The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-09
Lieut.. Keilmann Writes of Con-
ditiOns in France.
When Wind Is Right, Huns
just Donate 1t to Cause.
AND COAL-IT is SIS A TON
Every, Little Shovel Full Is
Worth so Cents in Trenches.
TOpekan Tells Interesting Story
on American Front.

Many fascinating letters written on
the western war front by Lieut.. E. d.
Keilmann, a former Topeka news
paper man, to a Topeka friend, have
appeared from time to time in the
columns of the State Journal
Another letter, from Somewhere in
France, dated January 9, 1918, gives
most interesting first hand account
of some of the conditions on the Euro
pean battle front
The letter says: Just want to re-
, mind you that the gas situation over
here is lots worse than it is in Kansas.
Gas is delivered free, on mornings
when the wind is right. and then too.
every once in while some drops in
on us, showering down as the gentle
dew from the heavens above as my
old school chum, Willie Shakespeare
would say.
I'VE have more gas than we need
more than we want, in fact, to be
truthful, we have never even tried to
put meter on it or to put match
to it. Like all the gifts from the
Greeks-or Huns, in this case-we
distrust it, and carry with US every
place We go, nice little mask, the
use OF which l am uncertain of. That
is to say, 1 am not certain whether
we are to strain good air out of the
atmospheric mixtureS by wearing the
evil smelling things, or whether they
are intended to frighten away an evil
spirit.
Had my photo taken in one the
other day, and after seeing the result
decided not to send the photo home for
rear OF soaring the baby. This, in
spite of the assurance of my room
mate, who declared it the best picture
I'd ever have of myself.
Coal at SIS a Ton.
NO, we don't heat with gas, but
use coal, and every time I put shovel
full in the stove, my sbunkie' saws
There goes another SO cents
sure was surprised the other
day My folks in Lawrence wrote
that coal was $3.50 a ton, and they
were worrying how the poor people
were gong to get on this winter 1
wrote back, that over here coal is SIS
ton. and the poor people didn't seem
70 MIND 1t very much at that. It's
all IN getting used to it, as a dentist
once said to me while hunting for my
rawest nerve.
The advent of the Americans has
zone much for the French. Ameri-
cdhs are a curious people, and great
investors in all sorts of curios Ard
the french have lots of the latter
Every time French outfit re-
turns from the front, for a resi- +bav
are heavily laden with all sorts ~
trlnkets made in the>trenches out of
the material nearest at hand 1.-THE,
poilus flood the American camps with
tneir wares, which are eagerly bought
United States
This stuff is no joke either. The
frenchmen are all artists and it
would surprise you to see some of
tneir work I've sent the wife a pair
OF vases made from the cases of rs,
smells. The designs on them are works
or art, and the execution is faultless.
Am sending you a paper knife, the
blade of which is manufactured from
a French bronze bullet. The handle is
an American cartridge, and the ball on
the end of the handle is Hun shfap-
mel bullet. Hope you will like it,
viii say good night, as I've a pile
of letters to censor so they can go out
in the morning. AS ever
sfE r, TT M