The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-09
ENS[EY PASTOR
 WITH U. s. ARMY
 OF OCCUPATION
Dr. Crotty to Speak to WOm- en of the Ensley District. Funeral Services of Mrs.
 Peter Smith

ceived by Ensley friends from the Rev. 1 Claude Orear, former popular pastor
 of the First Methodist church. who be- came a chaplain in the army last September. He is now at Reugsdorf, Germany, with the famous Thirty-sec-
 ond division and despite the fact that the armistice was declared one and one-half days after his regiment
 reached the front he was in actual fighting. The letter In part follows: T am wishing for you merry Christ
 mas, better than any year ever I have 250 francs in my pocket and would give everyone of them to see Ensley people this morning. But haven't any magic boots and I am told that 1t is at least $500 miles, so no chance as long as I am bound by the conventions of flesh. Give me America anytime to Europe! Still, l must admit there are beautiful things to see in Europe. I know just how to start q city now Be- gin by putting the COW in the front yard and establish the manure pile at the front door. Behold, a city is ris- ing as the sun(?) This is common in both France and Germany. Sanitation is reduced to the zero point here.
 T sailed on the Olympic, which was large and with elegant apartments and
 eating was above par was not sick on the journey and in seven days we reached Southampton, England, thence to French port where I took three days training on board. We then went to Paris and from Paris to the front. We hlked all night, slept in a wet
 meadow with two blankets. The next morning the ground was frozen and my battalion went over the top. We had many thrilling experiences. The next night l slept in dugout, which was hit by a German she'll I buried the dead and was doing this on the front when hostiiities ceased I have been walking ever since, covering the e-part of France held by the Germans, | through Luxemburg, over the Rhine and
 now by Gods help we are six miles east of Coblenz in a steam heated ho-
 tel. l am eating thrice daily and am !. being treated coIrteously by the Ger mans who treated others most dis courteously. They have sinned much and much do they suffer but we are ! not causing it. We treat them with dignity and I believe with justice. We pay for all we get. ' have known of no outrage except when they charged
 us 6S francs each for banquet we gave in honor of their town mayor. This in
 good American coin was S13.60 each.
 q am very close to pr. Johnson, who is in the same division. took dinner with him yesterday. I am getting to
 be some sprinter. I estimate that I
 have walked some 150 miles since I landed here. I have lost my bed roll
 and my clothes roll and my trunk is in
 Paris. My uniform is upon my back
 and I have change-blessed change
 but when it gets colder I will put all of them on. l am not unacquainted with the cootie family and I, like the Germans in their early war record have
 murdered number of the family but I
 find them hardy race. We have shirt reading contests each night"
 Chaplain Orear hopes to be home be-
 fore many months. Mrs. Orear is spending the winter in Florida.
 Dr. Julia Crotty has been heard with interest the past two weeks by Ensley club women and scshool improvement associations and it is With interest that the women of the district an- nounce that the picture sent out by the government on Social Hygiene" will be shown at the Franklin theatre all day Thursday and Thursday evening. An other picture will be shown in conjunc- tion with this film and all people over
 14 years of age are urged to attend. The women of the various organiza-
 tions of the district are backing the government in combating this social evil and the picture is shown for edu- cational purposes. Several hundred women have pledged their support CLUB MEETINGS
 Mrs. D. F. Sugg was hostess to the reg ular meeting of the Cosmos club Friday afternoon. Mrs. c. B. Davis gave a paper on "Americanism," and Mrs. R. S. Hickman discussed "Americanizing Women.' Mrs. Louisa Davis was a guest of the cub. The hostess served a salad course.
 Mrs. w. I. Burgin will be hostess to the Thread of tho Story club Thursday afternoon instead of Mrs. Hillhouse The Delphian club will meet with Mrs. J. J. Walker Tuesday afternoon.