Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1919-02-12
Chester Hanson Has
Close Call in Fight
For Freedom

Chester Hanson writes very inter-
esting letter to his brother, Henry, of
this city. The following tells Of his ex-
periences at the front:
No, am not in Germany yet and do
not know If will have the opportunity
Of going there. I kind Of wish we
would go there for it looks now as tho
we are elected to stay here for the win
ter. Do not know if I will have a
chance of getting you a Bosch helmet
now, but would not be bit surprised
if can get ahold Of one or so. When
the war was still on had chance to
get hundreds Of them but we were NOV
ing about so much then that it was very
announcement to get them sent off, and it
was as rule those that had bomb
proof jobs, as for instance, the s. o. S.,
the Quartermaster Corps, and the M.
P.'s that were most anxious to send
such souvenirs home to try and make
the people back there believe that they
had as much as heard the guns. I did
have one of those officers helmets with
the spear on top that I wish had had
a chance to have sent home, but it just
happened that we made long move so
had to throw it away for we have learn
ed that much, at least over here, not to
carry an ounce more than we absolute
~ have to. even gave a seven foot
knitted scarf away that one of my dear
girl friends back in o. S. gave me last
winter for Christmas. We also learned
from sad experience that the only safe
way to get our souvenirs was to take
them from the bodies of live Germans
and not, to pick thing off the ground
or from dead ones. ~
!, You say that you are having lovely
weather back there, and sure can say
that we have ever since. the last of
September. There has not been signs
Of snow here yet and not cold enough
to hardly believe that fall is here at
times, but we sure have "beaucoup''
rain. But our sleeping quarters are not
the best. OF course, we keep warm
enough and all that, also dry, but these
blooming barns have doors the size of
eighteen common sized doors and as a
rule someone comes in "Sig Tag" at
night and leaves the door open. Be
sides that we usually get plenty of
fresh air thru holes in the walls, etc.
A fellow sometimes is lucky enough to
get good room for about a franc a
night and I tell you we are there to
make grab for them when we have a
chance A fellow might better spend
his francs that way for all they are
worth over here. Everything is so high
priced over here that we do not con-
slider a franc hardly worth as much as
a nickle. ,~.. 49,.
Say do you remember Herb Simms.
I think they called him "Sheepherder''
who used to work on the Spaulding
Farm. I ran across him the other day
and he recognized me at once. He is in
M. Co. of this Regiment and got thru it
all even without scratch. did not
get scratch either, but came mighty
close to getting popped off, couple
Of times. The Fritzies never did give
darn about us, it seemed like for he
seemed to take great pleasure in throw
ing over whole lot of "scrap iron"
sweet smelling perfume, ETC., and he
did succeed in putting piece of it i1
the heel Of my shoe and another hit
my steel hat and a few other piece;
came close enough to make me feel like
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