Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-07
JACK CARPENTER. co.
G MEMBER, SUFFERS
BROKEN EAR DRUM

Clarence w Gagel. I
LIST Bat. HQ., S. o. s. Sect.
l29th Inf
American Expeditionary Forces,
Via New York.
Note-Lieut. S. W. Raymond, whose
death occurred Aug. 2. while being an
officer of Company c, was assigned 10
Company E, of Elginl at the time he
met his fate.
Travels to Front in Cart
Miss Clementine Walter has re-
ceiyed very interesting letter from
her nephew, Walter Barrow. former
Ottawa boy who is a member of the
y Sth Engineers, who has been in ac'
tive service in France The letter
describes a trip up to the firing line
in an old cart, one dark night during
pouring rain, when the guns of both
the Allies and the Hun, we're in action.
Below the letter is published in full:
In France, July 2S, 1918.
Dear Aunt Glenn,
Very little has happened to me
since last | wrote, save the l0Sth En-
gineors has lost its first man in
France. He was on guard and Jerry
dropped bomb near his post. he was
struck on the head by a piece OF
shrapnel and died two hours later.
He will be buried tomorrow We have
also had three casualties in our com
pany, the boys were gassed while on
detail in the firing line They will
receive a discharge in all probability.
save for these incidents there has
been little to relieve the monotony.
/ Two nights ago, drove the officers
/ cart up TO the front and became lost
in the dark. Oh. believe me it was
"a grand and glorious feeling, to be
I up near the front on dark night
/ with the rain pouring down, and the
4 road two feet deep with mud. This
alone would be bad enough but 10
have Fritz pounding away with his
guns and artillery, and our artillery
pumping into his lines. Oh, ii /,
glorious, especially If you have q
horse that leaves the ground on al
four feet whenever a shell bursts near
just love war, NOT, with big n
But il we think Il rather hot at times
what must Jerry think. ! believe We
send 800 shells in to his one | an
thankful am on this side of the
line
We have been having horrid wealth
or OF late. nothing but rain from morn
irg till night; the boys in the trench
es are in water but after being here
for any length of time, one sool
adapts the habits of ducks. A fellow
can become accustomed to any kint
Ct living ! think. When the boys &c
back home 1t will take very little t
please them, | know that ! shall b,
the most model son that parents eve
had, and there will be 5000 900 NOR,
like me.
Our boys have been doing grea
work over here, as no doubt YOU know
by the papers. The Americans ar
, locked up to wherever they go an
nothing Is TOO good for them. shoul
mink It would make the other troop
a little peevei to have so much al
, ten'lon paid to the Americans, bu
, they pay us as much homage as do tn
civilians.
The Australians are wonderful hoy
ara the brotherhood which has sprun
up between Us is truly great. The
say II only they would turn the Aus
tralians and the Americans loose VIII
we would drive Fritz back to Berlj
IN a short time When an Aussy zoe
over the top he is perfectly satishe
/ II sammy is with him, ana visa yers
ana so il goes. We are all grea
, brotherhood in a huge melting DC
, working and fighting for one commo
cause, and The world knows what tina
cause is
, | received my mail quite regularl,
1t requires about month for a lette
to reach us Received three or fou
/. from Franklin.
2 | must close and get to work. Don
worry, | am almost as safe as If
' were in The States. Your affectionat
= NEPHEW
2 Walter Barrow.
> Il Sth Engineers.
' From Lieut.. Pool
This letter was received by Mis-
, Nj dred keeler yesterday from Leu
e Ernest Pool, who is Operation Office
. with the a. f. f. in France 1t is tn
t first one received from him in fiV
Z weeks. He had written to his paren,
e bu. 1t has not reached them up I
= date. He says in part:
Yes we are back in the line agall
You see we do such good job of
every time we get in that they civ
Us plenty to do We put the fear
!. God in the Boche and that is whi
they need these days. ! don't kno
wha. the word means
am alone in Operation Section an
o it keeps me busy as can be Sine
( Capt Mood has been killed the who
p job has fallen ON me and consequen
|. ~ a whole lot of responsibility wit
it. Every move that We make, ever
1 relief we execute, everything we
Il. requires an order from the operate
, donartmpnt sp Won SOC will ha,