Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-12-17
Doing Red Cross Work at'the Front.

Doing Red Cross Work at'the Front.
GAVE HIS LIFE IN THE wAR.
Below 10 given the principal part Of .
letter recently received by Admiral and
Mrs. d. W. Lyon from Judge A.. v.
Barker OF Florids, who was formerly at
Ebensburg, Pa. It 10 interesting for It's
personal matter, Judge Barker being an
Oxford Bear, az well 40 for the graphic
account of the doings Of the Red Gross
workers at the front.
4 $, ~. East Auburn, California.
We have not progressed very far from
Sacramento We came up here, thirty.
six miles from Sacramento, and 400
feet higher, at the suggestion of scme
people we, met at the hotel that
asthmatics usually got relief here.
That was five weeks ago. The day
after we got here my brother went
into hospital with pneumonia. he
responded quickly, and since be cane
asthma, and has improved wonderfully,
so we shall stay hero some time and
then move down the coast, and by easy
stages reach Florida, although my home
coming there will be one of the ssddest
events of my life.
Ny only son, AZ years old, father of
the boy at Annapolis, with whom have
lived in Florida for nine winters, was
recently killed In France. His widow and
the other two children, who have been
my "pals" down there, are 10 the North,
and ! shall be alone, unless my daughter,
W hose husband Is pursuit pilot in the
aviation service in France, meets me
there-and that is now doubtful-as she
will be expecting him home soon.
+; Pardon these details. The news of
my sons death came In the form OF a
telegram to the newspapers as follows:
"While assisting In the sacred Office OF
burying American soldiers, Lieut.. Fred
D. Barker Of the American Red Cross
outpost service has been killed by burst.
ing shell at front. About two weeks
ago Lieut.. Barker was riding in an
automobile with Capt. Harris, also OF
American Red Cross, when shell
struck the Car, wrecking 1t, killing the
driver, severely wounding Capt. Harris.
Lieut.. Barker however escaped injury"
The Telegram was dated Dot. %, and
We have no further particulars. My SOD
was in the advanced field service" and
had been under FIRE for months. he
was murdered while on sn errand of
mercy not in the line Of his duty. he
loved bis work over there because It ap.
pealed to his sympathies and bis patriot
ism.
Mrs. Lyon was 80 much interested 10
the Red Cross work that it has occurred
to me that perhaps she would be inter.
ested in intimate information 90 to the
work over there. Ny son bad charge Of
an outpost, where they kept and sup
piled all sorts of things for the soldiers
In the trenches. In . letter written
July 25 be says:
"Tuesday at five We got word that 240
men would 60 through In the night, so
we made chocolate for them. Chocolate
10 given because 1t is nourishing. When
made 1t is put in five. gallon thermos
cans, and 1t will keep for hours. We
slept until IL, when the men came.
They enter the warehouse by the front
door In q double line with their cups
ready. Mr.. Pond stands on one side and
stand on the other with big pitchers
which our orderlies keep filled, and each
man gets big cup and q package Of
cigarettes. I wish I could describe that
scene in the old French barn, lighted BY
Q few candles, the men filing through
With their packs and guns. These men
had been eight days In the trenches,
had marched three miles in the mud and
bad two more to 60. wish that con.
tributors to the Red Cross could have
heard their gratitude, and could realize
what that chocolate meant to those
muddy men, stumbling from exhaustion.
Some said, Now can 60 on all night,
and when I got through wouldn't have
traded my job for any in the country.
Il mean the United States.
"We kept open until daylight, and
served truck drivers, signal men,
etc., which made about one hundred
more. I'd like to have Q film made OF
that for the next Red Cross drive.
"27tb.-Wednesday night We served
chocolate to one thousand men, and the
Salvation Army made one thousand
doughnuts and helped serve. We had
an extra orderly that night, but I don't
think you can real ze what it means to
serve that number. But / was amply
repaid by the gratitude Of the men. Got
to bed at 8 A. NJ, and had three hours'
sleep. 90.
"The reason am tired tonight is
that ! spent the day In the trenches, yes,
in the very front trenches. We carried
in 140 pounds Of cigar cites, gum and
chocolate, and distributed among the
soldiers. ate lunch with captain in =
dugout while huge shells roared over
my head and snipers' bullets whined
over the top of the trench. A white
kitten slept on the top step of the dug
ont, and No Mans Land has many
peoples on 1t In full bloom, making
beautiful patches of color. This is o
great life II fellow don't weaken is O
trench saying"
The last letter We bad was dated Sept.
49,. quote from It:
"The next day the big drive started.
About $50 A. NJ. l took thermos bottles
of coffee up to headquarters, which was
in cave in the side of bluff, about
twenty feet above the ground. ! crawl.
ed up and found the colonel alone sitting
ct the telephone. All the other officers
were busy elsewhere. he invited me to
cit down, and when the colonel invites
one to sit down he sits. About he had
q few minutes, and said, I'm q bit tired
and lonely. Won't you breakfast with
me?' So the cook sent In some bacon
and eggs, pancakes, syrup and coffee
I've had drunk all brought) So on
the morning Of the great American drive
I breakfasted with the colonel of soap
boz. We sat on straw on the ground,
and the ground shook 80 from the jar Of
the firing that the dishes would hardly
stay on the box.
"Thsn. We went to the entrance and
looked down on the road. Through tho
fog and the rain everything pertaining
to war went up to the front, while down
the road came thinner line OF vehicles
not 90 good to look upon.
~ left and oil day was busy at
hospitals, or feeding men who had got
separated from their rations, etc. I was
the muddiest, dIitIest mess you ever
saw, and again slept 10 the dugout, al.
though We had no bad she'll fre.
"The next morning We loaded tho
little truck With food, smokes, ETC., and
started up. An, ambulance. was just
ahead Of us and ahead OF Il were the
working parties cutting the Boche wire
| out Of the road. They worked fast, and
No drove opt Or acfoss No Mans Land
nvar : road that hkd not felt a Wheel