The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-10-03

night. Tried to get German, so
we went over the top and into their
trenches, but didn't see blamed
one, so guess there can't be very
many where we We're.
Tell the girls that there are lots
of nice French girlies here and they
are sure some little peaches. Only
its hard to talk to them and a fell
low kinda gets ratified. But l sup
pose it is just us hard for them to
! understand us.
! Wall,guess I'll quit for this time,
with love to all,
IV'r. SYLVESTER WYBORNEl.
Somewhere in France, Sept. 2, 1918
Dear Folks at Home: Well we have
| Aug. rs. We went about 20 kilo-
meters from where we were. Don't
know where we are going but we are
on our way The supply company
are here with us and the eats are
taken up to the trenches with pack
mules. Each one is supposed to car
ry ESQ lbs. Some of them will even
/ lay down and roll with their pack
on and get up again. They have it
so now that every horse and mule
| has a gas mask which is carried on
the harness or saddle all the time.
They say the horse can stand gas
long enough for the man to get his
own mask on, and then put on the
horses mask.
Ole and l were down to the Y. NJ.
c. A. one night, and met French
man there who had a Red Cross dog.
It was about the size of Brownie,
but coal black. The Frenchman
could talk good English, and he told
US after battle they turn the dogs
loose in No Mans Land to find the
wounded. When they find wound
ed man they stay there and bark un-
til they are relieved. He said they
would pass up the dead when they
came to them and hunt for men who
still had life. 1t is certainly wonder
full how they can teach dumb ami
mails such things. Some of our
boys were sent on remount detail
about two months ago and returned
about ten days ago. They went to
the coast and got some horses and
mules which were shipped over
from the States and also some that
were bought here. They had to dis
tribute them to the different places
where the armies are stationed.
One Of the boys told me they draft
the horses into the service here in
France, and If a man has two they
take one and sometimes they take
the only one they have. There are
some very pretty horses and, mules
in the army. 1t is to bad they have
to be in the war too.
| spent the night before left the
last camp with Hjalmar Johnson and
two other fellows who were in the
same company in Dodge. 1t seemed
like being there to be together and
talk over old times.
We are back in civilization again
and it sure seems good too. The
farmers have harvested their grain.
They cut it with sickle and lay 1t
on the ground to dry and mature.
Then they bind it in bundles and
shock it up and leave it awhile.
| Near where we are staying they
were threshing in the barn. They
had a contraption they made them
selves. 1t has to be cranked by four
men, and the grain and straw comes
out together. The one we saw was
| threshing oats and they had foul
men cranking away at it.
One old lady was feeding the grain
and another was working the straw
away. They bind the straw ur
again and use it for feed. I see to-
day they were tanning the oats with
a home made tanning mill. A great
many of the farmers put their wheat
and rye in the barn where 1t is dry
and thresh it at their convenience
They are cutting the second hay crop
too now. After it is dry they rake
it up and put it in blankets and car
ry it to the barn. Everything is
done by hand here, and they certain
ly put lot of work on everything
they do. Yesterday Sunday I saw
them shoe an OK All of them have
to be shod on account of these hard
roads. They had the OK in home
made rack with his head in yoke
so he could not move, then 60 after
him. The shoe is fiat piece of
steel large enough for each part of
the hoof. The apnles are ripening
on the trees now. We can buy plums
and grapes at the stores now also
tomatoes galore. Some of the store
keepers here have gotten wise and
will sell French fried potatoes but at
that they can't fill the demand.
! We are the first American soldiers
who have been here and we are GER
tainly treated fine. The French
priest here yesterday after giving his
sermon to his people in French, tried
to give us boys a little talk. He
thanked us all for coming over here,
in his own name and for his congre-
cation and in the name of France for
joining in the war, and hoped we
would all get home safe again. He
| certainly done we'll too.
Well must close now hoping you
are all we'll as this leaves me.
LOUIS KERSTING.
Haven't had any mail for about
eighteen days now. Hope we get
some soon.