Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-09-19


I received a letter from Miss Fern
B., and also from one of her girl
friends, and feel like a regular So
ciety man. If they could take a look
at me after leaving the trenches they
never would have written. Can you
picture me after being in the trenches
nearly month in mud, dust and other
kinds of dirt, including sand which
gets an inch thick in your hair. Work
ing on barb wire at night, which is
the best thing to hang your clothes
on in the world, and not taking off
even my blouse, shoes, or washing,
and | don't think even you would
know me. But the last five days we
were in were surely hot ones for us
and hotter for the Dutch, fer we went
over the top after then five times,
and they gave us everything hell ever
invented and we went through them
for about twelve kilometers just the
same. If you had been there You
would better realize how lucky | was.
Had bullets go through my equipment
in several places and except for one
little scratch which I didn't notice
until it was all over, never was
touched at all. Of course you have
heard by this time that Bill Holmes
and Clarence Pressing were both
wounded during the battle. Bill only
got bullet from a machine gun
through the thumb and little finger Of
yicn hn g n K
| an saving his letters from home
and a few other little things which
belong to him, until | see him. Clar-
ence got hit by a piece Of shrapnel,
but no one came back from his squad
ron and no one else who saw him
near by, so can't say as yet just where
he was hit. but he was not badly hit,
a boy said. Will write particulars as
soon as 1 can get them.
7 Tell Mrs. H. and Mrs. F. not to
feel bad about the boys, as they were
lucky at that. 1t happened just after
we had started across after the Huns
so they received prompt attention
from the medical corps. Many had to
wait many hours before they could be
found in the woods and shell holes
But don't think it is always like that
in France. The night we came out
we rode in trucks through a most
beautiful forest. When | say beautl-
ful I mean it. The trees were very
tall svcamores and it looked cool and
inviting among them. The stems were
hare for about twenty to thirty re"
from the ground, with very dense TOLL
age from there up. There was no
underbrush, so it reSembled more
closely a park than any woods ever
saw. The road stretched for mile
through it was as straight as side
walk and paved with stones. 1t looked
az though it had been gaShed with
saw. Every little ways a path wound
down through it from the road. One
of those paths that winds slowly along
and slows up in the cool, pretty places
as though inviting some hot person
to follow it into the cool shade. Then
we suddenly crossed the railway
which we had captured further down
the line, and left the woods Dehlnd.
But the fields were just as beautiful
as the trees, very level, with miles ana
miles of golden wheat all ready TO
cut. But the most pretty OF all was
village Law in the distance, and the
sun shining on the red, blue, yellow
and black roofs and white walls
looked just like a picture. After that
| dropped the curtain, for | wanted to
remember the trip by those three
things-woods, fields and that village.
| felt pretty glad that was alive to
see it, too, and realized again that
life is sweet. We are in nice little
town now, with good accommoda-
tons, which are a we'll close by, a
place to wash, and a cafe and Y. M.
c. A. There is lady in it, too, an
American-the first one | have seen
for ages, it seems. And, oh yes, what
do you know about it? Of all the
wonders in the world this had got
them all beat. 1t hasn't happened to
me since leaving New Jersey, but
am sleeping on an honest-to-God bed.
1t has a pillow, too, and that hasn't
happened since leaving home. L al
, first thought 1t was made Of feathers,
but see it is a straw one. However,
, don't believe any of us could sleep on
feather bed anyway, after sleeping
J on the ground so long.
Many of our company and division
: are receiving medals for bravery.
recommended my squad leader, who
was wounded the last day | was the
only one left out of the squad, SO
thought it was up to he. The Lord
, knows he deserves it, for he led US
: through all the shells he could find
r | guess. "The Ladies from He'll re
, ieved us. and have driven the Dutch
p back ten kilometers further mean
+ the Scotch. They call them that be
I cause of their kits. They are fine
? bunch of men, too, and excellent fight
; ers. | had to laugh at one OF then
= when they came up to relieve us. He