The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-05

L LII l. III AAA4A IL -
came with its ice and sleet, when all
was cold and drear. we'd sit together
by the open fire, then life to me was
dear. But joys like that I know are
short. they quickly pass away. The
things you love, leave you, e'er you
had them scarce a day. So Little
Nellie has gone now. that news, my
plans disrupt, she was very near and
dear to me-cause I raised her from
a PUP. N.S.A.
Mrs. Raymond Wolfe, who is with
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. w. E. Gull
yer, 1918 Western avenue. has recent
ly received two very interesting let
tiers from her husband, Lieutenant
Wolfe, who is in France. Lieutenant
Wolfe received his commission at the
second officers training camp at Fort
Sheridan and has since been stationed
in the south at Camp Lee and Camp
Wadsworth. Mrs. Wolfe was with
hinr until early spring when he was
sent across Lieutenant Wolfe be-
chine gun battalion. Extracts from
his letters written on September 8
and September IL follow:
Everything is interesting. To be-
gin with. the railroads are about fifty
years out of date. There were box
cars are about the size of good
American dray wagon; they hold from
thirty to forty men, have four high
wheels american box cars have
eight) and look like the pictures we
have seen of cars used about the time
of the Civil war. The officers were
furnished a first class COACH eighteen
to each car. The one that I had
looked like a Buffalo Bill stage coach,
three compartments, with doors to
each on the sides, six officers to a
compartment. About every twelve
hours there is a designated stop, where
the men were served hot coffee and
we filled our canteens with water. You
know about how dirty one is after one
days journey. Well, we were worse.
Water that we did not drink from our
canteens we could use for shaving and
bathing. 1 have already learned how
to wash, shave and battle with a
drinking cup full of water-it isn't
done. Thursday we stopped for about
half an hour with an American Red
Cross station. The men were served
bread and coffee and the officers were
permitted the use of a shower bath.
Believe me it was appreciated. The
Red Cross women were the first
American women we had seen and tho
none of them were young or hand
some we all said they were the best
there were.
L nave grown d nunOTeu Times
more proud of the United States in the
last month. 1t is simply wonderful
what the Americans have done here;
everywhere along the road American
soldiers could be seen. Americans con-
troll practically all the transportation,
American locomotives pull the trains
and they are building track and inn
porting our cars as fast as possible.
American manufactured machinery is
everywhere and we live on American
canned goods. The amount of mater
ial and munitions moving forward to
the front Is almost impossible to con-
ceive.
well, we finally arrived at our des-
tination. 1t is a wonderful country.
in no way similar to that where we
were camped. We are in the first
foothills of the Vosges mountains. In
a way it can be likened to the Rocky
mountain foothills. Much to my sur
prise the country seems very sparsely
settled. Away from the larger towns
the people live in small villages in the
valleys and have their farms and pas
lures out in the hills. 1t is wonder
full old and interesting country. The
town where we detrained is surround
ed by two moats and a wall; the moats
are crossed by drawbridges. So far
as we can now learn its history be-
gins when it was captured by the Ro-
mans from the Gau1s about 10 B. c.
ITO use our terms now, the Blu" is
billeted in small village. It is GER
tainly interesting. Nearly all the
buildings are made of stone and very
old; the roofs are of stone or red tile.
Thru the center of the village is a
small, clear stream and the houses are
scattered along each side. Every road
or path is made of broken stone
there seems to be nothing in sight
that will ever wear out. At the CEN
ter of the tQEr iS tho nhIIrob nd
it is the cheese factory. the commerce
de wins is just across the stream and
the blacksmith shop and store across
the street. Right at the corner and
several other places around the town
are drinking fountains and stone
troughs where they water their horses
and cattle; the water is piped thru
brass pipes from springs up on the
sides of the hills.
I'VE are located very comforta bly,
Large wooden barracks house most OF
the men and all the rest are billeted
in barns and vacant houses Before
the town was occupied by troops, gov
eminent officials went thru the town
and numbered every house. Now, on
every building is large sign nailed
up stating the number of officers. men
and horses the building will hold, and
the people are compelled to take in
the numbers their signs call for, re-
SdluieoS VI tHSlT own WISHES, tho most
of them seem very friendly. Each Off
Ger goes along and picks out the place
he wants and hangs his name on the
door.
Some of the officers rooms are
very fine. Our room is big. with oak
floor, table and other furniture. The
beds are about two hundred years old.
A drapery is hung from the center to
each end; there are three or four
straw ticks and then one of feathers
l have to step on a chair to get into
bed. it's SO high.
THE people here seem the most
contented lot that I have ever seen.
They are almost elf-supporting-rais
or make everything they use, live in
the same house in which their great
great-grandfather lived and seem to
work from SIN fn SIN Tho{r house