The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-05-16
TELLS OF HIS TRIP ACROSS THE
POND
Merrill MullinniX Writes His Aunt
an Interesting Letter.

was shaving in the cold salt water
from the briny deep. Oh! My. how
that old razor did pull at the stub
BILE, taking it at a hop. skip and a
jump says Private Merrill Mullin-
high school, in a most interesting
letter to his aunt, Miss Della Mullin-
nix. Merrill is son OF f. c. Null
linniX Of Leon. The letter was dated
April Z, and was the first word to
his aunt since reaching France.
ordnance department., had a fine
trip. He didn't get sea sick and
regard to the trip:
I'VE landed safe and sound with
out any mishaps-such as being
spied by German submarines or en-
counterinlg a storm and furthermore,
always ate heartily at every meal
and slept soundly each night except
the last few spent in the war zone.
! enjoyed the trip as much as pos
sible."
u9 SPsahns s Of the raE Sis cd P5Ha5e
what | have seen, reminds one OF
previous years or people that were
contented with methods We, as a
nation, were familiar with twenty
five and fifty years ago. The rail
roads. are almost comical, using
some decades past; chains coupling
the cars together which are barely
twenty-five feet in length at the
most and pulled by a dinky engine
with a screeching whistle not unlike
to that on a miniature railway in
our amusement parks. Each car
has man to operate the handle
brakes. In the yards the cars are
moved by two horses in tandem.
When train has been made up, the
charm with much bombast and roll
ing Of wheels attempts to move
about a dozen Of these cars. which
are set on single trucks. of four
wheels. Finally the whole mass be,
gins to creep after much blowing off
steam and Jerking of coupling chains
drawn taunt by twisting to nave the
whole train of cars bound back and
forth between the coil spring
bumpers. However, the main lines
satisfactory accommodations or traV-
ell and locomotives with speed.
1.-THE architecture of the country
is very impressive to an American
because of the massiveness OF the
buildings walls deno tin ~, pe arna+
Similarity" he says. An buildings
open Immediately upon narrow cob
biestoned streets and are generally
of two or three stories; many are
four, rarely more and few only a
single story with steep sloping slate
roofs with doors and windows open
ing upon the street and each end a
blank wall. From the harbor the
scene of white hosues covering the
hillsides with an occasioned green
spot gives one an impressiveness OF
cleanliness, care and order"
1.-The women wear black altogeth-
err, not because l believe that they
are in mourning, but because their
clothing has that greenish cast sug-
costing the lack of means to purr-
chase more. In other words, this is
certainly a poverty stricken people.
The children are dirty and the ma
jority of laboring men and women
are not only that but their clothes
are many times patched; besides
their faces belle their ages, showing
what a struggle must be maintained
to sustain life.
Eat present we are quartered in
barracks of very historic camp con-
structed hundreds of years ago; re-
modelled from time to time and adj
ded to for the armies of the previous
French wars
when we embarked the first face
on board ] recognized was Floyd
Stone, Mrs. Barker's brother: About
two days before reaching France /
met two oothers. that had been in
school at Ames." n