The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-05-01

PnOf. BROOKS To HIS TEACHERS
sscs~d Interesting Letter From Pr'n
yaaes BrsSkA. Who IL Over seas os
EAncaiScnal wcrk.
The following letter from Prof
The following letter from Prof
Bvscks reached Burr and Burton just
in time 70 serve AZ . greeting nj the
beginning a our new t.rn:
Condrecourt, France, Mar. 22, 1919.
DcAr Members Of My Burr and Bur
ton Family;
When | went TO the Y. 0. 1T the Y.
NC. Cafe here this A. M. found my
boz full OF mail from different MEM
berx OF the Burr and Burton house
hold and you may all rest assured that
was delighted to receive them and
to read them one and all. | am tempt
ed to answer each one in full, but this
would involve so much time that ]
would have 10 trench seriously upon
my very full program, and larger in
tecsts would have TO be sacrificed,
consequently I am writing you all a
ganeral letter and sending postcard
20 each particular one who has so
kindly remembered TO write.
would like TO tell YOU OF oil my
many interesting experiences here In
the A. Il. r. bat this is out Of the
question, so | will speak merely Of a
few salient features OF my life here
which may be Of general interest and
reserve the rest for another occasion.
My present location is at Condre-
court, in north eastern France about
fifty miles south Of Verdun. This town
is the administrative center of the
SSth Division which is part of the
Second Army" Gondrecourt Is q
quaint old town, somewhat medieval
in its older streets and quarters. Its
most striking feature is an old Ivy
covered Donjon Tower where Napol-
con is said 10 have incarcerated some
OF his prisoners of war. The differ
ent units or camps belonging to the
SSth or "Clovcrleaf" Division are scat
tered throughout thirty odd French
villages for twenty miles more or less
from here. Each Of these "csmps"
consists of from 500 to 5000 men ac
cording to whether the company" in
question is an infantry, machine
gun, an artillery company or some
other branch Of the service.
The Division all told, represents
nearly 10000 men. There are, how
ever, in this immediate vicinity other
static" units, replacement camps, etc.
which bring the total number of men
in this area up to 10000.
Nearly every division in the army
now has its special designation and
insignia. The latter generally being
worn on the sleeve near the shoulder.
The "Clover-leaf" is rather a neat
designation aud owes its origin to the
fact that the two figure eights" of oS
placed cross-wiae form a four-leayed
clover--a lucky division to which TO be
attached n'ost-ce-pas?
Tho various camps are much alike.
The officers are biiietted in houses of
the village. The men are quartcred in
the long wooden Adrian Barracks, !
grouped near the village where the
particular camps is located. These
Barracks" are without floors, often
muddy under foot and always made
quately heated.
Every camp he's its "Y" hut. This
more frequently has a floor, always a
stove, canteen, generally two, dry
and "wet" Nearly all of them now
have a stage, all have benches and
tables for writing, etc. The larger
camps now have double huts." That
is, two barracks built side by side but
with no separating partition or at
most, low partition.
These "Y" huts are the oases of the
soldiers irksome existence. Nearly
all his time when off duty he spends
there. They are more or less filled
from morning till late at night.
The society of the genial stove is
assiduously cultivated. The dry and
wet canteens serve their very useful
purposes. All entertainments, such
as movies, minstrcls, local Shows"
and travelling shows fill up nearly all
the evenings. The boys book" their
seats long in advance by coming early,
sometimes an hour or two beforehand
TO secure" a seat.
Lectures and religious services are
held in the huts, all in the afternoons.
The educational work now being done
in the army makes use generally Of I
the huts for its classes. Here books I
are distributed from the "hut" 1
libraries. The larger huts also fur ,
nish opportunities for indoor games, 4
especially basket ball.
Now, being in the educational game
yourself. you will be interested to ,
learn what is being done in that line {
here ID
am glad TO be able to say that the &
educational program is being put J
across very successfully and on c
very large scale, all things considered. a
The total enrolment in classes Of this i
division Is nearly 5000. that is to say, a
ten per cent Of the number Of men in :
the division. The average attendance q
is Of course, less than this figure. e
The larger number of these students
nrc "iIiltrrats.g.- and could not road or a