Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-04-30
IS LONESOMEST
Man IN GERMANY
American Lieutenant on Outpost
Duty at stepping Off"
Place.
Has Quarters in Great Castle at
cobIenz, and Under Arbitrator
MIXING Order He Cannot Visit
With Other Inhabitants.

SODlenz.-ln great castle on nil
and with a count and countess and
their four daughters as his nearest
neighbors dwells today the lonesomest
American In all the occupied territory
of Germany. He is Lieut.. John w.
Scott of Detroit, commanding Com
pany K, Twenty-eighth infantry, on
outpost duty at the stepping Off
place of the Coblenz bridgehead where
1t skirts a beautiful valley stretching
away toward Berlin.
Just across the hallway from the
quarters of the lieutenant on the Sec
ond floor of the castle, Count and
Countess Won Walderdorf have been
allowed to remain by courtesy of army
officers. But the Germans keep to
themselves, looking upon the Ameri-
cans as invaders, and an army anti
determination order prohibits Lieuten-
ant Scott from visiting them.
Spends Evenings Alone.
On the first floor of the castle so
American soldiers have their beds and
mess and large living room where
they play cards and enjoy each others
company during the long winter eve
nings and tell of their war experiences,
and of all the wonderful things they in
tend to do when they get home again.
Lieutenant Scott spends his evenings,
alone, devouring book after book.
Visitors are few at this furthermost
outpost across the Rhine twenty miles
from Coblenz. During the day the lieu
tenant makes his rounds visiting one
sentinel after another, always alone.
AT the foot of the hill crowned by the
castle of Molsberg is the village of
Molsberg, of which Lieutenant Scott is
military commander. but he talks to
the townspeople only on questions of
business. And so, day after day, the
lieutenant meets no one excepting his
soldiers and the civilians on routine
matters of duty.
The meals of this loneliest of Amer
leans are served in his quarters, where
he dimes, alone, with giddy green war
rior tapestry figures gazing down upon
him from their places on the walls,
just where they We're hung something
like 800 years ago. The figures of one
panel picture a gay and jolly party and
all the others suggest companionship
in some form.
Phone for Business Only.
The officer has telephone which
reaches to Montabaur, the LIST division
headquarters, but its use is restricted
to business only. There are other con-
veniences, too, including electric lights
and running water, and a wonderful
stove reaching halfway to the ceiling,
and at the bottom the old German
makers name and the date, 1854. But
TO the lonely lieutenant even the fire
in the stove sometimes seems almost
cold.
Lieutenant SCOTS nearest American
officer neighbor is five or six miles
away out across the 5000 acres owned
by the count. After dark visits are out
of the question. And so, when over
come by lonesomeness and WEAKNESS
from reading, the lieutenant tumbles
into seventeenth century bed which
stands In the same position 1t has been
all these years. And within easy reach
is the telephone. by which he knows
eventually will come the welcome news
for which so long he has been longing
We've been ordered home"