The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-12-27
LIEUT.. KN|CKERBOCKER
VERY MUCH ALIVE
FINDS FRANCE HEALTHY AND
WORKS HARD
Tells Of the Enthusiasm that Prevail
ed in France When Armis-
tice Was Signed

Our readers Will remember that sew
eral weeks ago we published something
about report to the effect that Lieut..
w. G. Knickerbocker had been killed in
France, and also our opinion that the
report was unfounded. Happily. we
were right about the matter as within
the past few days we have received
both post card and letter from the
lieutenant which indicate that he is
very much alive. We were mighty
glad to get this information from Wal
ter because of his long continued and
friendly interest in The Messenger
which we sent him while he was in col
lege and which he used facetiously to
dub the "Gimlet" and the "Weakly
Wheeze" when, at intervals, he made
us genial call. Indeed, we believe
our Office was about the last place at
which he did call before leaving for the
front. He was to take the early train
for the seaboard, one cold morning last
winter. and as the editor was the only
man in town who had his place of busi-
ness open at that hour, he made US his
farewell call. Later we sent him the
paper containing the report of his own
death and on the post card which be
has just sent us, he says: II am alive
enough to wish you Merry Christmas
and Prosperous New Year." The
letter bears date Dec. 5. and we--quote
it entire:
Dear Friend: am in receipt of your
recent edition in which you publish the
account of my departure from this
world. The facts are that was never
so well in my life, and you can now pub
lish. as you suggested, "The report of
my death is grossly exaggerated +"
have not even had the Spanish flu since
July 10th, when j was off work for one
day. What is the use of being sick
when such things as the surrender Of
the German military establishment 10
being celebrated? We began the cele-
bration here in Tours about the middle
of the forenoon on the 11th. The arm
istice was signed at a. m. here, so you
see you knew about it before it really
happened; it was announced in the
States about midnight. On Monday
night, the i1th. every man, woman and
child in Tours was out on the street.
never saw such bowling bunch in all
my life. They gathered in front of the
Hotel de Vile where the mayor and
sonIe French generals made some
speeches. suppose that is what they
were doing but you could not hear any
thing. Our band was out as well as the
local French city band. As you might
suppose the cafes sold all the wine they
had in stock. have talked to different
French people about that affair and the
hard part for them was to realize that
it was not dream. saw group Of
wounded Algerian soldiers going down
the street raise their crutches in the
air and shout ''vive L Amerique" at
every American they met 1t certainly
was grand and glorious time for all Of
US.
You are right in your statement that
was employed at considerable distance
from the front. The only regret that
have was that did not get the oppor-
tunity to see more exciting times than
are usual here in this town, but l wSs
handed an order to come here which
did. But / have had interesting as well
as very hard and difficult work so
ought not to kick suppose. Ill grant
you an interview when / return and
tell you all about how we did it in the
sos.
The Messenger is very welcome
caller to me and l hope you will not
cancel my name from your list on ac-
count of the order to save paper
Sincerely,
w. G. Knickerbocker,
lst Lieut. EnQrs