Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-04

Iather, George r. Etter, as follows:
Dear Family
The third of December, think of
1t. and l have been six months in
France. 1t certainly does seem a
long time and / would like to get
home even for a few days to see you
all again. But l must confess l do
like it over here and am having a
wonderful time.
Am settled now after my return
frcm permission and certainly did
step into it. A few days after
got back we moved and 1 had to
hustle to collect my personal effects
which someone had very kindly dis
iributed to my dear comrades. Then
the whole section got new cars and
L had to work two days straight
trying to get mine adjusted and
make it run right.
Pills Start to Drop
And now we have taken over a
new set of posts and believe me they
sure are hot. The French have been
making a series of late fall attacks
to consolidate the sector for winter
and we were sent to help out. And
We are doing some helping. The
Boches shell the road about every
hour OF course it isn't as bad as
that, but we get it often enough to
make it hot. We've got to watch
our chances and breeze over the
roads like a streak to get TO an
abri. Yesterday / was foolish enough
to stop my car on u cross road and
evidently the Boche saw me as the
"Saucises" were up, for l hadn't
been there two minutes before their
pills" started to drop. Well l just
made one dive for the nearest shell
hole. One jump and l hit mud
a foot deep, which of course, rose
like a geyser when L landed. So l
stuck there for about ten minutes
shiVering and scared to death, While
the "eclat" whiStled over my head.
Then there was a short intermls-
sion. between reels" so to speak
So 1 streaked for the car and got
out OF there in two shakes. Just
after 1 left they began again. When
! drove back later there were two
shell holes in the road near where
my car had been. No more cross
roads for me!
We have three posts, two of which
we can get to only at night, as the
Boches are all for shooting up
Fords. They, the posts, consist
mostly of holes and saps in the
ground with rocks, sand bags, rails,
etc, on top. It's too close to the
lines to fix up as the Boches take
particular delight in dropping few
shells around it now and then Just
to let us know the war is still going
en-.
Yesterday l stood in an old Boche
trench and watched a battery being
shot up. over a hundred shells
landed in less than a half hour
and the place looked like a ploughed
field when it was oves.
Sad Turkey Funeral
Several days ago we had a dou-
BILE funeral. We buried the two
turkeys which the Army had sent us
for Thanksgiving. They arrived two
days late and when they arrived they
Immediately became the most un-
popular guests L have ever had any
thing to do with. There was pc
Culiar rich ripe odor about them
which drew upon their innocent
heads the vilest vituperations known
to man. Now there Is a neat little
grave by the roadside with a little
cross above it and the motto Died
in the Service of the u. s." Two
more unknown dead added to the
long list of casualties.
Plot For Lively Play
I've decided to write plays for a
living now. Here's one: Scene
Abri at the Post. Night Intermit-
tent booming of guns and squeaking
of rats. Dramtic perconae -
Aof frta
Myself trying to sleep; friend try
ing to initiate me in the midst Of
coughings; rats in their nightly re-
Nels. Act II-Particular violent
cough by my friend, followed by
slight thud on floor. More bolster
Gus sqeakings (seemingly delighted)
from rats and more noisy scurry-
ings; groans from myself. Act III
Rats still squeaking, scurrying,
munching and gnawing. Friend and
myself sleeping once in a while. Act
IN-Morning, no more squeaking of
rats. l awake to find my friend
searching on floor, cursing under his
breath. Act V-Myself in boisterous
and unsympathetic laughter. MY
friend holding in his hand what had
orce been a row of three false
teeth, but now separate with the
meat" neatly chewed away. Rats
probably doing in we'll fed way in
depths of abri. Mournful express
sion on my friends face-who makes
the statement that II do not care
for any breakfast" (not being able
to chew.
Thanksgiving in France
Last Thursday we had our
Thanksgiving dinner and n sure
was q bear. We started out with
hors d. ouvreS; then soup, roast
goose, apple sauce, green peas, ONE
let with rum, cheese and crackers
and plum pudding with rum for de-
sert. Also candy, cakes, nuts and
fruit, and champagne. And Bor-
deaux wine during the meal. Then
coffee, cigars and cigarettes. Some
dinner! I'm glad we didn't depend
Oh the turkeys.
The box you sent me arrived very
opportunely. 1t came Thanksgiving
morning, and l sure do thank you a
thousand times for 1t. The knit
helmet is fine and it was great to
get the tobacco. The candy l put
on the table for dinner and 1t GER
tainly was enjoyed, also the Gigs.
Everybody certainly has been kind
to me and l surely do appreciate it.
A Menagerie of Pets
We are now living in an old semi
nary building which has been a
Catholic school for ages. It's a huge
place, built in the form of a hollow
square with gardens all around it.
1t is a beautiful place in summer
but Just now it looks sad. 1t has
an organ in it which everybody in
turn tries to play. We certainly do