The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1918-02-22
LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS
From Col. Rdelblute.

Colonel w. II. Edelblute OF The lac
Field Artillery, writing home from
Somewhere in France, under date OF
JAN 26 and 80, SAYS IN part:
We are now comfortably located in
still another part OF the world. We
are some I've or six hundred miles
from our last stop. We are living in
barracks, and get lbs. of coal a day
and you can imagine how hot a fire
can be maintained on a little lump
like that My orderly Is providing
around somewhere in France trying
to steal a small piece OF coal or pull
hoard off fence for a piece of kind
ling. Off1cers eat at a big mess hall
where they have to pay 6 francs day
or about SLIP for meals they can't
quite appreciate. We can't talk
French and and we can't understand
their dishes. We do know that they
eat horse. We see many strange
things in this country. 1
| can't say that like France. In fact
there are several Better places. Where
we are located now the climate
resembles that OF western Oregon and
does not get very cold. Considerable
fog prevails and on the whole IL Is
quite damp.
Since coming here we have had to
take up new line Of work. While at
Camps Greene. Mills and Merit we
were learning the drill and use OF the
3-inch horse artillery and since COM
| ing here we have been turned into
| heavy corps artillery and handle big
guns so large that you couldn't turn
| them around in the streets Of
| Rathdrum. Upon our arrival here,
we bumped into pretty stiff
examination and many OF our boys
failed to pass. The writer came
thru second best, due to his kuowl-
edge of engineering. The rest OF
them have to go to school for several
weeks. Imagine our shooting IL miles
and you will see how close the writer
Is going to get to the German
| trenches.
! Ofconrse we all had to get colds
| as soon as we got here and moved
healthier In tents. We are 20 miles
from town of any size, which makes
j 1t very nice for study and work.
Our outfit doesn't look like the old
regiment did by long odds. The old
End is scattered all over the world
and don't know where the different
parts are and dare not ask. We have
lost two men by monia since
coming over.
The weather here is ideal for our
work at this time of the year. 1t is
getting cool in the room now, so /
will be compelled to put the two
tooth picks which saved from
dinner on The Are and "a thimbieful
and a half of coal and stir up a
rousing bit OF warmth. When 1 get
home will cry ont with anguish
when see anyone use more than two
sticks of wood to cook a pot of beans.
Jan 30. I was out TO the gun park
this morning and am preparing "a
written examination for some of the
enlisted men for this afternoon. Fred
Crane Is one of the men, who are
going to take 1t. 1 will touch them
up little on algebra, geometry and
trigonometry. You see we are all
technical men 10 the heavy artillery
now.
got Rathdrum paper yesterday
dated Dec. I, almost wo months old,
SO you see we are hardly up to date.
A Boise paper of Jan. 1st has arrived
but we receive only one occasionally.
| suppose the rest are planted In the
ocean somewhere. Our Christmas
presents never arrived, that is, IL we
had any coming. 1 got the sweater,
helmet and wristlets, and a knitted
wash cloth from 14-ycar old girl in
Boise, but some other presents that I
had been notified were sent have not
yet arrived. I was glad to see by the
paper that several Rathdrum BOYS of
late have joined the colors. Here