Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-06-05

q. u IL
Somewhere in France. April IL
Dear Mother: Don't know whether / viii
have time 10 write whole letter or not as I'm
orderly for the lieutenant and liable 20
be called away at any time. Hope this finds
you all we'll and happy as have no complaint
to make myself. Might break the news 10
you that have been in France Some little
time and say that / like France much
better that ENGLAND and If could only
speak French We would be right at home all
the time for they the most friendly,
ciable and polite class of people / ever met,
even more than the average American.
Even though we cannot speak each others
language they take in their homes and
treat US good possible.
Our trip and stay in England well
worth while for the many things we saw.
About the first thing we noticed after getting
of the boat their peculiar coaches and
locomotives. The coaches being built in from
five TO eight compartments with the seats
extending crosswise Of the and the vim
dOws in the doors opened by letting them down
with strap and hooking the strap
nail or button and they lacked the many con-
Veniences of our cars although their first class
coaches are better they have their FIRST.
second and third class coaches and even wait
ing rooms Of these three classes in the depOts.
Their engines are much smaller than ours
and have cow-catcher in front but the
English and French both have different sys-
TEN of coupling cars than We do, and IN
switching the Fl nch change from one
track TO another by turn table and cross
track instead Of do but their freight
only about One-third the size of ours.
damp, damp that there IS covering
of moss all over the trees and outside wood
work but this is noticeable in England.
The seasons seem TO be about six weeks ear
lier here than at home or else they have no
winter, for when landed in England there
was snow and the ground was all dried mp.
the people were sowing and planting and lots
OF fruit trees were in bloom.
The most particular thing in the line of
Cultivatng the soil their method of pull
ing the disc, drag, etc. They have an engine
at each end of the field and by means of
cable engine pulls the implement one way
across the field and the other pulls it back,
but the engines remain stationary. The steam
automobile is used 4 great deal in England and
France, also the steam auto truck. The au-
tOmObile looks more like a wagon TO me and
IS called steam wagon. l suppose mat Tnese
are used instead Of gas engines owing TO the
fact that steam j. cheaper. Stone, brick ana
cement about all they build with
We had the privilege OF going through the
largest Cathedral in England and il IS second
in medieval times. Ii built Of stone in
the year le7s A. D. ard is nearly al standing
yet although IT was damaged some ny the
troops Of Oliver Cromwell during the English
revolution and has been altered some. The
building is $40 feet leuE, 50 feet wide end )
feet 90 the top OF walls. II stands ii0 feet
TO the top outside and has q large window Ia
ficnt about 10 feet square and made of
pieces 81 broken glass ceHTrnted together. The
whole building is a wonderful structure. Ii
was a great many years under construction
before completion. The floor inside is also
Of stone and inlaid in the floor and walls
of the past with inscriptions on the top. THE
inside IS one large room without any pattiJion.
Near the Cathedral is castle which built
over 500 years ago in which the first Parlia-
mcnt of England was held when the city of
Winchester was capitol. lns{d in the win
Gows are the names and emblems of the
iOus Kings and Queens of England. In the
trent of the room is large piece OF sculp
turing of Queen Victoria sitting in a large
chair and behind this IS peculiar device
called the kings ear. 1t is 4 curved hole
in the wall which reaches TO where tise Kings
cell and he would sit in his cell and hear
what was going on in the House Of Peria-
ment There are timbers used in this castle
which are several hundred years old and look
a. good rs If put IN yesterday
England IS comparison with the United
States when it comes % luxury and extrave-
gance for you hardly get candy in Eng
lard at all and when yoa do ii Is very cheap
and poor quality. I've seen fellows rolling
cigarettes and spill a little tobacco and
English vosld notice it and think t
awful vesta. 20 viii be time before TIE
United 1.a.es sets economic as The Eng
lish or ~ 81 ,lc Esaa. Ore great relief ROW
though 10 70 Sci IT, Uncle sam instead of
John Bull tor get led .iHe now and 20; fed
fine the ship too. Noi do not but lew
young folks the youre al. al tne
front and the girls all v0dking ia fac
tories and on farms, so tie folks that we see
mostly old folks.
