Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1918 — Page 3 Advertisements Column 4 [ADVERTISEMENT]

i New Princess Theatre i i Will show daily except Tuesday*. Program announced each day. Special programs for Mondays, Wed* nesdays and Saturdays. Allen M. Robertson Theatre Co. c. B. VLANT, Managing Director. YELLOW FRONT FOR LUNCH Home Made Pies and Cakes Fresh Fish Tuesdays and Fridays W. R. GATES Telephone 308 LETTER FROM VERN DAVISSON 1 Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Davisson of this city have received another interesting letter from their 9on, Vern, who Is an ambulance driver in France and which The Democrat is privileged to print in full. The letter follows: In France. December 28, 1917. Dear father and mother: I received your letter of November 12, 1917, concerning the sleeping bag. etc. Glad to bear you are O. K. J am also. I hav e plenty of blankets because I use the ones out of my car. The U. S. will be sending its a big double blanket, too. shortly, then 1 will not use the blesse ones from my car. I have plenty of underwear, aox and caps; will soon get some from the U. S., anyway. The mittens you sent will come In handy. It is hard to get a pair warm enough. I received the stationery Glennie sent; this is some of it. I cannot tell you at what point we are, but we are 25 kilometres (18*4 miles) from a good-sized town. We are still doing evacuation work. Our section was ordered to evacuate a hospital train that came in from nearer the front with (number censored) men with frozen feet, hands, and all kinds of wounds. Eight of our ears left to do the work. We drove about 29 miles to where the train pulled in, then lined our ambulances up by the station. The train was about six and one-fcalf hours * late. The snow is about six Inches deep, so I suppose that was the trouble, likely drifted in places. After that long wait which was before us we decided to look for something to eat. The staff correspondent went back about six or seven kilometre* to an English aviation camp, located in a small village, and succeeded in getting a few eggs, so we got a woman in a little case to cook them for us. After supper was over we still had two hours to wait. Finally the hospital train pulled in, 8:30 at night, moonlight end cold. The radiator on one ear loaded with wounded, so the load was transferred to another. We were evacuating about eight or nine miles back to a chateaux the French had turned Into a hospital. All of us worked fast and hard and drove like a 500-mile race waa on. It was all finished In about three hours, then we had twenty miles to drive back to camjK. Two cars lost the road and drove five or six miles the wrong way, run into an aviation camp (English) that is bombed regularly three or four times a week. The English put them on the right road so they got their load to the chateaux O. K. I made four trips, hauled thirteen the first three. Came back empty the last time as the car ahead of me finished the Job. We got back to camp about It: 30, had some hot coffee and went to bed. I received a letter from Louis and a picture of his boy. He look* like a husky, healthy little fellow. I would like to see him. I have not got a picture of Harold yet. We have plenty to eat almost all the time. I am enclosing our Xmas bill of fare. Did you get the one I sent you of Thanksgiving? We received of the U. S. for Xmas two turkeys, nuts, figs and dates. It came the day after Xmas so we will have them for New Year’s. As concerns eats, I don’t think anyone over here has to go without' food. When we are out to the extreme posts at the third line trenches we eat down in the cave with the doctors and stretcher bearers. Sometimes when we are over-worked we get hungry before we get where we can eat, but we don’t kick about that.

By the looks qf things now, Italy and Russian troubles, I will ask yoa to reserve a place in the old soldiers’ home for me, as when I get back I will b*» abou* eir v or eighty-three years old. Ha, ha, I enlisted for the fini.-n «. the war and will stay until it is finished. I have not discovered any lice or gray-backs yet, absolutely no “greenbacks.” I don’t believe a soldier has “greenbacks.” Ha. ha. 1 have looked mysel f over several time* but none there. I have plenty of soap, etc., but no powder to use after shafting. We meet some Americans occasionally. The kaiser did not haTe dinner ready 'or ns in Berlin Xmas so we ate our own. Hu, ha. Wo got another word that we would return to the front (date censored). Will write later. Answe- soon. Yoiir son, VERN C. DAVISSON. S. S. U. 9. Convois Autos, Par B. M. C., France. p. 8. —Tea, our mall Is all reatt before it is put in the mail ho* hy the lieutenant. Tour letters ar% not bothered-