Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-02-27
LETTERS FROM FRANCE.
Letters fra Many Boys Who Are
Near the Trenches in France.

Letter from Lieut.. Karl S. Web
ster Of Orleans to his mother in Or
leans:
France, Sunday, Jan. 20, 1917.
Mrs. H. S. Webster,
Orleans, VT, U. S. A.
Dear Mother:
Well, l am in school again. 1
thought my school days were over,
in spite of it. Am attending an
army sanitary school dental station
in a town not far from the one l was
located in before. Will be here ten
days, anyway, l think. We are learn
ing lot Sof good things and things
that will help us perhaps in a good
many ways. DR.. Potter, who is a
professor in Harvard, is giving us
oral surgery. He is an officer in the
dental reserve corps now. He is very
interesting l can assure you. He has
had lot of experience in the war,
having been over several times, first
in September, 1914, which was very
soon after the war started. Other
lectures are on gas, their uses and
how to protect ourselves with the ap-
pliance furnished nowadays. Yester-
day we went into chamber filled
with non-poisonous gas that is very
irritating to the eyes. We had our
masks on when we went in and of
course could feel nothing at all. We
took them off and then beat it from
the room. The few breaths we got
from taking them off certainly was
bad. Our eyes watered for an hour
and half afterward 1t showed us
how effective the masks were. They
keep out any kind of gas there is and
We are perfectly safe with them.
Regulations require that we wear
them at all times when certain dis
tances from the line. Not wear them
you know but have them ready for
instant use. We have been here since
Wednesday. We take lectures all day
long with some practical work with
gas masks and bandages, etc. All
these things help if we should be in
place sometime where we would need
to know them.
This town is a very old one, older
than most French towns, in fact. It
is completely walled and up on a high
hill. A railroad like the one to Mt.
Washington goes up from the main
line. The view is very beautiful and
| have heard that one could see the
Alpine mountains on clear days. I
learn more about France every day.
- 40 'oiy Al|SiSoIilS cdl assure
you.
The wall goes completely around
the town and there are gates and
holes for shooting that the old Ro-
mans built. One place, which SEEM
ed to be tower, was very interest
ing. 1t had carved stone dragons, SER
pents, etc, sticking out, which L
imagine were used for torches and so
on. 1t was like a big jail we read
about that had a big dungeon into
which prisoners and captives were
thrown. There are five of US here
from the 26th division. We are stay
ing in some dormitories furnished by
the army: The room is very comfor-
table and we have, a good place to
eat. Am writing this in Y. Nj. G..
A. for officers. 1t is fine place, big
reading and writing room and we can
get hot chocolate afternoons after
4.3O. Another big thing the Y M. C.
A. is doing you see. | have been to
two fine concerts here in the Y. M.
since l came. The first one was a
baritone singer from New York and
a violinist who is the leader of the
Philharmonic, 1 think. They had an
accompanist from Paris, too. That
was the best thing I have heard for
long time. Did l tell you that / met
MIR. Adams, who was the Congrega-
tional minister at Irasburg, not long
ago, over here? He is in the Y. M.
G. A. work. 1 was glad to see him
and we talked over home things. I
only saw him a few moments in the
chaplain's office. Will go back to the
1O3d infantry as soon as the course is
finished here. Hope l have stack
of mail when 1 get back. One of the
fellows brought me in some Monitors
before l left. They were October
ones, but interesting. Told of your
being in Berlin and return, also about
our safe arrival here. Hope you will
send me Monitors and Caledonians if
you can. 1t will keep me in touch
with home folks. l bought the Sat-
urday Post here today. 1t comes
over every week apparently. This
was the Christmas number.
l got the magazines you sent o K
and was glad to get them as you
know reading matter in English is
some scarce here.
Best of love to you both,
Karl.
Lieut.. K. S. Webster, D. c.,
1O3d Infantry,