be Mount 2Ufa ffetvgi.
fOL. XL1
MOUM1 AIRY, JfORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER It, 1918.
MO. 9
LETTERS OF INTEREST
FROM OUR SOLDIERS
IMUr from Frank Warren now in
Franc* to hi* friend John Marion, of
Mount Airy.
1 or.th Supply Train A. E. V.
August ftth, 11118.
Dear Mr. Marion:
Heard that you were tiack in (iwyna
Pharmacy and have been thinking of
th* day* when we w*rr together and
how I enjoyed working with vou. The
picture* that you showed me were
interesting, hut believe me it i* great
to *e* the real thing*. I was only in
England for a few day*, hut «aw aev
«ral of th* large town* and lot* of the
old hiatoric place*. Can't give Eng
land much (rather the people) hut
France ia the place. Of rourae it i*
juat a lit tic inconvenient trying to un
derstand their language and I feel
•aure that I ran talk to a deaf and dum
man if I ever get back to the .State*.
However we are all learning a little
■a we go along. There are no hatter
people than the French and if they
could apeak English I am aure that
they would give u* a good time. Diey
do everything that they ran to enter
tain ua that they know how. but you
know that they have no dance* and
very few show* now.
Since arriving in France I have seen
quite a little bit of it. I feel that
1 am lucky for I have already been in
Pari*. It i* wmc city believ* me
and I want to go batik if-we are ever
allowed in. You knotv that the Amer
ican* are not allowed in unless they
have apecial permiaaion, but by chance
I happened to be driving an officer and
in that way I got in. Saw several
placea that I recognized the name
from your books a* Place de la Italia
and Paris Opera House. I certainly
would like to have visited here before
it «m fine
it has not had the care that it once
had. Near the little village that I
am hillitad there,ia one of those natur
al parks with long drives and several
engraving* in the rock.
I Gum* that you have h«en reading
the papers and know more about the
war than I can write you. W? have
the New York Herald and Chicago
Tribune prinUd over here and 1 am
sure that you get the same in the
American papers. We have every
thing that you have except a few lux
eries like ice cream and cake, but you
know the French and we have plenty
of "Vin" and "Bier" to take the place
•f coco-cola. We have our own Rail
roads, bridges, keep up the roads that
we use, bakeries, trucks, touring cars,
mail*, telephone lines, canteens libar
aries, reading rooms, churches, laun
dries and entertainments of all kinds
every night. It i> really what you
might term "A Nation on Wheels" for
we are on the go and it all comes from
the DEAR OLD STATES. We are
getting good food and a plenty of it.
If any one in the States could see
what ha* been done over here in such
a short time they would realize what
a country they have to be proud of.
Rev. Dr. Hale and Elder Ashfoy are
'with me at the present and we are
•njoyinp a good old time family re
union. They are in Hdq. and I am
away from tbem for two of three
wefVj at a time. They are progress
ing fine and we do enjoy going into a
French home and "Compre and no
Compre" with the fair ladies. I think
that both will have a hard time to
leave the ladies when we start on the
homeward trip. At least they have
made a great "hit" and you should »ee
them studying French. We all have
our little dictionaries and thanks to
the man that invented the pocket dic
tionary for soldiers.
I have been billited in this little vil
lage for three weeks and like it very
much, but hase seen some towns that
appealed to me much more in my
traveling. We are exp<- I'nir to move
at any lime, but you know how it is
with a train. As yet we have not been
near the front, but for two days on
our last trip we were close enough to
hear the continuous roar of the can
non*. I "Compre" why a man doe«
not fear tho front for the cannons
seem like music and it gets one all
•xcited and he is glad to go.
I have not seen any of the Mount
Airy boys since we left Camp Seviei
in April. Had a letter from Rogei
Allred, but he could not tell me where
he was so I may have been in the sam<
town with him for a night for we art
In the same line of work. I expect tc
run Into them some time soon and will
certainly b# glad to mm them. Jim
had a Utter from Kdgar Welch aix) hr
-a111 that he likati line and Bryan
Aahby it in the Infantry with the
other Surry County boy*.
We rot our first pay day tn Franca
a week ago anil it la Home fun to rount
out Franca and Centine«. Several of
the boy* tanked up on "Cognac and
Kum" hut glad to aay that none were
from Mount Airy. Kvery boy that be
longed to the Old Co. I. have got good
place* and the majority have a N. C.
O. We were all aorroy to Ma the Co.
divided hut they all *eem to be aatis
rted at. the preaent. Moat of all we
hated to give up our officer* for there
are none better than Lt. Ilolman, Lt.
Franklin and Captain Walker. We
have good officer* now, but I believe
that every one would go back to the
old officer* of Co. I.
Have juat learned that Mr. Bala*
ha* been railed for a Chaplain. I
know that he will enjoy hie work and
I winh ulutt he could he attached to
our Train, but we do not have a chap
lain and there i* no chance.
The Y. M. C. A. and Red Cross are
the "Soldier* Friend." I can't *ee
what we would do with out either. The
Red Cro** i* doing a great work in
the Hospital* and al»o furniith can
teen*, bath*, reading and writing ma
terial. The Y. M. it every where.
They *tick like the good old time itch.
They are every where that there i* a
unit of soldier* and several in the
French trenche*. The latent thing i*
a complete Y. M. with a piano on a
flat car camaflouged up and' make*
its regular trip* to thecampa of the
Engineer* up clo*a to the front. The
'Salvation Army ia not asleep by any
eans, although they have not got aa
many "Huta" as the Y. M.
t>oe. I want you to *end me the St.
Airy paper. Tell Mr. Johnson to *end
the bill to father at Burlington. That
in about tne beat news Uiat we ran
get and it ia junt like aftalk to Home
one from home. And tell the writer
of the personal* not to leave out any
thing.
Give Mr. Gwyn, Dr. Klippin and all
the loafer* my bent regard?, and write
me all the new*.
Thanking you very Much for aaa
i ing after the paper for me.
Your* truly,
FRANK WARREN.
Letter from Hillary Harria in train
ing at Camp Wndaworth, S. C. to hin
hr«th«r. Mr. Claud Harria, of Thur
mond, N. C.
Camp Wadsworth, S. C.
Aug. 29, 1918.
Dear Brother:
Will aniiwer your letter just receiv
ed wan very glud to hear from you all.
i and to know that you are all well
! apd enjoying life.
I am feeling all O. K. am having a
i deuce of a time at the Kan school this
week. I-ast night we all took a hike
j over the hills rocks, stumps, over
! ditches, through ditches and tunnels,
I and moat everything else you might
mention, tonight we get practice in
the trenches ngnin, hut we have the
gas this time and have to give all
kinds of signals and commands. And
! ! forgot to tell you that we went
through the gas test ' in the <tas
, chamber this evening where the gas
, is supposed to be much stronger than
any we would get on the other siiie.
We also took an examination this
evening, don't know how I come out
.with it, but not very well I guess.
Was sorry to hear of Paul leaving
home, you must send me his address
when you hear from him and tell me
what he ha* to say for himself.
You wanted to know if we had a
nice place to take a bath like we did
at Camp Jackson. Well I r.hould ay
we hpven't. The place where we tak«
n bath is a smal! building with plank
I floor* and is very dirty most of the
time, but they are building some new
one.': now that will be almost as (rood
as the one1! at C. J.. Infact there 1*
.nothing fixed up nice and up-to-date
, her* like it is at C. J.
Well I didnt have time to finish
; writing yesterday evening, so I will
finish this letter tonight.
We were in the trenchcs last night
and had some interesting practice
l with our gas training. They marched
us out in the field to the trenches and
stationed us in companies in differ'
ent section. We-bad all the offtceri
(or acting officers rather) just th<
same as if we had been at the front
In K ranee. I *u In rhtrp of ana of
tha boys. About nine o'clock wo had
■ •hall cloud |M attack tha ahalla fall
all around ua and mm fall la tha
trenches and tbara waa a parfart
cloud of Kaa over and >n tha trenrhes.
aa M.on aa tha attack waa ovar and
tha tranrhaa claarad of tha they
dropped larva lira crarkara around
and in tha tranrhaa a kttle later they
rave ua mora gas of a illiferent kind,
then aa aoon aa the tram-hen were
i laared, and wa took "If our ma Ilk «
we want Sack to our tenta and went to
!>ad about 12.00 o'clock.
Today I drilled about half an hour
thia morning and have bean digging
ditches since, we worked till retreat,
than nft«r »upper I did a big wa.hing.
1 went to tha K. of C. building to •
moving picture show tonight. They
showed Kittie Hmamond and it wan
the boat moving picture ahow that I
have seen yet.
