Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-29
OTTAWA SOLDIER IN
AMBULANCE CORPS.
ON DUTY IN FRANCE.
EARL kilGoRe TELLS OF WORK
IN ONE OF ARMY'S GREATEST
eRANchES-WRiTES FINE LET
TER TO PARENTS.

In an Interesting lester to his par
ents. MIR. and Mrs James kllgore.
First Class Private Earl Kilgore, CON
nected with sn evacuation ambulance
company on duty in France. says Or
his experiences over there"
Evacuation Ambulance Co. 2.
June ,, 1918.
Dear Mother. Dad and All:
Hope this finds all as well as il is
leaving me never felt better in
my lie. So you see have no kick
coming
Tn. weather is nice in The day time
but gets rather cool at night And
is i pretty dusty in the day time
II rsminds fellow of the stay we
had in Kansas But on the whole
rather eajOy being in France as
things are so different from any in
America.
The people dress very funny com
par ed to The people back in the
STATES. All the women wear little
white caps. II is very common to see
old women working in the fields. do
ing mans work They also do most
Of the hauling with the wagons in
the street A the depo. you will fine
the women again This time they
will be handling baggage or selling
some OF their products. There are
very few men at home working Most
OF them are mere boys.
Everybody. or | am safe in saying
most everybody in the lower class OF
people, wear wooden shoes They
look very queer 10 us fellows and
most OF IFS think It would be some
time before We would be able TO learn
TO wear them They go eoegins
along making much less noise than
one would think
When we marched through he
street II Is all We can do to march a.
attention because the children al
run out to us and clap their hands
They seem ia know that we have
come to save them. They all ash
for souvenirs and of course we are
expected to give them some OF our
American pennies. They thank u
very kindly in French but It is hare
to tell what they say sometimes.
buys, anu some of them are
pre- 'Oung ! am sorry TO say ash
us cigarettes and try to make "
und Ind thai they want them for
the hers But first ! will tell yot
tha |ody Is allowed to buy cigar
cites except an American soldier
The fore Ign soldiers try to buy Their
frdm us land they will give us mos'
anything we want for them.
The houses and in fact every build
ing haEe seen so far are all made o.
stoI e of concrete There are ne
4 fraf ne buildings The most of the
bull dinge are old and look like thes
mig ut b centuries old
II re fist camp went to after get
ting off the boat was very historic
1t WAS Afort where Napoleon trained
MS soldiers and YOU know that is {
gq od many years ago | enjoyed my
81 III the few DAYS | was there very
q uch by examining some of the
laces Of execution where he had sho'
br hung some of his malefactors A
mis- same place was looking over {
vbunch of names and happened t.
krun across Walter Walking's name
The passed through that camp some
ltime before sme put my name mex
To his so that anybody else from OF
lava could see them if they came
through.
! met d fellow on the same boa,
coming across with me from Ota
wa. You will probably he surprised
when | tell YOU who he was His
name was Gull who lived over by tn.
Lilcoln school, We enjoyed the tr1l
very much talking of Ottawa.
We get good eats here. | mean
1retty good and also 4 pretty fan
place to sleep The life is gettin
more Interesting when we get amoni
strangers. can understand a good
deal OF French now. SO ! can get BY
pretty fair now.
had little trouble at first viii
the French money but think
know that well enough now SO that
no one can beat me out of any
Will try 10 send You some captured
war trophies if can
| am writing the letter in the Y. nj
c. A. The scenery here is very beau
tiful and believe ii is good for the
eyes after being on water so long
But ! try to enjoy everything as
much as can.
OlG pay has raised three dollars
for preign service so now draw
Sl5 Besdes my insurance and allot
ment. BY the way is the allotment
getting home regular? ! will write
as often as can but one letter will
have 10 do for all for a while.
Sends Poem.
The following poem was sent by
Private Kilgore to his dad II smacks
(of rich Americanism as the lines de
note: