Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-08-15
CAMP AND FIELD
Tobacco Part of Rations

Rev c.. E. Buffers formerly at
North Freedom, has written from
France, the following being taken
from the ViroQua Censor:
| AS to church going | must confess
to being a great backslider. For a
long time | have not been inside a
church except as a sight-seer, al
though when l first landed here in
January l was a constant attendant
on the Catholic services wherever l
might happen to be, and | rather en-
joyed the old churches built for the
most part in past centuries and al
ways filled with the French popula-
ton. And possibly | was not as de-
vout while in church as the French
themselves and often caught myself
rubbering around at the many types
of people instead of being on my
knees in a wOrshipful attitude. But
did try and heed the advice given by
a speaker a short while ago. That
is, do not go to church for immoral
purposes.
My work over here of late has been
such that the Sunday work was no
different from that of the week days
loading wagon after wagon and
truck after truck with the days pro-
visions and forage for the Division.
That is up to me and l enjoy it. In
order to minimize the amount of ra-
tions needed in this country and that
no more than is necessary for the days
needs and that nothing may be
wasted in case of a hasty retreat,
they issue but one days rations,
wood forage and gasoline at a time.
1t means more work as it is just as
easy to figure in tens of thousands
as in hundreds, and the manual Ia
Dor is but little greater.
With today's issue commences the
issue of tobacco as a part of the ra-
ton. l expect this fact will be men
toned in thousands of Methodist
and other pulpits as a great sin Of the
administration and will be reason on
the Part of many for censoring Presi-
dent Wilson. But I guess he will be
able to get by with it. AS there are
but few families without some rep
resentative in the army and these
boys with but few exceptions use the
vile weed, the home people will be in
clined to overlook the matter. It's
hard to give somebody else the mis-
chief for doing what our own family
does.
1t has been my privilege to see a
lot of France in the last four months.
For the most part it has been very
enjoyable experience. The work at
times has been hard but that is to be
expected in war. The food has been
excellent and the system in vogue in
this country of billeting the troops
has been satisfactory. Every house
in France is numbered in it's especial
village or commune. When troops
of the allies come that way there is
always a town major who designates
the homes to be occupied. Thus Of
ten the boys get into very nice and
almost always congenial homes. They
are all getting a smattering Of French
because they mingle and live with
the people. They do not eat with
them but have their own kitchens and
messes and live in the homes, barns
! granaries, mills or whatever may be
/ handy. The Viroqua contingent over
here are all we'll so far as | know.
I see a lot of some of them and the
rest | hear about. We are scattered
over a territory about ten miles in
extent each way and every village
and town has it's quota Of troops.
Besides ourselves we have the French
and some Italians and some NOLAN
medan troops and Singalese. | notice
| in places a lot of Japs who are work
ers, and a bright lot they seem to be.
The Y. NJ G. A. and Red Cross are
doing a big work and their huts are
much patronized, especially up near
the front lines. They sell many lux
uries the boys want and give free
space for reading, writing and enter
tainments. They are not as strong
on the religious end as one might
, think. It has a tendency to drive a
, lot of the fellows away and they have
found it out.
One great advantage over here is
that the four years of continuous war
has left in every village an abundance
of cushels, as they are called, or plain
| wooden beds made in past days and
| ALWAYS abundant for our troops to
sleep on Then they weave mattresses
of rye straw, and there is always lot
of these-maybe little crummy, but
that don't matter much. Then there
are rough tables and benches so that
the tiresomeness of eating and sleep
ing on the ground is done away with.
Even in the trenches they have these
advantages and often quite a lot of
the luxuries of living. For the most
part the new life has kept the boys
from getting lonesome and while