I received those papers today and
sure did enjoy reading them I am ever
so much obliged to you for sending
them to me.
Thi-ra ia nothing for me to write
that would interest you so I will cloae
for this time. Hoping to hear from
you aoon, I am,
Your loving brother,
HILARY H.
I,otter rfom i.uthrr M. Seal, now in
France to his' sister, Mini Mary Seal,
Mount Airy, N. C.
Sunday Auk- 11, 1918.
Dear Sister:
I will white you a few linen in an
swer to your nice letter* I have been
getting for the taut few (lay*. I have
had two from you and one from Lonto
since I have written you.
I am getting lot* of mail lately and
you don't know how proud I am to get
rnail from the State* If it in a little
old when I get it it's new to ma.
I have just got baric from tha front
line*. I a I »o had a liule trip out in
no man'* land while I wan up there.
We will be here for a little rest I
don't know juat how long.
You wajited to know what I did the
fourth of July, we were moving that
day. Tha war goe* on every day and
Sandajr a Ian Daa't. atop for Sunday
at all.
I guess it ia a little lonesome around
home after no many boy* being gone.
I hope we will all be back home before
long. I feel like this war will be over
before so very much longer. I think
you are doing your part to help win it.
I think that wan good work for you
and Walter Johnson to sell twenty Ave
hundred dollars worth of War Savings
Stamps in two days. I don't think
that can be beat in that country. I
have heard that Walter has been call
> ed. Guess he will be in camps before
long.
Some one wrote me that Jess Nail
wan at home now. I sure would like
to see him and hear him sing »ome. I
will never forget the good times we
U1 had together when he was at home.
I was glad to hear that every body
had good cropa around home hope
they will have good lurk in taking
care of then.
With love and best wishes to all,
LUTHER.
letter from Guy W. Sparser, now
in France to his father, Mr. Emmet
Sparger of Mount Airy, Route 3.
With the colors, in France.
Dear father:
How ire you all by now? I am well.
We hav« landed and, believe me, we
hail some trip across. I got a little
sick the first day but it did not last
long, and I felt safe all the way over.
We are now somewhere in F.ntcland
and every one appear* to be glad to
see us. They look like they are tick
led half to death to see us, and 1 ex
pect they are. This sure is a good
looking country, that is all that I have
seen of it, and lots of good looking
girls, and they act like they are crazy
about the U. S. A. boys. Most of the
girls you see are riding wheels, and
you don't see half the cars here that
you xcc hack in the states, and you
don't see many men tiding around over
here. I close hoping to hear from you
all soon. Your ion,
GL'Y W. SPARGER.
I-etter from G. H. Sheltnn to his
parents who live at Pilot Mountain.
Crmp Merritt, N. J.
Dear Parents:
I am well and enjoying the best of
health and hope you all srs well.
It I* lots cooler here than it was
I down in Georgia. It is real cool her*
I at night. There is no sand her*
to bother you about walking.
! We l*ft ramp Handcock about elev
' cn o'clock Saturday morning and ar
rived her* Sunday night about on* A.
M. We had Pullman car* to travel
on so you see we was well fixed for
sl**ping accommodations at night.
W« had meal* aarvtd to ua on the
train.
I never ditl rallM the ml benefit
of the Red Croea or T. M. C.A. until
I got in the army. Moat all town*
that *• atoppad at the Itad Crou
would have aomething for ua. At
■omt place* It would h* applaa and
pearhea, iium place. coffee and «arul
witrhe* of aome kind, and at Wa»h
Ington they had a lunch for u*.
I »aw tha Oieaapaake bay a* we
c.->me on. It *ur« waa aoma n(ht for
ma. There waa alway* aomething for
una to ha looking at eapecially if ha
had navar aaan tha country bafora. I
had a letter from Jaaaia Collin* be
for* I laft (>•., don't think ho likaa
ao wall from what he *ay*.
We aura do have good eat* her*. I
am alMtut twenty pounda heavier than
when I entered military aervice.
I do not want you to aend me any
money, you aee I had a pay day juat
before leaving Oa., I drawed 130.40
It waa a little over a month* pay.
I will rloae ana. at leiiure.
Your loving »on,
G. H. SHELTON.
Letter fronm Arthur T. Aiihburii at
Tamp Jackson, to hi* father, Mr. W.
H. Anhburn, of Silnajri.
Camp Jackson, 9. C.
