Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1919 — CAPTAIN WASSON WRITES FROM FRANCE. [ARTICLE]

CAPTAIN WASSON WRITES FROM FRANCE.

American E. F. University, . Beanne (Cote d’Or) France, May 27/1919. Mr. Louis H. Hamilton, Rensselaer, Ind., Dear Mr. Hamilton: J The university closes here the last of the month and we all expect to be on our way home shortly thereafter. As you can probably, guess, the first thing I intend to do when I return is get to work. I have seen by the papers, which father sends me regularly, that there is quite a little building planned for Rensselaer and vicinity. I certainly want a chance at all of it. Most of it will' possibly not go ahead until spring and there is plenty of time to get things up in excellent shape for spring work. Have no doubt but that things will be quite stabilized by then, and markets and deliveries can be counted on to a certainty. It’s sort of like a two years’ handicap when I of starting over again, and yet" I would not change things at all. This experience has been very wonderful and will be very valuable to me.

I am assistant director of the university library at present, and’ perhaps it would interest you to know to what extent the army was able to provide books. There are 27,000 books on the shelves, a daily circulation of 2,500. We hrfve rfeading room space for 700 men, which is occupied from 9 a. m., to 9:30 p. m. A very comprehensive collection, completely catalogued and filed. They were all provided by the American Library association and were purchased in every nook and corner of Europe wherever available and gotten here in record time. Mir. Stevenson and Mr. Putman, librarian of congress, are exceptional men, and it has been very interesting to work with them on such work. The A. L. A. has certainly done very excellent work. When we close up I expect to have the 27,000 books packed and loaded in eighteen hours. There are just over 600 boxes, but we are contemplating on setting up several new records, for we are packing to go back to God’s country, and that makes considerable difference. <- Very kindest regards to you and all. Sincerely, Alban W. Coen, Oapt. Inf., U. S. A.