The Semi-weekly leader., 1919-08-02

June IA, 1919
Andernach. Germany.

Anoernacnp Germany.
Mr.. A. N. Horton:-
Dear Father: ! am writing you
a few lines this afternoon to let you
know / am still getting along all
right and am as well as can be but
am pretty tired. We have just
been relieved from guard or in other
words, just finished a SO hour days
work.
The starting Of the day was a hike
In the hills with a full pack, ritie
and ammunition. The finish was "a
hours guard duty. SO l don't think 1t
will be very hard for you to see why
/ am pretty tired.
1t is pretty interesting to be out
In the hills now, for there are some
real pretty crops growing where We
went. The rye is headed out now
and there is a lot of 1t too. There
Is also nice lot of wheat and 1t is
to head and II they can
get rain, they will make a good crop.
So you see that old Germany didn't
give up just because she got a good
licking. This Rhine land is credit
ed with being a great factor in Ger
many's food supply during the> war.
cannot help but say that Germany
is like the dog crossing the street
with large piece of meat.
One Of the main food crops here is
Irish potatoes. They don't know
what sweet potatoes are but they al
most live on Irish potatoes (the
American doughboy does alsol and
beside having them in abundance
for home use they shipped many cars
of them from Andernach after we
came here.
One thing to be said for the Ger
mans is that you don't see them
standing in idleness and at the same
time crying because they are not
getting what they want. They all
work from the Gross Mutter down
to the kleiner kinder. When we
crossed the Moselle River on Dec. J.,
1918, and started into the conquered
Dutchland we found a country that
was pretty badly gone down; but you
can already see great improvement.
The highways were not what could
be called in bad shape, but now they
have all the roads fit for an auto
spin.
The people here don't seem to
think there is any limit to a horses
pulling strength. have seen more
weight on a one-horse wagon here
than our supply company would
think of making a 4-mule team pull.
That is due to good roads. i don't
approve the heavy loads they carry
with one horse, but l sure do like
good roads and am going to do my
part to get them all over Lincoln If
/ ever am lucky enough to get back.
l must say that 1t doesn't seem the
heavy loads injure the horses here.
They all seem to have pretty good
life in them.
The people here don't know what
corn is and they don't feed many
oats. The principal horse feed in
stead of corn is a kind of beet and
they have lot of good hay. They
raise almost all kinds of clover and
alfalfa seems to be natural growth.
They are cutting their first crop of
alfalfa now. On an average 1t is
about 20 inches tall.
One thing / don't understand Is
why they don't have better imple-
ments to work with. They cut their
hay with scythe and they have no
modern implements at all. / would
just like to see farmer start out
here with a full set of good tools
and watch the Dutch open their eyes.
Well, Papa, as ! must beat it to
my billet before taps l will close for
this time.
Hoping this will find you and all
the rest in good health and getting
along we'll with your work, am
your son,
Pvt. Carl T. Horton,
Co. c, 1th, U. S. Inf.
A, p, o, 7O4 A. EFF