Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-04

4 tolu IN a letter received Dy tne I1oI
risburg Telegraph from Corporal
Harold ]. Astrich, Company a. 1880
!, Supply Train, A p. 744, A. L. +.
The letter follows:
| Who ever said that the boys In
/ France should be pitied on Christmas
! Day. 1918. had better revise their
conceptions. IL Company a. 1oSrd
Supply Train Twenty eighth division
/ \. L. F. is n fair criterion.
| We awoke this morning, here in
/ the little billets. formerly German
biIlets. to find the ground, trees
! bushes and everything covered with
| snow. After a breakfast of ham and
egg omelet. we lived the next few
hours in anticipation OF our feed to
come at ESQ.
! At that hour we went y over to
where our field kitchen is situated
| The top sergeant called our names
and we lined up accordingly. we
! were handed card with oar name
| and = caricature of our pet individu-
/ ality drawn on il along with wish
/ for 4 Merry Christmas and Happy
] New Year. These cards were drawn
/ by two of our company members
| William Bergstresser (who also d.
rected and assisted in the days deco
rations) and Mark Phillips (the only
member ii cur company wearing the
| wound stripe for a wound received
on the battlefieldl, they lacked moth
ing in talent. As our mess kits Were
! filled to overfiowing BY the smiling
| and happy cooks and S'tchen pSlict
| (:hv ever .Jie.rful -nanib,r< Of the
! camp who ssreCt every 'ne with 4
| merry Iaugh). we passed into what
I Nf ~~fl
| which appeared TO US like the palm
! room at the Ell;s' Club Il Harrisburg
/ Here we were seated at several large
tables with beaucoup" candles
lighting them in a regular holiday
.isht. Four stoves were merrily
blazing at different sides Of the
bower. 4 piano was right at hand.
The duty sergeants, William e
| Kearney, George Bingham and Harry
Bower directed the seating in 8
| speedy and efficient manner reserv-
! ing a center table for the commits
stoned officers.
Apples, grapes mad nuts were plcn-
| tiful on every table. y camouflagt
of branches and leaves made The old
carriage shed like a bower inclosing
| the sides and adorning the ceiling
| making the place appear like 4 huge
dining hall dressed up for the holi-
day party.
our menu, which was fit TO ht
served TO any party OF the royalty
| was as follows:
Savory roast turkey, mashed pota.
toes, oyster filling VITA hrowns tur.
key gravy. caulifiower with butte.
melted upon it. French salad. French
green peas, hot chocolate, bread anG
real creamery butter, tapioca pud.
| ding, canned peaches, cake thakeC
by our own cook and baker, Ernest
Testonil, fruit, nuts, cigars, c.garet:
and candy Cdonated by the HON,
! Folks" through the Y. NJ. c. Al.
We started to eat Immediately sC
as to have our food while hot. As W.
uncovered enough of our food to Sc,
what all we had in our dishes. We
/ were compelled to slow up with oul
ravenous cutting we began to tail
/ once in while. Progressing further
we discovered that our mess kit:
really had a bottom and dropped int
low gear.
The Captains Address
After our meal our captain. whom
all the men hold i'm reverence ad'
dressed us. He spoke of his pride
this company had been chosen t'
make the trip Cupon arrival over
seas of the 1o3rd supply Train)
starting out on new roads at mid
, night with no lights, no written or
ders (only verbaD, no road maps. anC
having to pass directly through Paris
|, with it's narrow. unlighted, twisting
streets; going directly towards tn
front, not only on one sector but oil
two or three sectors. He confessed
to having felt little anxiety. no
knowing what was likely 20 con
front him, but in perfect confidence
knowing as he rode along in his car
that the train of trucks following
him was driven by the men of Com
pany a. AS for the men of the com
pany, they would have or woul'
again to-day follow Captain McBail
had he been headed for Berlin.
The Captain made short paus
and asked the men to remember witt
bowed heads for few minutes thei
comrade, Corporal Albert SchoffneI
who died from wounds receive
while in action on the field of honor
He then went on to say that tn
events of the day and the thorough
and perfect harmony of pleasur
which were enjoyed had proven agail
| the indomitable spirits of the mer
by their ability to stage and carr
on such an affair on this Christina
Day, even though situated in lonely
muddy woods of France under tn
most unfavorable conditions.
Concluding his speech the Captai
, said, This is the one event that
! have hoped and prayed for ever sine
, have been associated with men o
Company A. to sit with them at
real feast. 1 have never been to Har
| risburg in my life but the one thin
which is my earnest wish is to visi
Harrisburg and meet you men 1
; your homes and surroundings.
: have never at any time been asso
ciated with so fine a personnel TIL
most that can say is, that this com
pany needs no commanding officer
every man is his own embodiment O
. honor and has at all times done hi
utmost, whether under supervisio
or not, to perform his duty as a sol
der and a man. II at any time 1 ca
: aid or assist any man in Company !
. would consider it a pleasure"
Next we were favored by a son
from two of our company member,
Leroy Sutterly and Edgar Meyer
whose ability as entertainers has be
, come known to all in the 2sth divi
/ sion. s
A parody on the Dixie Volunteers
/ called the Keystone Volunteers.
| or master of ceremonies, "Arty
;. Jones (the ragtime kidd asked for
| few words from our hardworkin