work. believe me. We
are brought to and from Camp Scott
in Red Cross touring cars. This is
the only time we leave the camp, as
no passes are granted, unless absolute
1y necessary.
We eat our meals at the EdelWeiss
gardens, which have been turned over
TO the camp. The Edelweiss people
are paid $3.50 a day for feeding each
man, and we have excellent food for
the army. I can't exactly say army
vet. as we are not sworn in until a
couple of days before we leave for
overseas. We then are sworn into the
q. S. army as ambulance drivers and
given one of the best outfits to go
overseas with I will enumerate in
brief what each overseas outfit con-
Iains besides our regular army uni
6orm: First, an individual steamer
irMnk, a revolver, fur-lined coat, rub
her boots, four pairs Of army shoes,
six army shirts, six pairs wooden I'M
derclothes, six pairs of wooden socks,
hat, two trench caps, trench helmet,
safety razor, all the necessary toilet
articles, and several other things
(which l have forgotten just now.
Any married man. a lad Of seven
teen or one who has reached eighteen
since the September IL registration, a
man who for some very slight physi-
cal defect is given deferred classifica-
tion in the draft, are all eligible in
this service, providing he can pass the
physical examination. If any man
wants to see the quickest and most
active service in the army this is the
branch to join. If anyone wants to
be of real service to the government
if he will send me a stamped adj
dressed envelope, will try to explain
the details to him.
/ will close now, as it is time to &c
30 work. which is about all we do here
PVT. HAROLD A. KINGSFORD.
Co. c, 3rd Detachment.
Camp Scott, Chicago, I'll.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Everything Expensive in France

James N. Ballard writes from
France to his mother in Reedsburg
as follows:
I sure will be glad when | take the
ship to come back and the Huns are
done away with and the boys come
back safe and sound We had very
nice trip over from England TO
France. will tell you how we ride
on the railroad over here when I get
back.
1t is very damp here, has been rain
ing all night. | am getting as fat as
d pig. l never looked as good in my
life as do now; weigh 196 pounds.
You tell Florence | will send her a.
paper once a week, | suppose that
the boys at home have the grain all
cut. How did the grain turn out?
Everything is so high here; eggs are
about So cents a dozen. I will be glad
to sec you all again when l get back,
and will have lot of good things to
tell you.
All you can see over here is hills or
towns, IneFe IS loWH every Ae"
miles. | think of you every night and
would like to be back with you, but l
have no kick coming for we are hav-
ing a good time and knon in good
health, so what more could a fellow
want in the army? Prospects look
very good of being home by spring. |
am in the hospital now, but am not
in very bad shape. Will be out soon
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Railroading in France

Private Bruno P. Martin writes
from Gievres, France, that their or
ganization has been changed from en-
gineers to regiment, and in the future
to address him: Co. A, 53rd regiment
transportation corps.
He was employed by the G. & N.
w. railway as fireman and engineer,
working out of Baraboo; also on the
new line; and left here June 1 for
Camp Dix, N. j., where he was placed
IN Company A Saith engineers, and a
few days later transferred into Com
pany A, 53rd, and. sent across, arriv-
ing in France about June 10. The
following is taken in part from let
ters received in Merrimack:
Gievres, France, Oct. 9.
I am back to camp once more after
being out on the road for nearly a
week 1t seems like home to get back
to camp, and surely always glad to
get back to get all the mail, also The
News. Letters look better than pay
days to me, and you can imagine how
pay udy 1OOho'
We are kept on the go here all the
time. There is no sixteen-hour limit
here like in the states. It takes us
nearly a week to make the trip and
go any direction after we get out.
We have American locomotives and
this is under the French system and
rules We have all the way from 20
to rs cars and these are French mixed
with American cars. These French
chef de trains, as the conductors, also
the brakemen, are called, all wear
uniforms, the sort of street car con-
ductor, and we have one of these fell
lows with us nearly every trip out on
the road as pilots. We manage to
get along with them the best we can.
This French sure is hard stuff to get.
The harvesting Of grapes is nearly
all over now Everybody, large and
small goes out to pick. They are not
like the kind in the states, and all
the French think of is to make rogue
van cred wine) out OF them, and that
is their drinking water the year
around They use it in place of our
coffee, and from the cradle to the
grave, all use it. You ought to see
some of the trains-solid wine tanks
the entire train. They had a couple
of frosts, and they claim that makes
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
A Trip Through the Clouds

