The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-01-11
LOCAL BOY TELLS
OF LIFE IN TRENCH
Longuyon, France, Dec. S, 1918.
Mrs. Ruth A. Sparks,

Mrs. Ruth A. Sparks,
Winnemucca, New, U.S.A.
My Dearest Mother-Just M usual
letter to advise that / received your
letter Of November s, wherein you
describe the citation of yourself and
the population in general over the
news of peace. There were many
demonstrations here. you can rest as
sured. Peace is certainly a blessing
to humanity.
This morning I witnessed a train
of refugees passing through. I be-
lieve they were mostly Russians, and
they were packed like sardines, re-
turning, / suppose, to what were once
the homes of a peaceful population.
They were of both sexes and all ages,
ranging from infants to very elderly
persons. All seemed to bear a care
worn and poorly-nourished counte-
nance, excepting children who were
too young to work or worry.
The terrible influenza seems to be
claiming its toll of death, according
to the newspapers as well as letters
l have seen from the United States.
Well, 1t is to be hoped that the dis
ease will soon abate.
Well, | visited a prison camp a few
days ago which was used by the Ger
mans up to a very recent date, and it
was a sight l shall long remember,
as it was a very filthy place to be
sure. and l believe from what / wit
messed the prisoners, who were most
ly civilians of French, Belgian and
Italian nationalities, were fed horse
flesh, as there were many evidences to
indicate it. No bathing facilities were
in evidence anywhere and the quar-
ters were crowded and literally alive
with feas and (most likely lice, as
conditions were as a matter of fact
ideal for the latter insect.
OF course the lice are quite COM
mon in the various armies, let alone
prisoners of war. In fact, your son
has been lousy on several occasions,
but readily ridded myself, having had
ample facilities available. I have seen
the men return from the front lines,
where they lived during the days of
warfare in trenches, dugouts, and any
place where shelter and safety were
to be obtained, and where bodily
cleanliness was impossible, IS well
as the fact that these various places
have the accumulated remains of owe
four years, and these men would be
given a shower bath, having field
equipment for this purpose, and an
entire change of underwear and over
shirts. The blankets and over clothes
were placed in the disinfector where
they steam at a quite high tempera-
ture was turned on to kill the little
insects and their nits.
There are regular machines for this
purpose used by the various allied
armies. / have seen men a mass of
sores from the bites, and their blan-
kets and wearing apparel a living
mass. No soldier need, who has done
a hitch" in France, say that he has
never seen lice, nor ask for any de-
scription of them, as this will serve
merely as a test of his ~veracity.
Another pest is that of rats. l be-
lieve l have seen more rats in the
val zone than 1 had any idea ex-
listed. OF course they have had plenty
to eat and an excellent opportunity
to multiply in the ruins and debris.
Fleas are likewise in abundance in
parts. The American army as a whole
has kept in a very good state of
health.
AS to when we shall return / have
not the remotest idea, but l do not
imagine it will be a great while. My
experience has been wonderful and
my education literally added to. 1
snail always NC Piouu W hAOW thut
I was in France, for the learning and
experience.
Well, mother, l shall inclose a set
of German postcards and a number
tag for prisoners Identification, all
of which were found in a German
prison camp. These are souvenirs for
you. Also a piece of an aeroplane
wing of a German plane which was
disabled in battle and whose pilot was
shot to death and was buried where
the plane fell. October 2S, 1918, nea
Esnes, France. He was endeavoring
to locate a favorable place to land
his disabled machine in the shell-torn
section, and opened up his machine
gun on some troops, when they re-