The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-09
YANKEE COMPANY
IS GODFATHER TO
FRENCH ORPHANS
French Smiled for First Time
in Four Years When War
Ended.

Liffol la Grand France is the ad-
dress on a recent letter from Private
Elmer Joseph Berg of Co. b. As Reg.
T. c., who writes to Anthony Stole.
Jr.. OF Liberty pike, description OF
the celebration when news came that
the war was over:
will ram a few lines on this paper
10 inform you / am still here because
there is no other place to be. My
pulse 50, temperature 90. appetite i'm
mense, feeling fine, and nothing over
here has scared me yet. Gould look
the devil in the eye and tell him to
go to warmer place-that's me.
There has not been any influenza
in this camp or in any camps near
here--we haven't had any time to
monkey with it. We have fine wea-
Their over here, rains nine days out OF
every week. 1t even rains when the
sun shines, never thunders or light
nings, but just let's go and pours.
Mud shoe deep! If l left here in the
muddy weather could carry a farm
away with me. Do not mean to insin-
uate that my feet are large either.
The place would make good brick
yard. but it seems like graveyard
since the noise of the guns has
stopped.
Bands Helped Celebrate.
when the news reached us that
Germany had given in our band and
all the bands around here went to the
village and split her wide open. Red
wine was flowing like water. | did not
take on any war paint, however, or l
might not have been back here in
time to answer your letter. There
were women with babies in their arms
marching and parading along the
streets. The people seemed to have
come out of trance. They have a
smile on their faces for the first time
in four years.
1T is pitiful sight to see how some
of these poor women have to work to
keep their children from starving,
when many of them know that there
Is no one to come back and help lift
the burden from their shoulders. Four
years of war has left vacant chair
in many a home The gay dress OF the
French women has turned to black.
Our company has adopted two war
orphans Each man pays SO much
money and it is money well spent.
Our trucks have been lost ever
since we landed but they kept us up
in the fighting reserves, and drilled us
all the time. | got SO | could turn
around without falling down-pretty
good for an old man! But never did
get a good start at anything That
something didn't happen and now they
have put us in the T. c. And have
a good job guarding cross roads eight
hours a day. They built me shanty
and put a stove in it. The first day /
was out | got into it with a French
man. He tried to pass and | grabbed
his horse Then he began to rattle
eff something and ! began to cuss.
and neither one of us had the faintest
flea what the other was saying--but
know he never got past. | except
viii get licked maybe though before
get eff this Job. You ought to see me
try to talk to these Frenchmen.
use my mouth, hands and feet, but
iiaht just as well be deaf and dumb.
Thanksgiving Football.
COR Thanks giving day | had an aw-
ful time. We had football game in
tSe afternoon, and somebody took my
poor head for the ball and there
weren't many men that came back
from the front looking any worse
than | did Never knew before that
there were so many and large hob
nails
Met with an awful accident just
the other day. | went to light Gig
arctic with my candle and my pardner
pushed my head down and burnt one
side of my mustache Off Had to
have it all cut off. 1t was born Sept.
! and died Nov. 81. Please omit flow
ers. | hated to lose it after | had
nursed it for three months.
There is only one thing over here
that reminds me of the States, and
that is the crows. | believe they must
have sent them over to keep the boys
from getting homesick.'