Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-11-20
(Ned Ivey letter continued.

there is T. De an arm1St1ce. Just at
present, Ii p. M, it sounds rather
dubious. Seems as if Fritz has some
thing the Yanks want and thev are
having a pow WOW over it with long
range guns. 1t isn't funny bit 7
know but so many humorous things
happen here. Six months ago the
Frogs thought the war would last an
other year or so, now they have If
down to thirty days or less. They
seem convinced that no one can with
stand the Americans. We used to he
"boys who couldn't raise mons
tache." The boche laughed also. New
they say "all American dough bovs
are drunk and the artillerymen are
crazy" They seem to be convinced
also that there's no use trying to fight
Americans. They say they know the
minute an American shoots. They
aren't safe anywhere. They under
stood the American army was small
and now everywhere they go thew
find the Americans in overpowering
force. They retire to impregnable no
sitions only to find that someone left
the back door open and in comes a.
swarm of smooth-faced boys that
seem to have no fear. AS one Ger
man prisoner put it, "They look me
in the eye and | know they'll kill me
if l fight and if / run / always run
into more OF them, so what could l
do" Ha! Ha! Yet, talk to one of
our chaps who has been on the var
ious fronts and to hear him tell it
you'd think him coward.
We surely have been successful so
far and the boys are Justly proud. No
nation will ever accuse America of
being too proud to fight again. And
while you're praising "Our Boys.''
don't forget the masters at the helm
Generals Foch and Pershing.
Seems the men back in the S. o. S.
get their seven days every four
months to spend at Pix La Balm. Bor
deaux and don't know its name) and
they also seem to get the bulk of the
"Y" supplies of chocolate, jam. paper.
and such stuff, while the chaps at the
front who for weeks at time are un-
der shell and gas, sleeping in the
mud, ragged, hungry and gaunt eyed,
go without or at best receive but lit
tie. But they all bless the Salvation
Army and its work. They have no
funds for buildings, employees or
elaborate supplies and I've never
seen them in the S. o. S. but up with
the guns they lay few pieces of
sheet iron together patched with
shelter halves and what not and they
get busy with a day and night service
of hot coffee and doughnuts and oc-
casiOnally pie to all corners and if
you can't come they carry it up wher-
ever it is humanity possible to go. It's
an absolutely self-sacrifcing service
and the dollars will clink when the
boys come home and they meet "the
little band on the corner" Diamonds
in the Rough" they are, and are to
be found only in places that are a
little worse than hell itself.
Monday Eve-Well Micky and Sam
Snyder came back tonight and tomor-
row we all go up ahead about 20
miles where the doin's are going on.
The boys say the half minute di-
vision have the boche out on the lew
ell and they can't stop 'em. They new
er did have a reverse lever and now
/ guess they've lost their brakes.
Some machine! A number of times
they've done what other outfits said
couldn't be done and taken towns con-
sidered impregnable and say, I'll bet
when Pershing drives into Metz he
will find them sitting around the
town pump eating their punk and
Willy" and awaiting someone to give
them directions out of town or for
ward.
Once upon a time there was reg
iment of 75s who through no fault of
their own were called upon to hold
the front line trenches or lose their
guns. So they cut off their fuses for
point blank range, tied salvaged bay
onets onto sticks with scraps OF rope,
used their automatics and held the
line. It's not very polite but for pure
unadulterated CUTS they sure take the
cake That's half the story. How it
all came about cannot tell. trust
the papers will be able to tell you
more. They always do print stuff
dare not tell.
So the Food Administration puts
you onto matted milk diet Dec. lst.
If you only knew how glad I'd be to
make the change, in fact Klondike
Water would be sufficient to turn the
trick. Tonight l got the watet two
canvas pals full. from water hole
half a mile down the hill and stood
in mud to my shoe tops and scooped
it up with a tin cup. We drink boiled
coffee until we nigh onto bust.
never take more than three swallows
Of water at time and that less than
once day.
Earl, don't let up on the envelopes
as no telling when | can get sup
ply, and l enjoy the gum. 1t often
replaces a drink of water. | seldom
smoke cigarets but I'll have to COM
pliment you on your ingenuity IN
sending them. They came through
perfect.
The boys up ahead are living in the
ground. They dig hole two or three
or four feet deep and put their tents
over the top. They can't have llgnts
so go to bed at shutdown, about to 9
o'clock. They use leaves for bedding
and make stoves out of gasoline cans
with a tomato can stove pipe. Ha!
Ha! You can't beat 'em.
Well the boys are abed and must
get there cause it will be some time
before l can enjoy the comforts OF
a chicken wire" cot again.
Am we'll Don't worry II my let-
tiers are far between, apparently no