In England the custom is all 90 10 the left
in meeting instead a. gong 70 the right as
we do, but in France they have the right
hand drive. The lay Of Tire country in Erg-
land is quite smooth and is very well improved
but that is due . aha country being small and
heavily pOpui2' Cd Tho soil of England is
white, being laE ge.y o. chalk.
The camp that we're II there had six
seven y. NJ. c. as. ana had movies
every night. We have had iva ship trips and
four train rides since leaving the American
camp and are ret there vet. We have TO
move once twice more before we get where
our mail *. Oar company came directly 10
France. We wee not quarGEtined long IN
England. I'm locking forward 10 uy mail
mere than anything else, as i has been fre
weeks since I've lad any. Things are really
cheaper here than in America and they seemed
TO be cheaper in England.
sending my best wishes to all and ask
ing God TO protect you 20 The end.
By Thos. NJ Te.ng. Camp wzds~orlh. South
Carolina, 53rd L. 5. Inf. Reg. May %, 19IS.I
FRIENDS g HSE1c; I an IN the sfstCs vet.
We gre = South Carolina. Ger beys Who
left Firoqua Nav Ord, all spiit
One IN c-- company. cQc IN another. tfe
meet ercr IN while. We all passed our
examination. CIR company goes rife
range the 6rst Of the week. ! Fot word today
that we were going back TO Camp Robinson,
near SPa-te. Hope we DO, it is hot here.
We get along fine; plenty to eat and place
10 siaep some have not rlyFays had that
The boys all happy. I left home some
what unhappy. but ! my mistake.
l now am for the u. S. A. ard The ones | ieit
behind. We must win this ~ar, and to do
this all must do oug BIZ. Don't get mar
ried or hide behind girl to get away, but go,
fight for her you love. Then you
back home and not be a Stacker. We boys of
Wisconsin hold the record let's keep ii up.
If you get into the army you will want
to stay and do your part.
Boys, yen at home, wake up, ges 70 work
and you help just much as if you were
with the cOlOrs- If / were IN Wisconsin L
sure would TO Niroqua- There Is no
town / have seen for its size that can beat
it. We have seen a great deal. First went
TO Ohio, then in Tennessee, then changed cars
and came TO South Carolina. The Red Corss
did wonders the trip. 1t is certainly fine
work and the Y. VI. c. A. is great. hope
to hear from the Censor readers.
-
IBy Private Lyder GuIbrandson. Recruiting
Detachment, 9Th Artillery Brigade, Camp
Daniphan, Oklahoma, Co. No. 81
Dear Mother: / at that address
Please write to I've had mail and
want to hear something from nome; send
a Censor. This camp is very large, but there
are only about $4,000 hare. The camp
will accommodate 390,o00. There is also
aviation school here, aer0panes flying all the
time. We had a talk from the lieutenant
and h. said would be il France within
80 days ard on the firing line before snow
flies again. The officers are very strict and
be able to come home before ego over
We were out for drill yesterday. Il is very
hard for one who Is not used 10 standing
perfect for one or two hours day We
have to drill nine hours a day. Our lieuten-
ant told Us that all the rest Of cur regiment
was ready 20 go. That was Why they give
Us intensive training I viii be assigned 30
a battery soon. / think il sounds like var
around here some times when the aeroplanes
and cannon get to roaring. Oklahoma il
better state than Missouri for climate, bat
the water IS punk' One can taste 1t sort
Of like sulphur. There u wind here all the
time, During the day IL blows from the gulf
and at night it blows from Kansas. Today
is Decoration day and there - nothing TO do.
Our Y. VI. {. A. is not nice 3 building
As the one at jefferson Barracks, nor the eats
as good. but ! stand it and live good /