The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-01-18

out. however. this order was coun-
fernandez. and We remained where
We were. Just my COMPOUNDED luck
again. Fancy missing the real thing
by a single day.
Chanmont. / might mention, Is the
city where General Pershing has his
headquarters. We passed through that
place on our journey here. All saw
OF this town through the door OF our
side door Pullman. was large con-
crete viaduct--an immense structure.
Camp Coltquidon is the name OF the
camp where we were given our train
ing preparatory TO moving toward the
front. Ii isn't likely you can find II
on the map. II Is situated In western
France. in Bretagne. not great dis
lance from the large city OF Rennes.
Perhaps the postcards ! sent showing
views of the camp and its enyirons
were permitted to go through by the
censor Did you get them?
Now that the war is over, souvenir
hunting and collecting by those who
failed to get TO the front during hos
tilities is becoming quite fad.
| Automobile parties from our regi-
ment leave daily. visiting the princi-
pal places of interest in this sector
Toul. Nancy Metz and Verdun. They
return loaded down with German he'll
NETS, rifles. bayonets, iron crosses. gas
masks, machine gun ammunition hand
grenades, shell fragments, etc. Thus
far have not been afforded this OPP
portunity. but hope to get II before
we begin our homeward journey. I'd
like to get an officers helmet, IL pos
sible. Hope all the rubbish isn't
cleaned up before arrive on the
ground
Your letters have all been received,
also the Diamond Drill sent by Hilja.
Got letter from Bill Jacka about a
week ago. Glad you liked the flowers
sent. Would have sent more IL It
wasn't so late in the season. None are
to be found. Vegetable gardens are
still green-cabbage, carrots, lettuce,
beets and onions are still growing.
One day | saw Frenchman cut
ting clover. Must have been his
third crop this year. II rained daily
for a week-mud Is ankle deep. Very
unpleasant. this sloppy muck.
Thursday next is Thanksgiving day,
but | doubt whether we eat Turkey.
We have goose, a rooster and a hen
penned up back OF the barracks, but
unless they breed as fast as the coot-
les, can't see how these three will
be enough to feed 200 hungry men in
our battery. Last year all United
States troops on this side ate Thanks
giving turkey, but their number has
been increased by so many since then
that supplying all with turkey Is an
impossibility. Our officers ought TO
turn us loose on a foraging expedi-
ton. I'll guarantee we wouldn't come
back empty-handed
Guess well have to be satisfied
with our regular fare.
The amount OF grub this bunch is
going TO punish when we get home is
going TO be something TO marvel at
III tell the world.
An Allied aeroplane was forced To
land on our drill ground the other
night. In alighting 1t smashed into a
moving machine and one OF the low
er planes was nearly torn of Luckily
the pilot escaped unhurt. The wing
was so badly damaged that II had Ia
be repaired with new one While
1t was being repaired l had good OPP
oltunity to examine it at close
range, and | made the most OF It. II
had two machine guns mounted IN
front OF the pilots seat one on each
side. On the eide OF the fuselage was
painted a skeleton with a scythe IN
his hands, and in the blade were three
notches. The significance OF these
no doubt. were that the pilot had ac-
counted for three German flyers
To further demonstrate what q
daredevil he was and what utter con
tempt he held all superstitious no
tons, he had the figure "13" in mum
erals two feet high painted in several
conspicuous places on his bus"
That's the French OF II. all the tim,
always showing off. The piece Of
fabric enclosed is from the injured
wing. 1t is linen painted on tn,
weather side with special varnish.
Too tired to write any more thi.
evening; furthermore. my candle Il