Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-04
ROADS ARE "HOT" WHEN HUN
SHELLS DROP NEAR MOTORS,
WRITES HARRISBURG YOUTH

Three things before l forget it.
First, my address is now S. S. U. 626.
Par b. C. M. Convois Automobile
Paris. Secondly, any packages you
send, do not send care of Minister
of War, but to the above address.
Since the L. S. Army has taken us
over we are no longer Section but
626. Thirdly: it may be that 1 will
have to cut my letters short; that
is, only write few lines if the Army
regulations require it, But l will
let you know about that when it
happens.
/ got your last two letters last
week and sure was glad to hear
from you all as it has been so long
since l got your last letters. You
don't know how much l miss them
when they don't get here on time.
1t is too bad about Jack Reyn-
ders isn't it? But at least he tried
TO do something worth while and his
mother should be proud of him. 1t
almost makes me feel proud to know
that you can put a Star up for me
as having one member of the fami-
ly in Service.
Our letters are all censored now
by our Lieutenant, which makes it
rather embarrassing for some OF the
fellows who want to write personal
affairs but he is the only one who
knows what we write; so we should
worry
Fine Christmas Dinner
We had our Christmas dinner
Christmas evening and 1t was Il
bowling success in every sense of
the word. l was on duty at one of
our posts, but was allowed to come
back for it. The fellows got busy
the day before and decorated the
room beautifully. They cut branch
es of pine trees and laurel and prac-
tically covered the room with 1T. A
big bunch in the center and strands
leading to more punches in the cor
ners and on the walls. Then they
cut Merry Christmas in a green
blanket and put red blanket be-
hind it. The effect was a subdued
red shining out and was really very
pretty. Then we had French and
flags and our Section flag
1raped around. We had a Christ
mas tree, tool A wonderful little
pine tree which would have been
your delight, Mother! Some of the
fellows got some toys and trinketS
from home and hung them up and
decorated the tree. Then at dinner
we gave them away as presents. At
dinner we had the usual speeches,
songs, etc, and had a mighty fine
time. For dinner we had hors d
ouvres, soup, roast turkey, apple
sauce, peas, asparagus and pudding.
Also smokes and wine.
1 had to leave right after dinner
and go back to the post but the ride
was beautiful. There had been a
big snowstorm which just stopped
a few minutes before l started. Also
Il glorious full moon. 1t was Won
derful and l was sorry when l got
to the post that the ride was over.
In many places l was the first to
break tracks in the snow.
Watching II Barrage
At the post Tor the past week
we've been having quiet time.
The Boches have taken a particular
dislike to our district and shell it
AS L was going up they
started shelling the road and shell
had just landed before l passed,
leaving a big hole just off the road.
The smell of the powder and the
sight of seeing a bunch of dirt sud
denly making an ascension just
about broke me up. Then up at
the post 1 was watching a 'fir di
Barrage" by the Boches. 1t was one
of the most wonderful sights have
ever seen. Shell after shell came
in on a small concentrated spot on
the side of hill, / should say about
20 a minute in a space a quarter of
a mile long and 200 yards wide.
There was nothing but a continual
crackle and little trees of smoke.
I'm glad l was there, believe me!
And they say the French Barrage
has it all over the Boche.
A SheIl-Dodging Stunt
Just after that there was Won
derful air fight. Five Frenchmen
ing at him and pumping him full of
lead. The Boche was forced to de-
scend in steep circles and nose dives
and the Frenchmen circled down
after him like hawks. Then the
anti-air craft guns started to shoot
AS / was watching this
heard a whistle which sounded as
If it was coming my way. l waited;
then L knew it was. Just then l
decided it was my move so l made
the most beautiful nose dive into a
nearby trench you ever saw. Cow
cred fifteen feet in one dive and
just lit as the shell hit about twenty
Yards away. 1t was an anti-air craft
air. Believe me | am proud of that
dive.
We have one post we can go to
only at night, as it is in plain sight
of the Boche, so / had to go up there
one night and the Boche got mean
Just about that time and started
to shell the road. And the worst
of it was L couldn't go fast, as just
ahead of me was q big wagon load
ed with rolls of barbed wire. l
couldn't pass it on the narrow road,
it couldn't go fast and when it tried,
it kept dropping the rolls which |
had to dodge. Some little time l
had. 1t certainly makes you shiver
to see the fresh dirt scattered all
over the road. BY the time l got
back 1 felt as if L never wanted to
see any more war.
BY the time you get this letter We
will be Zen repos." We are going
again to a pretty little country viii
lage like the place we were in the
last time. Here's hoping we have
as good time as we did then.
1 suppose you all had a wonderful
time over Christmas. l surely do
wish 1 could have been home to en-
joy it, but really had fairly good
time here. Everybody getting pack
towards making one feel good.
1 will tell you everything 1 get
in my packages after this, but
] think I have always done so be-
fore, haven't II
If you get a chance I wish you
would send me some writing paper,
Give my love to everybody and
write soon.
Love to all.
FRANKLIN.