Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-24


10 a scream and then CRASH, THUD.
Comm Skinnay?" I'm gone" But
think | beat him to the cellar.
A big armor piercing shell had come
hru the roof and buried itself in the
loor way but it ''dud" and did not
explode. That's how lucky we have
been Some of the boys have had
closer shaves than that and come out
Whole. Some OF them were laughable
nd some were not. The life is hard
ma monotonous and a fellow soon
begins to long for the sigh. OF some
hing besides soldiers ard trenches.
They have pushed us hard but they
can't keep them down. Now we have
)ul own rifles back and feel more at
lome. We get gold dsh (salmon) five
sys week and fresh meat and sat
cork the other two. tn. salmon can
% fixed up many different ways AMI
ike it, Blu, ! don't 'liLk | will evnr
are for It if ever get back.
| wish could tell you where we
ne and have been but .ae censor VIII
not permit. which is a good hting
30. But, even If wr)is book about
he conditions etc, YOU never cHu 4
ree.ize 1t until you actually saw IT,
.elieye me, it is awful &c see soma
u the things and pllc.s and wait
ritz has caused and dcre.
People in the Sta az .ar never in.
glne what soldiers experience, ant
when a fellow feels he has got a dig
'orntry full Of peop'c behind him and
sill keep lin supplied with his wants
zen he will disregard conditions and
SHIT gladly, No doubt PEOPLE think
ley are HI" 'ng it HI i. tut they cant
ee some Of the boys over here. They
yill have - "o1,lhu" tc imagine ali
zip as ni'l az possible, and We
>ayen't gone thru a half of what some
| IL them have, Just at present | wish
omeone would turn off the rain.
When it does quit will cable because
ne world ought to know 1t.
We had surprise not long ago.
We were back for very short spell
nd another division passed thru
nd among the officers we. saw Nor
ey. Gosh, it was good to see him
lgain and he felt the same. 1t SEEM
I'd like old times in '16 He only stay
I'd a few minutes and he had to leave
md we haven't seen or heard Of him
ince That is the way it goes. He
lad been over five times and carries
wound and service stripe He
was gassed.
Last night / slept at Bills place,
Also saw Julie Gerding and Redeye
Thomas. Bill is battalion sanitary
Inspector julius is with Blu. Hq. !;
Redeye is &C" Co Clerk and am
with the Blu. Transport e. Q. NJ OF
he old Co. G bunch there are only
| fourteen left-of course, not casualS
altogether. Oh, this is bloody com
tort able war.
How's Ottawa any how? / have
seen only one Ottawa paper since
lavc been here. suppose 1t is pref.
" dead tho, as all the Kaiser Killers
have left would like to burn ur
some OF that new povement down
town You ought to see the wonder
full country roads France has got
| They sure are tres bon.
Intermssion until give this cootie
a new berth. They say your gas
mask is your bes friend, but | never
saw any better iriends than these
coolies. They sure stick to you. We
have plenty Of friends among our EN-
envy the rats. You never have seen
| big rats until you see these They
sure are bold when they will walk in
between your feet. That's fact
When you see them coming you have
to step out of their way They steal
grub in broad daylight. had an
Amaze wafer (hard tack in my slick
or pocket one night. woke up and
saw slicker sand all going down the
hole. That is popular story, but
we have better ones. But, kidding
on the square, they are as big as cats
Well 1t is getting close to midnight
and the ration men will soon be back
so | will finish" as they parlez In
Francois. Say hello to everybody and
adopt the army plan and sell nothing
bu\ &c. C'c' an diodine. II one
won't cure the other will. Bon joul
and don't pray for rain.
AS ever,
CORP. HAROLD F. DUNCAN.
Corp. Harold f. Duncan. C. c, 129th
Inf, A. Il. f., via ", Y