Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-05-23

fore and the way things went together
astonished them. You see our engine,
chair and bracket stand are all
knocked down, but can be set up in
about Is or 20 minutes.
March 25.
Dear Folks: Just another line again
today Am "beaucoup fatigue" (yery
tired). Worked this morning and
went oveer to two other towns to in
spect a couple of companies; have
only 1T appointments ahead, so you
see we are not lacking for work.
These are our first-time appointments
at that, and many will undoubtedly
have to come again. Will have to run
+ in on the side. | don't know what to
think but can only do what I can. No
use worrying. Am sending the "Stars
and Stripes" Please put it away for
me. My leave is due the first of May.
They give us ten days on full pay ev-
cry four months. Haven't decided
whether to go to Nice or Bearritz, The
season is over at Nice, SO guess I'll go
to BearritZ and take a swim in the
ocean.
Recently l had a chance to visit one
of the greatest battlefields in history,
now under cultivation. But the marks
of the great struggle are still there by
way of graves and tombs. The French
Differentiated grave for one-a tomb
: for more than one. 1t looks SO funny
to see graves scattered out through
! the plowed fields. They have little
wire fence around them, and farmers
pillow right up to the wire. One tomb
contains eighteen men; not far away
is another containing 1000 bodies.
It was the scene Of three counter-at-
lacks and some fearful struggle, the
French Of course winning out.
: Did I ever tell you about us all shaw
ing our heads before we left the last
station-all but one or two, including
the major, had their hair clipped tight
to their heads. If you ever saw
bunch of sight! The French cant I'M
derstand us at ALL Am getting along
famously with my French. [ have
souvenir from one of the hospitals the
Boche shelled and burned. Do you re-
member reading about it in the paper?
BY the way, are you playing bridge?
These Frenchmen are sharks and also
fiends for the game, and start three or
four tables after nearly every meal. [
learned to play a little while ago,
and so join in occasionally. We can't
play with their cards, though for they
have no numerals in the corners, so
when you make up your hand you do
not know what you have got. It's
great bidding in French also, for we
had to learn "hearts-cOuer," etc
Have a great time with them, for they
are a fine bunch of fellows.
April 2.
We have moved again and are now
in quite a large hospital. Everything
is great: electric lights, spring beds,
(reaD sheets, nice rooms, in barracks,
but nice all the same-tWO in a room.
We eat with the French, and get great
grub, served in courses. Can you mag
inc army fare in courses? This noon
we had the following:
Sardines Buerre (butter)
Beef with fine sauce
Ponme de terre (potatoes)
Fromage (cheese)
noodles
Cafe (coffee)
Nuts
Bread is put on the table in large
round Ioaves, about IS inches in di-
ameter, five inches thick. You cut
what you want And only costs 100
francs (about $3.50 month. We have
real napkins. real tableclOth and eat
off of real china. Went over and had
a bath this afternoOn-a real honest
bath-hOt and a shower at that. That
is the third real bath l have had since
| landed One at the base hospital,
once in Paris, and now this. We have
had to take sponge baths all the rest
Of the time. By golly, it was good.
This place grows more wonderful all
the time.
Another thing I wanted to tell you
about is our American locomotives.
You never think Of one Of them, when
you see it there. But after seeing
these little dinkies here for SO long,
the sight was the best l ever saw.
Gee, but it seemed good to see one
of the old boys again, pulling about
two or three times as much as those
others could. They started hospital
train evacuation Of wounded) from
here this morning that would astonish
an average Frenchman. The engi-
neering corps of the army runs the
railroad, as we'll as taking care Of so
much else. It's amusing to think of the
condition, though, seeing uniforms in
the cab and on brakemen. The en-
gineer is a corporal 1886 a month";
fireman a first-class private ($33), and
brakeman $50. The operators are
sergeants ($40 a month";. That isn't
bad, though. A French private draws
cents a day.
There is a French dentist here who