My Dear Father:
I will answer your letter I received
t»<lay and wan glad to hear from you
nil. I enjoy thin fine the longer I stay
the better I like, thia is good for any
liody, it will make a man out of any
one. My self and John Key are to
gether yet they have transferred Home
of our boy*. John and myself had
nome time cooking in the kitchen yes
terday. They work every man one
day in the ki>hen down here and I
have dune cooked my day, if you do
anything wrong they will put you in
the kitchen for a week. Everything
hu to be done right. I take a bath
every day. Well I hope you all will
get a good price for your tobacco.
Train loads are coming here every
day and going out. I will write you
at once when they transfer me. Tell
mamma not to study about me, for
I am enjoying life fine. I am expect
ing to be at torn* Christmas. I don't
know what the news is up there bat
it is good down here. Are you all
taking care of my tobacco? I am sor
ry you all was hrokedown, I guess
the hardest of your work will soon be
done. We havent done much this
week, Your son, A. T. ASHBL'RN.
Thi» May be Why Your
Letter was Delayed.
By Webb Miller.
Paris, Aug. 19.— (By Mail.) Every
day tens of thousands ofletters "from
home" to the American soldiers in
France are delayed or sent astray
thru lack of sufficient or correct ad
dresses. In a large percentage of
the caaes, the mail is Anally deliv
ered, but after days and weeks of de
lay.
During the month of June, 21 per
cent of mail arriving in France for
the army was either i sufficiently or
incorrectly addressed. More than
700,000 letters and thour.and ; of sacks
I of paper mail were delayed in this
: way.
Instead of being rushed directly to
'their destination, these letters had to
{ he forwarded to the central office in
I the interior of France, where clerks
' went through directories of the expe
ditionary forces in an effort to ferret
(out the correct address. This task is
| doubly difficult because of the dupli
cation of names in the army. Kor
instance, there are 157 John Smiths,
105 Henry Browns, 95 James Wilsons,
52 Henry Jnrksons and f.o on, accord
ing to statistics complied by the post
office department. Eighty per cent
of the misaddressed June mail wa
mercly addressed "somewhere in
France" or "A. E. F."
The po«toffice department advise*
t person* writing to soldiers in France
; to include in the address the regiment
land company number and if possible,
1 the A. P. O. (Army Post Office) num
ber. The following form of address
should be used to insure quickest de
livery:
Private John Smith,
Co.. A, tfuth Regiment Inf.,
American Expeditionary Forces
A. P. O. No. (when known.)
. Otherwise mr.il is subject to In
, definite delay, while the mail clerk*
I are hunting for the correct address.
FootWork.
Brown—"What made you start
dapping when that woman stept on
your foot in the car?"
Barlow—"1 was dosing. 1 thought
mother and the girl* were having a
musicale at home and one of them was
signaling that It was time to ap
plaud*.'—Boston Transcript.
ARRIVAL OF TROOFS 19
A THRILLING SPECTACLE
Hnf« FImI of Tranapocta and
Convoya Reach Franch Fort
At Midnight.
AlMrwM Port. Weatern Fitnri,
July #1,—-Twelve o'clock at mght. *11
light* out »hnr« and afloat, heavy
rain aquall* aweeping out ta «*», and
thia icrrat port dark and ailent aa the
lataat fleet of Amirirun tranaporta
and rowvoya—18 monater ahipa, 10
deatroyera, M.OItO fighting man ami 5.
OM rraw-crewa in from tha Atlantic.
With an American army eacort wa
had climbed to a high point on the aea
front to get a glimpae of thia flrat
proceaa in tha gigantic military mig
ration from America to Europe. the
grea tart tha world haa ever known;
and then ta follow at, atep hy atap.
aa ita va«t and intricate activities un
folded up ta tha arrival of the men on
the flgbting front.
Tha wireleaa atatton had received a
cipher meaaaga giving warning of tha
approach of the fleet. It had Seer
hoped the arrival would ha in daylight
with flaga flying. ha.tda playing and
tha aun ahining, aa the American
fighting men got their flrat glimpae
of Eoropa. But thia ia no dreaa pa
rade, aaid the admiral, and there i»
no time for atage effect*.
And so at mid .ighl in the rain and
darkii*** with signal lights showing
for the Arst ti:ne lino* they left the
other aide, the huff* flotilla moved in
a long line of light* to the sheltered
roadstead. There *ai the creak of
windlass and chain* as the anchor*
gripped.
