East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-12-03

]. p. Walker of Pendleton, is in re
ceipt of letter from Carl McGinnis
8 a Pendleton man. who left here will
Troop D. whose address is Box c, 14(
: F. A., A. E. F. The letter is dated Oct
] 23, and says in part; We are sleep
ing in dugouts, two OF us in a dugout
and Fritz sends few over at time:
I which keeps us busy going. to cover
: While / am writing this few of tht
boys are playing poker and when Fritz
sends one over they run to a dugout."
TELLS OF WORK IN FRANCE
Walter Gill. formerly employed in
George Baer's hardware store and a
member of Troop d, tells in a letter
to Mr.. Baer of work in France. Gill
is a sergeant and is in charge of $50
lmen and % tractors and trucks. He
says he has considerable responsible
lity, and that the work is hard but
says he "is still in the ring" Follow
ling is the letter in full:
France, Oct. 20. 1918.
Dear Friend George:
Just few more lines to let you
know that 1 am still in the ring and
land wading mud to my neck every
day. Il am in the best of health and
certainly hope that you are the same.
II can't say that / ann in the best of
spirits for 1 am having more grief
with my trucks than man with seven
wives. Out of 16 cars I have two
that will haul ammunition. Every
day there is some officer will come
around and want a certain number of
cars and when haven't got them they
yell their heads off
! / ann in full command of our es-
chelon and l have about $50 men and
22 tractors and trucks to look after SO
you see how much have to do. I
haven't seen one of the officers from
my battery for over two weeks and it
sure works hardships on me. / ann
very much afraid that the Captain has
over estimated my ability to run this
teschelon. Wen will do the best I
can until things get too much for me
and then l will turn up my toes and
yell, Kamerad! The captain thinks
that 1 am some Sgt. He told the or
derly for him that the reason he liked
me so well was, because he could tell
me so little and would do the thing
so thorough. It's all very nice to
have your commanding officer think
that way about you but you can see
what it leads to,
/ I am camped in little town, that
lis il used to be town but all there is
left is a few walls and piles of rock.
I don't believe there is a house with
a, roof left on it in the whole place and
it used to be fair sized place. The
main road runs thru here and Broad
way, N. Y, is quiet to what it is here.
My office truck sets along side the
road and that is the reason 1 know.
There is string of cars going day
and night. / never saw go many in all
my life.
I'll say that Sherman knew what he
was talking about when he said that
war was Hell. It's all of that and some
more added. I thought that the war
was going to end for while but I
guess It was all a stall. Germany just
wanted a chance to build up again.
She knows now that She is not fooling
with some infant baby and l think
that it will only be few more months
till the said war will end. / have
found every thing that lost over here
and l for one am ready to cross the
pond for the last time. George. this
war is going to teach more than one
boy a lesson and / am one of them. l
have already learned mine and now
I'm ready for a course in something |
else Say for instance, a course in
polishing stoves Ha, Ha. How did,
the 4tI1 loan go in Pendleton? / took
out 800 bond. The government de-
ducts $40 month from your pay and
that's the way it is paid for. While
you are on the front you don't need
only a few francs for smokes so 1 am
sending all can home each month.
Liable 30 take a notion to get married
when 1 get back and I'll have to have
a little to buy the baby some shoes
and several other things too numerous
to mention. Ha, Ha.
/ will sure be able to tell you
bunch of good stories when get back
as / am hearing them every day.
There is some funny things happens
around here in the course of a day. 1t
would sure make you laugh to see the
boys reading their shirts for lice, bet
ter known as coolies. France is full |
Of these little devils so most any place |
that you go you can find them. !
must give you my definition of a /
louise. They are little parasitic ami /
mails that had advanced the art of I
camouf1agfng to high science before \
man ever knew that there was such /
an insect. / haven't located any more 4
Of them since the time that ! wrote .
you about One of my trucks just l.
caught fire and came damn near burn
ing up. II it hadn't been for so much
handy mud, it would have burned up
entirely. That's another thing that
France is blessed with Is mud and
any amount OF it.
II we had that much rain at home
we would have to raise rice instead
of wheat This is a great life II you
DON'T weaken but the best Of them do.
How is your business? Has the war
affected you a great deai2 As you
know my business is myself and It
.nlf 4 narf anbatantlaI one At this day