William Bartenbach of Alderman has
received the following letter from his
son, in training in Ohio:
Wilbur Wright Field, Squadron K
Dayton, o., Nov. 2, 1918
Dear Folks: After the storm the
sun shines. That works both ways
here today We were let out of quar-
antine last night, and today the sun
shines beautifully. 1t has been dark
and cloudy the past week, with few
showers Of rain, to make the cold
more miserable. Yesterday afternoon
it was awfully cloudy and had a
ride up in the dark gloom. That was
some sensation, riding around in the
black foggy atmosphere, not seeing a
thing, only hearing the rhythmic whir
of the engine. At 1000 feet we went
into the black rolling clouds, where
we could not see bit of old mother
earth; at 5000 feet we became con.
scious of the change in temperature,
and at 5000 feet we encountered a
terrific snowstorm which was most
came logged and our goggles were all
misty. Then at 1900 feet we saw
the beautiful sunshine again, but the
thick blanket of clouds kept the heat
Of the earth from reaching us. 1t was
16 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit)
The engine started to freeze up, SO
the pilot tilted her nose back into the
clouds and the air speed registered
1870 miles per hour in our descent-al-
most twice as fast as we climbed.
1t was bully ride, my first expert
ence in such weather and clouds.
After one hour and forty minutes
in the air we landed within half a
mile from where we started. The
ship was covered with sleet and
icicles. | was numb with the cold,
but that was nothing compared to the
feeling of the sudden change of at
mospheric pressure on my ears. felt
as if l were deaf, although | could
hear quite distinctly. This feeling
wears off in about six hours, and one
is back to normal again.
That helmet came in handy 1t pro-
tected my face fine from the sleet and
cold winds. I can roll the helmet UP
and make a fine cap out of it without
pinning.
We have a football team. | am
playing left half back again. I like
it very much. We practice every
morning from $50 to 7:30.
Just think, can look up and, with
out turning my head, see five different
kinds of ships flying in the air-some
doing stunts, others playing tag.
They have cameras in place of guns
and in that way they can tell whether
or not they would have hit the other
ship with a bullet. had it been a gun
instead of a camera.
They are not going to have school
around here for while. Children
under sixteen are still in quarantine.
Love to ALL
BARNEY.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14

them all the better We have had two
white frosts now, one the first OF the
month and the other the End, and the
nights certainly are cold 1t seems
much damper here than in the states.
We are all equipped with our winter
outfits.
Everything looks exciting around
here now and we are expecting the
war soon to be over | don't think
that any of the boys who entered the
camps this last summer will get over,
or be needed over here, unless they
get across as soon as / did The
doughboys certainly have been doing
good work We have got it all figured
out that we are all going to be back
in the spring.
All the organizations are doing good
work over here, and the Red Cross is
certainly doing more than its share.
If it were not for them. we would get
nothing to eat along the road, as we
would rather go hungry than take
any Of the canned eats along.
met James Travers, one Of the
firemen | worked with out of Bara-
boo. and was surprised to see him
here. He is with the 36th engineers
and | see him eonce in while now.
He is the only one have met of late
that l know, with the exception of the
four l met on our way over here. One
was Otto Welk of Baraboo. We stayed
over night at their camp.
Alfred moved from his last address
which was Panillac, and is now at
Brest, France, right en- the coast, the
place we landed. l don't ever expect
to see him personally while here, but
one cannot always tell; strange things
do happen.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Get Papers from the Air

