The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-21
GARDEN CITY NOTATION
LETTERRECEIvED FROMYOUNG
SOLDIER IN FRANCE
Many Events That Have Occur.
red In Village the Past
Few Days
Especial to Free Press. ]

oi tne 1Oll0W1ng letter from their
brother, Earl Duffield, who is sta
toned in Lempire, France. Dear
Brother and Sister: Your welcome
letter OF January was received last
night and / am here to tell you sure
was glad to hear from you. | have
got by so far without getting the flu -.
was surprised to hear Nina and
Nell had it, and am glad they did
not have pneumonia. ! have been
going to write to you felix's for long
time, but ! never seemed to get
around to it. l try to write to
mother and Susan two or three times
week and that seemed about ali
the spare time had until lately and
we have it a little easier now.
will try and tell you a little about
what l have been doing and where !
have been. We landed at Brest,
September -. 1t took us thirteen
days to cross. / was seasick the
first two days, but after that I felt
fine the rest of the way, and felt
perfectly safe in the old boat. We
stayed at Brest three days then
boarded train and rode for three
days and nights and got off at the
Alleis and stayed there a few days.
Then we boarded the train again
and went to Soully. It was there
j met Susan's brother, Matt Weir
and believe me. ii was sure happy
meeting for both of us. was all out
of tobacco and he happened to have
a good supply and gave me all he
had. He has seen good deal of
the war. From Soully we went to
Avervs and worked there a few days
handling ammunition. Frop there we
went to Rarecout, stayed there until
October "a. Then we went to Mont
fucon to work on another ammunition
dump, loading and unloading big
shells, thew weighed from 100 to 300
pounds. We sure handled a lot of
them. One afternoon we loaded and
unloaded 10000 one hundred and ten
pound shells. They were being sent
to the front for that last big drive.
When we landed at Montfucon We
were only two and a half miles from
the front and believe me it was pref
ty noisy and quite few shells burst
ed over our heads for several days
and nights, but luck was with us
and no one got hurt. At, this place
we lived in dugouts we built i'll a
trench that the Germans used about
ten days before We got here. This
is just on the edge of the Argonne
forest and the town is all shot to
pieces. From there we went to
Montville for few DAVIS work. That
oil oil cI RI ynin
suppose you have heard lot about
No Mans Land. Well we lived in
no mans land here and l don't be-
lieve there is man living that
would want it. Nearly every ten
feet big shell hole. From Mont
vile we went to Lempire, got here
December % and worked about three
weeks handling ammunition. Since
then we are living in barracks. We
have moving picture show once a
week also boxing and wrestling
matches twice a week. We can get
to go to Verdun once or twice a
week. 1t is about five miles from
here. Gee. it is too bad the way the
GeGrmans have shot the town. 1t
looked a whiles ago we would be
home by the first Of April or Nav.
but | guess it will be later. Tell
mother not to worry about me,
never felt better in my life. ! weigh
176 pounds and never weighed
more than 1873 when 7 was at home.
Well, / guess I had better ring off d.
Write as often as you can find time.
I over here. Bovd Forrey is here
Hope these few lines find you folks
as well as thew leave me. l remain
YOUR loving brother. Private Earl
! Duffield."
walter story is the latest victim
of the flu.
Mr.. Forrey and family have moved
to the Warren farm.
Mr.. Cox and family have moved
to the o. C. Peterson farm.
Mrs. Anna LaFavor has been Wis
iting her son George the past week
returning to her home in Mankato
Thursday.
Miss Rhoda Chapman and Miss
Francis Donnerbach were shopping
in Mankato Saturday.
J s. T. SheDpard was in Mankatt
on business Wednesday.
Mrs. Ella Bixby was a Lake Crys'
tai visitor between trains Saturday
Mrs Doris John visited friends il
Lake Crystal Friday and Saturday.
The chicken pie dinner at the
Hazel home Tuesday was well pat
ronized and good time was had b!
all. The proceeds was sometime
over $24.
| Mrs. Ezra Gates has gone to visi
her daughter, Mrs. Ed Ward wh'
lives in Hanley, Canada.
4 E. H. Monroe, our bankr cashier
was transacting business in Manka
to Wednesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. We're Bixby enter
. tanned a company of friends Frida!
evening in honor of Corporal Nei
IF. Bixby, who lately returned from
France. A pleasant evening wa
Z enjoyed with games and music. A
the close nice refreshments wer
served bv Mrs. Bixby. Corpora
Bixby will leave March Is for hi
home in Saler,, Orc.
Mr.. and Mrs A. Nelson are nicel
settled in their new farm home nea
Rapidan which they recently pur
chased.
Charles H. John met with ba
/ accident Sunday. He fell on the ic
back of his store. breaking the bone
: in the wrist of his right hand.
Miss Lon Burrows, who has bee