Imperial Valley press., 1918-12-07
SOLDIER WRITES
INTEREST T|NGLY
Of WAR a. FRANCE


Mrs. Ned Frame has received the
1following Interesting letter from her @her
husband "Somewherc in France" The
censor had cut out several para
graphs, but the body of The letter Is
as follows:
"The house my platoon occupy IS
well crowded, so another fellow ana
myself went outside and found quar-
ters in a rabbit pen.
eve were very fortunate this Trip
| to the front. Only had few cas-
ualties. One was first lieutenant
who came all the way from Camp
Lewis with US. He sure was a fine
officer and very well liked by every
one in the company. The Huns pu'
over heavy fire last nigh!-all SIX
! inch shells or better. One shell burst
near the lieutenant and piece of The
+, she'll hit him.
"The Huns spotted US, some way
or other, and turned loose a bunch
of big shells, one of which hit The
ground right in the midst of some OF
our men. Talk about luck! Not a
soul was hurt, although il threw mud
all over couple of the fellows when
it burst. It was a high explosive
shell. Over here they call them H
e. About 5 O'Clock last night we
started back Gas our outfit was re-
,lieved) and marched seven or eight
kilometers, where we were, bllleted
for the night in small brick houses
and barns. Another fellow and my
self were sleeping in an old carmen
ter shop on bunch Of shavings. Next
to Ibis buiIding was a barn made OF
brick, a passageway about eight feet
wide separated The Two buildings.
About 9 o'clock Heine sent several
wildcat shots over. None of them
did I hear, though, as | was sound
asleep. | had very sudden awaken
ing. lhoueh, as one of the shots land
ed square in the passageway between
he buildings we were in and SEM
bricks flying all over us, one of
which hit me on the forehead and
scratched me up bit. | was The only
one hit in The whole LAYOUT, although
several fellows twere sleeping in the
other building and the edge of the
shell crater wasn't three feet from
them. II also toer down a side of
their building Believe me-, every
one was sure lucky. II couldn't do
it again in hundred Years without
killing or injuring two or three.
"This forenoon we hiked back sew
eral llilomelers further. The road was
iust filled with Belgian refugees 60
ing back 10 their homes. A more
pitiful sight you couldn't imagine.
One old woman about 70 was walk
inc along back of a cart, which was
filled with a few old blankets, clothes,
etc, and an old man pulling it. She
didn't have on any shoes or stock
ings and was walking barefooted
along the rough read. Many middle
aged women walked along with in
fanIs in their arms and a pack on
their backs. Oihers-men, women and
children-walked along pushins or
pulling carts or wheelbarrows with
an old woman or Young child or some
sick person riding. They utilize every
means of locomotion which is al hand
One outfit was a cart with personal
belongings and an cid woman rs the
load. A bic dog was straining on
one side and a man on the other.
They made fair lime, considerinS the
heavy load and goat which was
led and nulling back on the rear.
Some Of the goats are quite large,
and oil of them give lot Of milk.
Olher outfits use mich COWS FOR
pulling The load, with maybe a dog
or two helpin@ out. These people
seem to like the Americans very
much, and The Americans are pretty