Mrs. H. l.. Brand has received the
following letter from her son Stew
art, somewhere in France, dated Oc-
tober Z, 1918:
Dear mother: Received Doris last
letters and as usual was glad to get
them. Heard from Gerry, but he was
still at Jefferson barracks and not as
signed to any organization. We'll,
mother, l am not in the supply COM
pany, but attached to a battalion
where most of the Baraboo boys are.
They have a new and quite novel
way of delivering papers here. They
are dropped from an airplane. When
one circles around low a couple OF
times then we are on the watch for
a bunch of papers to drop. There is
an edition of the New York Herold'
printed in Paris with all the latest
war and world news. The latest one
said that the kaiser asked for forty
eight hours of no firing to talk over
peace terms, but President Wilson
says he can talk peace, but no ceasing
cot nring, which all of the boys seem
10 think is the right idea. Perhaps
when you read this there may be new
developments.
Heard from good authority that Otto
Ritzenthaler had left here for Ameri-
Ca, and may be home when you get
8his.
Mother, do not worry, for the war
will he over. and the boys on the way
home Grams birthday comes close
10 Turkey Day This year he will be
II years old. Well, must close now
for | can think of no more to write.
With love- Your son,
STEWART.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
viii Soon Be Eating Sauer Kraut

L. P. Gerou, w!o is with the q. S.
tank corps, writes that Elsie Won Hin
denburg will soon be serving sauer
kraut to the American soldiers. He
also states that his hunting boots
would come in pretty handy over
there, as the mud is up to the shoe
tops In speaking with German
prisoner recently, Mr.. Gerou asked
him if he knew how many Americans
there were now in France. The Ger
man replied, "Too d many
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Planes, Like Angels, Hover Above

Here is q description Of an unusual
funeral sent by Erhart G. Niemann to
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Me
mann, White Mound. The letter was
kindly forwarded to this office by
Mrs. William Westenhaver, and reads
as follows:
Ellington Field, San Leon, Tex.
October 26, 1918.
Dear Mother and Father:
| got the pillow case you sent me
and it is just fine. Many boys asked
me where l got it and many wanted
to buy my pillow, but nix; no money
can get that from me- | am we'll and
death in this field of influenza, and
he was a boy from Houston, Tex. He
had very pretty funeral The Ell
lington military band led them and
above the aeroplanes were lowering
like big angels. They followed them
all the way to the cemetery. | would
liked to have gone, but we were under
quaantine. Not everybody is quite
we'll, but they have lifted the quaran-
tine | am not going out for some
time, as many of the people in town
have it.
Say, | wish you could have some of
the rain we are getting down here.
Now it's no good to us; we like it
much better if it stays dry The
mosquitoes don't bother us so much
then 1t is raining fierce tonight and
has most every day this week, so you
see everything is pretty much smeared
with mud. l suppose you have all
your corn and potatoes out. Are your
potatoes good this year? | don't be-
lieve there were many in the south,
as they are giving us sweet. potatoes
most of the time. We can have oyS-
ters any time we want them. All we
have to do is go down to the gulf and
fish them out. We have them quite
often, too, and all the fish we want
We have all we want to eat down
here. | have always had white bread,
pure too, and butter too, but cannot
get it when we go to town. Well, |
have not much to write about, as [
have not been out of camp for two
months only for a boat ride or a fly
once in while, so will close. Hoping
you are all well, as | am feeling fine.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
ught in French stores.

