The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-01-25
Libby Soldier
Served in Siberio
During 1918

Often people will live together
for many years, even in small COM
munities such as this, and know
very little of their neighbors. Ere
quently one would be greatly sur
prised, and most interested, to know
that the next door neighbor had
lived a most adventuresome life In
former years and had taken part
in some of the worlds most stir
ring events.
We are moved to these thoughts
by an item that appeared IN these
columns a couple of weeks ago and
by a conversation we had with a
Libby man this week.
The item of two weeks ago told
of the Boy Scouts taking winters
hike under the tutelage of Charley
Powell and how they had been
greatly interested when they fell
in with Billy Butts, longtime
resident of these parts. Butts got
to telling the boys of his expert
ences when one of Uncle Sam S
soldiers and how he had been in
the march on and the capture of
Picking at the time of the Boxer re-
bellion in 1900. We wonder how
many people in these parts ever
knew that our fellow citizen had
had lively part in those stirring
DAYS at the turn of the century?
Tells OF Life in Siberia
And now this week we ran onto
another story somewhat similar IN
character. This episode came to our
attention when we remarked to jim
Crotteau that we had heard he had
served with U. S. forces in Siberia.
The conservation was brought out
by the somewhat cold spell here
and in comparing it with the ex-
trenely cold weather prevailing III
Finland where the bitter fighting
is now going on between the Firms
and the Russians.
Eyes, was in Siberia following
and during the time of the great
Russian revolution, in 1918. | was
one of Uncle Sans soldiers and we
were stationed at Vladivostok While
there | experienced plenty of wealth
err that ranged from SIS to 65 be-
low zero. Conditions were awful
among the poor people. 1t was q
common sight to see some old per
son, poorly clad and hungry, having
had scarcely anything to eat, sli
down on the edge of a sidewalk
or in some corner and freeze to
death. The Russians were all very
poorly clothed. During the tur-
MOL following the revolution, | have
seen trains pull into the cities over
there with every freight car jam
med with women. None of them
had enough clothes on to keep one
warm There was great suffering
They would congregate inside the
depots and sleep on the floors ir
order to keep out of the, cold anc
from freezing to death. When oul
duties called us soldiers into the
depots, we would have to step very
carefully over the sleeping Rus
SLAMS to get across the room. The,
occupied nearly every inch OF tn
floor.
sAnd they were dirty and lousy,
said Crotteau They could scarce
H be blamed for that because non
OF them had change of clothing
and there were no places for then
to wash and clean up. Dirt was
naturaI result. After the depots ant
other buildings had been occupied
by those wandering people, the com
mon thing was to spray the floo
and walls with a disinfectant t
help kill the lice and germs
1t will be remembered that u. S
troops were in Siberia for com
paratively short time fighting wit
the White Russians against the Re-
revolution. 1t will also be remem
bered that the White Russians di