The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-12-06
CHAPTER XIV.
Back i'm the States,

After l arrived at Rorschach l was
taken to a large hall, where / re-
manned over night. There were three
American flags on the walls, the first
l had seen in a long time. / certainly
did a fine job of sleeping that night.
I think l slept twice as fast to make
up for lost time.
In the morning I had a regular ban
quet for breakfast-eggs, coffee, bread
and a small glass of wine. Even now.
although l never pass up a meal, that
breakfast Is still easy to taste, and l
sometimes wish l could enjoy another
meal as much. But 1 guess / never
shall have n that goes as good.
After breakfast they took me out on
the steps of the hall and photographed
me, after which / went to the railway
station, with a young mob at my heels.
1t reminded me a bit of Germany-it
was so different. Instead Of bricks
and bayonet jabs, the mob gave me
cigarettes and chocolate and sand
wiches. They also handed me ques-
ti~ons-enough to keep me busy an
swering to this day if l could.
I got on the train to Zurich, and at
every stop on the way there were more
presents and more cameras and more
questions. At st. Gallen they had
cards ready for me to write on, and
then they were going to send them to
anybody I wished. The station at
Zurich was packed with people, and l
began to think I was a star for sure.
Francis b. Keene, the American con-
sui general at Zurich, and his assist
ant, were there to meet me. We
walked a few blocks to his office, and
all the way the cameras were clicking
and the chocolates and cigarettes pill
ing up until l felt like Santa Claus ON
December Oath. After a little talk
with MI. Keene, he took me to the
Stussehof hotel, where my wounds
were dressed-and believe me, they
needed 1t.
The Swiss certainly treated me well.
Every time / came out on the streets
they followed me around, and they
used to give me money. But the money
AAAShS Joot 10 Z hdNO pCCh 1CutucI
or lead-I could not spend 1t. When
ever I wanted to buy anything the
shopkeeper would make me q present
Of 1t.
1 also visited the Hotel Baur au Lac,
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Nc
Cormick Of Chicago, who are doing
such fine work with the Red Cross
and are looking after the Belgian and
French refugees in Switzerland. II
was a dinner, and much appreciated
by n guest, at least. / need not men,
ton his name, but he ate 81 much that
he felt ashamed afterward.
I do not think he got In bad for 1t,
though. for afterward Mr.. and Mrs.
Mccormick each gave him a valuable
present. which he needed badly. After
the dinner Mrs. Mccormick made a lit
tie patriotic speech, In which she said
that the Huns would never trample on
the United States flag, and some other
things that made all the Americans
there very proud. especially Mr.. Keene
and myself. So you see I was having
a great time.
But ! was having q little trouble, all
the time. for this reason: there were
quite q few Germans interned in Zu- /
rich. and they went about In uniform.
Now, when ! saw one Of these birds
and remembered what had been hap
pening to me just q short time before
my hands began to itch. Believe me,
1t was not "good morning" that I
said to them. I enjoyed It all right;
they were not In squads and had no
arms, SO 1t was hand to hand, and Die
for me.
But Mr.. Keene did not like 1t, l
guess. for he called me to his Office
one morning and bawled me out for q
while. and ] promised to be good.
You're supposed to be neutral" he
aid And ] said, sXea and when III