Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 219, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1918 — FERMON SCHULTZ WRITES BACK TO A FRIEND [ARTICLE]

FERMON SCHULTZ WRITES BACK TO A FRIEND

Somewhere in France.. • August 16, 1918. Dear Friend:—l arrived safe and sound; had a dandy trip except when I was sick, which was about four days in ail.—Was not SO very sick, just enough to keep me from enjoying myself. 1 could not write sooner as we were kept so busy and could not get stationary, but I trust you will excuse my neglect. I sure had one trip that I will not soon forget. I saw the eon rise out of the water and sink in the water for several days; saw a couple of whale and lets of flying flsh and other kinds. That sure is a nice little pond. This is a great country, although it is quaint and old-fashioned; all the fences are made of stone and the fields are not more than five vtcres in size at most although they yield more per acre than any 1 ever saw in America. The people

cut their grain with cradles, as mey used to in America, and beat the grain out by hand, so you can see how it is. There are no able bodied men to be seen anywhere; the women, children and old men do all the work, and the women are always washing for the soldiers. They seem to admire the American soldiers a great deal and seem to realize the great thing they are here to accomplish. It won’t take us long, either. '*• We have been handling lumber to make barracks and hospitals for a couple of days. The lumber is cut and bolted together so it can be moved quickly. Today we are not doing anything except resting, washing our clothes . and cleaning our guns, which got rusty out **tihe ship in spite of all we could do. I am at the Y. M. C. A. now. It. is not so -large as the ones we had at home and has no electric lights, but it is a good place to write because we are in tents and have no otiher K place. There are French entertainments in here every evening. I am learning French. It is not so very hard amd when I come home I will be able to talk it quite good, if f keep on. I have been looking for some of my friends over here but have not been able to find any of 'them so far.

I suppose the work will be about done when this reaches you. I wish I could see good old Jasper for a day or so now. I have not heard from my folks for about two months, but I not been settled long enough at any one place for them to write to me. Well, I guess this will have to do for this time. With best regards to <Mrs. Meader and the girls, 1 remain, Yours sincerely, PVT. FERMON A. SCHULTZ, Co. D., 22nd Eng’rs., 2nd Bat., A. E. F„ France.