Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-09-26

The war has clapped a heavy hand
on the home of Mr.. and Mrs H. d.
Reid, of 1881 West Colorado avenue
Yesterday as a bolt from the blue
sky, came a notice from the bureau of
war risk of the treasury department
asking for information concerning
relatives left by their son, Randall ].
Reid, who was killed in action with
Company B, twenty second infantry,
on July Goth.
Curiously Mr.. and Mrs. Reid only
few days ago, received letter from
him dated July 10, but which had been
censored and mailed as late as Aug
ust 4th. They have appealed to ths
Red Cross in Colorado Springs to en-
deavor to find out for them whether
their son is dead, or whether there
has been mistake. kilograms were
sent to Washington last night asking
for further information.
The mother, torn between despair
and hope, and holding back the tears
by sheer will power, yesterday stood
on the porch of her home before a
window in which were hung two ser
vice banners, one with red star and
the. other a blue one, and calmly said:
my other son, Russell, Joined the
navy July 20, the very day that they
says Randall was killed. He is now in
San Francisco"
A train of unfortunate circum-
stances has attended the service in
ha Of Do IaI 80 IL
said yesterday that although as many
as two or three letters a week had
been sent to him from his home ever
since he went into the army, ne re-
Gently wrote her that he had not re-
ceived a letter from home for months.
II can't understand it," she said
'SWhat has become of all of these let
ters? The poor boy has not been able
to hear from US although we have
sent letter after letter. We sent him
money, and the money order, we learn
was cashed, yet he wrote us that he
had been three months without money
and would not even had tobacco to
smoke had it not been that this is is
sued by the government.
Another Randall Reid
"For a while he was at Camp Fun
ston and there was man by the same
name. We know this, for he related
to us humorous incident of how a
| girl came to see the other R. j. Reid,
who was a fat man, and by mistake
he, who is tall and slender, had been
sent out to receive her.
| L 4
no notice of it. And if such is the
case why was it that one of his let
ters was mailed to us after his death
with no word of it? I hope the Red
Cross can find out for me whether
the report is true or not. 1t is hard
to have to wait"
In one of his recent letters Reid
wrote to his mother from Somewhere
in France" in part as follows:
81 have been on my first trip to
the front. l went up on mess detail,
carrying chow to the front lines. l
felt sort of nervous as the big smells
whistled over us. Some came pretty
close, and they make no small noise
when they explode near by. You can
like when some of them makes holes
in the ground 20 feet across. Some
times 1 throw myself fiat on the
ground. I have been sprinkled witch
dirt several times. But, then you know
miss is as good as mile.
Three Trips to the Front
". Now can tell you that
I have been for a second time to the
front lines. 1t did not seem quite SO
bad this time, as 1 understood it a
little better.
I have been to the front
line trenches for a third time, and
have had my first real experience.
went into the trenches and stayed a
few days This is somewhat different
but I came out o. K. 1 am trusting
the Lord to bring me the rest of the
| way through / got little gas, but
not enough to lay me out It made
my lungs sore for a few days, but 1
Il = Il l.