Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-08-15
VOLUME LII.
Excerpts from Letters Of LIST Lieutenant
James d. Edgar.

mirror; and dark blue-probab'y *
miles deep. We sight a small whale
occasionally, and flying fish. but no
other sign of life. No sign Of a living
soul anywhere except those on our
vessel. The weather has been fine.
This is one big boat; the German t.
boats would surely like to get her, as
they owned her once. | am on duty
eight hours out of every day and a
half. This mean remaining down on
the troop deck at a table with the
company, answer their questions and
settle their troubles. In addition |
have to attend to all "abandon ship"
drills, see that men get out on the
proper deck by means of the proper
stairways, ready to take the boats,
and all physical drills. The time is
well occupied. enjoyed the basket
of fruit and boxes OF candy and cigars
you sent me. The other things were
an excellent fit, and of splendid ma
terial. Have q good state-room,
electric fan, bath room, and all con-
%veniences, that the rich Germans
could devise. The signs on the fix
lures, "kalt,' "zu," etc, etc, were
difficult for me to decipher for n time.
1t is not a happy feeling to see old L.
s. fade away in the evening, and pillow
ahead in the dark, on a darkened
ship when Wall Street is gambling on
your chances TO make 100 miles out.
We are now q good many hundred
miles out, and good luck 80 far.
NJ was a pathetic little figure
standing all alone on the pier when
we left: ask her it she ever thought
of the strangeness Of it. l hope to
overtske old Lon soon and then we
will arrange for trip home together
when the ''scrap" is over. The boat
drill bugle is blowing, and | must
away. n
We had a splendid voyage--no subs
in sight. We had as many as five de-
stroyers at times, and a dirigible bal
loon. The last day we ran into a
dense fog, and some nervousness was
manifest. The ports and harbors
here are wonderful; nothing like it in
our country. Just like the old paint
ings l used to gaze at, and think were
faxed. The scenery is wonderful, and
looks as old as the moon; high ex-
pensive rock walls, everywhere, and
cliffs and caves and caverns. The
cliffs are cultivated, and every house
from a distance shows up pure white
with a green setting. The cultivated
fields look like q checker-board, and
every inch cultivated. Rock walls or
high dirt banks like levees, covered
with hedges, serve as fences. When
you enter a village, you are disap-
pointed. Everything that looks
white from u distance, is, when you
draw near, old and quaint and dirty.
Narrow streets OF cobble- stone, and
house fronts as square and blank as
barns. Everything of rock or con.
crete, and appears to be thousands Of
years old. The common people are
peculiar and quaint characters. Chill.
dren in wooden shoes ev erywhere,
coax for cigarettes, and are glad tt
see us. No men, just a few every old
ones, and women and kids. imagine
l I'M reading a book when I walk in
to it, and all the children Liliputians
1t is a land OF children. The womel
are all in the fields. We marched GU
a few miles to our rest camp, and viii
be here q few days. Icannot tell 20,
where we are. but you q guess.
was impressed with the rare beau
ty Of the country when I went out in.
to the fields OF France, and saw thu
fine old trees and lovely chateaus
, about SO acres, walled up 20 feet high
with attractive and artistic gates 0
stone. We are camped just south o
one Of the walls, In a little patch OF
field. The fields are all patches;
dab..of barley here, and oats there
and vegetables another place, wit
high mound fences between. 1t look
odd. The grain is cut by cradles, an
slow work in this age. The weathe
IL cool and flne, and the birds singin
as In April athome. A large dirIgibl
sails overhead while / view the scene
The people here, about every fiv
years, cut some Of the limbs of tn
trees for firewood, and let the tree
continue to grow; this gives the tree
q spindIing, umbrella or mush.roo
effect. have heard OF the prett
women OF France. All that / hsy
seen 10 far are old and wrinkled, eve
the girls. Isaw . little old lady wall
Ing down the road the other day vii
her ong .legged sailor son. She lool
cd old, and wore wooden shoes, or
.