bought IN French stores.
The people treat us fine and the,
girls are Just grand. | am getting so
4 can understand and talk their lingo,
pretty bum. The weather is damp
here and quite chilly at times, but
have three wool blankets, and we
sleep with windows wide open. have
three suits OF wool underwear and five
pairs of socks; in fact all the clothes
| have are wool, so | guess won't
suffer with the cold this winter.
We are stationed in an old chateau.
1t is about 800 years old. built of stone
with tile roof 1t is fine old land
mark. 1t has chapel and big flower
garden, with a stone wall around it..
/ crossed bridge yesterday that was
built by the Romans in the year of
800, and it is still used today. The
stone and tile work is beautiful. 1t
is too bad the Huns destroyed SO
many cathedrals. I hope Arthur's
hearing is better. Where is he now
Tell him to write.
How are the crops this year? Write
me all the news and tell Aunt Seba I
will write soon.
Here is card the government gave
me. Read it and follow the directions.
Get box from the Red Cross and send
whatever you like A few handker.
chiefs would go good. Hard to get
here. / got letter that followed me
81 days. 1t takes 80 days to get mail
so write three or four times a week
and don't worry about me. l am as
safe as in Wisconsin, busy as can be-
and fat and sleepy. Will close, with
love to all.
PVT. IRWIN LUSBY.
9th Heavy Mobile Ordnance Repair
shop.
Am. E. F., France.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Long Way to Send Letter

Dewey A. Armbruster, son of Mrs.
Emma Armbruster, has sent a letter
from France to Mrs. Oscar Wieglow
to be forwarded to her son, Horace
Wieglow, now in Italy. The letters
follow:
October 6, 1918
Dear Mrs. Wieglow: am sending
you a letter for Horace which it would
pleace me very much to have you send
him. My mother said he had asked
sfof my address, SO don't expect he
got my other letters. AS you know his
address and / don't-now that he is
in italy, am sending it to you. |
know how much he would like to
hear from some of his old friends be-
boys in my company and / expect
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
In Sunny France

The following are extracts from
a letter received by John E. Bonham
of West Point from his nephew in
France, who is also a. nephew of Will
liam Bonham of Prairie du Sac:
1--WE are at last settled in an Ameri-
can camp in sunny part OF sunny
France where we will probably stay
part of the winter. We are having
wonderful weather for this time of the
year, so I'm in hopes we stay for some
time The trip was quite enjoyable,
mostly because of is novelty. 1t sure
Sparta to New York in Pullmans, from
the United States to England travelling
third class, through England in COM
partment cars, and through France in
a box car, Novelty and variety is
right, is it not?
"None of the British camps-and we
visited several-are anything like our
American camps for accommodation
and facilities The French poilus that
we have met are apparently a fine lot
of fellows and certainly w3ldel,ful
fighters. They have great faith in the
Americans, and for a good reason,
juding from the headlines lately. We
are going to knock 'em dead, and what
is more, We'll back to tell about it.
President Wilson has the right idea,
now the Heinie is on the run; we
have just heard of his refusal of an
armistice.
Everything is high here for Ameri-
can soldiers except tobacco, and we
buy that from our own commissaries
or the Y. M. C. A Grapes, figs, ETC.,
we get soaked for, though, chiefly be-
cause the first Americans over her
threw their money around like mil
lionaires trying to make an impress
sion. Well, they sure made the inn
preston 1t is a common joke
though, that we draw about as much
pay as a French general, so I don't
blame them.
PVT. RUFUS F. PALMER.
Hq. Co., 333 Hv. F. A.
Am E. F., via n. Y.
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14
Dear Doctor:

DcdT DOCtOA.
Yesterday | had tooth fixed-ai-
most "in the face of the enemy" A
battalion dentist brought his emery.
ency kit and in the heart of ruined
village, on the threshold of mo mans
land" the work was done very salts
factorily.
We were in a "bomb-proof' place
and few shells burst about-but not
enough to stop the busy dentist. He
was an exceptional dentist-as a rule
dentists have safe places in the rear
while their regiments are in the line.
NV case was rather an urgent one and
he came to accommodate few others.
/ thought Of you at the time and the
kind letter you wrote for me to read
on the ship coming over.
We are now in a support position in
a rather lively sector; that is, the
Germans and allies are little uneasy
and raids are being engaged in night
". In every case so far the poor
Fritizies have got the worst of it. Sup
pose you have heard all about our
"all-American" drive and its surpris-
| ing success. The artillery support
was wonderful and the morale of the
Germans was not the highest when
they realized that they were battling
| with "Yanks." Thus we had very
! few casualties and inflicted great loss
on the enemy, besides taking many
prisoners and stores. Compared to
the counter offensive of the Marne-
| or the second battle of the Marine, so
called-this drive was late summer
outing, with plenty Of little thrills.
| have been in the front lines with
| the American "shock" division since
i March-nearly eight months-and OF
course have seen some interesting
changes in the war. Think it can
| truthfully be said that Fritz is
whipped. He knows tive know it.
The turning of the tide" from the
discouraging way the year started off,
to the present and victorious close, is
remarkable. In the spring, during the
on-coming of the Boche, they had the
undying, conquering punch. Gradual
ily we began to hold and gain the SUI
periority of no-man's land; then came
the complete turning of the tide with
/ the second battle of the Marine. Fritz
lost his morale, his hopes seemed to
| be crushed but let me say he fought
| hard The resistance was stiff. In
the American drive soon after he did
not have the punch-prisoners were
taken in great numbers. All he want
ed was a chance to "give up" in many
instances. My platoon took many
prisoners, including four machine
guns, without serious casualty.
Today our company subscribed 500
! francs for war orphan. 1t seems that
/ 500 francs is the allotment necessary
| to clothe and feed an orphan for
year, ard by that time it will be in
! the hands of someone able to give it
!, a home.
Am feeling better than | have felt
! for several months; guess the sue.
! cesses of the allies have made every
BODY feel happier and more encour-
aged. q
b.. [ must close, write another letter
ETC., before going about the sector on
tour Of inspection.
| Most sincerely,
1T. HOWARD l. POTTER.
1O4th Inf, Am. e. F., France.
1
Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-14

there is none in his. However, am
hoping I will see him almost as soon
as this letter, because have bunch
this war is going to blow up almost
any time now, after the success the
allies have scored this summer. | do
not expect you even remember me
any more, but haven't forgotten some
of the pies, ETC., which you baked for
Horace and me to take along on some
of our fishing trips. How is Everett ?
| suppose he would like to get into
the army, too, and get few Dutch
men. Well I'll have to close, as it is
getting too dark to write any more.
Your friend,
PVT. DEWEY ARMBRUSTER.
Letter to Horace
October 1918.
Dear Horace: Have written you a
couple of letters, but addressed them
to the u S., and so am wondering
whether you ever got them, as I read
in the paper that you had gone to
Italy. Say, Horace, do you remem-
Der those hunting and fishing trips we
used to make? I guess you do all
right if you are like me at ALL Of
course this is pretty good hunting
trip we are on now, but I am getting
tired of the variety of game we are
after They are getting scarce,
though, lately, and / am hoping they
will soon get scarcer. If we should
ever get back to old Baraboo we sure
will have some stories to swap.
Sandy Sanderson wrote me a letter
asking about you a month or so ago,
and l told him you were in a truck
company. Am i correct? Then, he
sent me another letter and said that
if you were in a truck company that
he had picture of your truck in his
mind. He said he'd bet it looks more
like a travelling museum because Of
the German souvenirs you would have
on board. I thought of the time we
rode down the river on the ice cakes
and you fell in the creek the other
day. We were running the Boches
over hill and had to swim a river to
get them. It was cold, too, now let
me tell you. | couldn't help thinking
If your falling in when we were going
through there There are three of us
in this company. I am the lucky one
so far-as both of the others have
heen wounded, one of them twice. But
then they are both bigger than | am,
which is maybe the reason. Write and
tell me some of your experiences in
Spagetty Land.
Bill Holmes and Clarence FREEING
are with me yet. That is, Bill is, and
we expect Clarence back from the hos
pital any time now.
Well, hoping you are getting along
o. K, and continue to do so, am your
old pal,
DEWEY A. ARMBRUSTER.
Editors Note: Mrs Armbruster
states that her son has been in hos
pital in southern France on account
Of illness, but has not learned the ma
ture of his trouble. In a battle he lost
all of his letters and other personal
property.