And yet this midnight arrival in the
darknes* and rain is only one of the
»ady ruccesslon of great armada*
coming every three and four day*, in
the colossal American military influx
which Secretary Baker givei at 275,
000 man for a single month. These
35,000 men just in are the population
of a good sized city; twice as many
men as we sent to Cuba for the Spani
sh-American war;; about half the for
ce Napoleon had at Waterloo when the
ilestiniaa of Europe wore m the scale.
I And while thia is one of the record
[ debarkments, yet it is only a small
part of that mighty stream coming in
from the west. It ia un preceded mag
nitude of such a military movement,
across the ocean, in the face of sub
marines, that has thrilled the allied
world and broken the spirit of the ad
versary.
It was a stirring scene in the harbor
the morning following as the trans
ports unloaded their 34,000 men. The
sky had cleared and the huge hulls of
the transports loomed out of the midst
their funnels puffing black smoke,
their sides painted with fantastic
camouflage, and their deck* rising like
terrace* crowded with khaki-clad
Americans in their broad brimmed
sombreros. The destroyers had drawn
off and were lying bunched 10 across.
They looked diminutive besides the
big ships, but their power showed in
the glint of guns and the long. lean
build like a greyhound stretched for
action. Further back were the French
war*hips.
All about were innumerable small
craft, army and navy tugs, lighter*,
launches, and a flotilla of Ashing craft
with their nets hanging to dry like
huge sails of lace. Back of thin wa
ter scene stretched the huge American
warehouses, sprung up like mush
i rooms, until the whole front was black
I with buildings and the skeletons of
I more buildings. Already the lighters
I were alongside and the soldiers came
I tramping down the gangways to go
: ashore.
The Americans found this port
without any system of big docks.
A few of the smaller ships can come
to the docks, but most of the unload
ing from the deep-draught ships must
be by lighters. The American com
manders are planning to change all
! this, and soon the long breakwater
i will be linked to the land by bridges,
| thus creating at a stroke a huge
docking system by which the Ameri
I ran troops will march straight ashore
from the ships.
A lighter was now pushed off. with
'nil troops packed on it like the crowd
at a holiday procession. Then men
| were feeling gay, for they were about
to step on solid ground again, and to
have their first look at France and be
sides they had the regimental band
which was sending "TVe A tar Kpan
gled Bannar" echoing over the water
Every head was bared as the strain*
of the anthem went up. Over the men
floated a hufe dirigible balloon point
ing out to sea in queat of a submarine
The soldiers gasad at as the first sign
ot warfare. After it roae two hydro
planes, like monster beetles, joined in
the seach for suhaaarines.
Now the lighters were at the docks
and with the tula out tha men <■ I imbed
up 20 fact la the wharvaa. A» they
fail in for tha march u> ramp ihay had
an earnest, quizzical look, for thla »ai
tha first eight than* men of tha naw
world ware taking of tha aid world
moat of (ham from Iowa, Nebraska
and tha mkfcfla waat.
Carman Effectiveness ia
Lowtrtd to Swrioua Point
With tha American Inyi in Franca,
Sept. 4. Every evidence obtainable
hy tha Americana an thay prase upon
the German arm lea point* to tha con
tinuous and ivtrmurt rapid wra*an
in* moral# of tha cnamy troop* and
tha lowering of their effectivenesa to
a aeriou* point. The American mili
tary authontM* draw thia conclusion
in shortening tha lina by voluntary
withdrawal*, ita enforcement of long
er tour* of duty in the front trenchaa
upon the troop*, the combing of tha
service for infantrymen, the disband
ing of -form battalion* to bolster up
inferior diviaion* and even the usa of
Austrian troop* on tha western front.
At laaat aaven German division*
have been tiabanded so that the men
might ha uaad to replace losses sua
tainad during tha summer campaign.
Some pa rate regimenta have been
broken up alio. Prisoner* declare
that the practice of forming storm ba
ttalion* so weakened the infantry re
(P'nen'K thnf it had tn he fiven ip.
The number of German divisons
classified as tested It appears, haa
dropped rapidly from H.1 on July until
it stood at 50 on Augu»t 24. Twenty
nine of these divisions were originally
designated an first class, hut only 13
were no designated on the August
date. Seven of these had only had
two weeks rent at that time. In many
cases German division* have had to
remain in the line for long period*,
and fully 150 of the first tine divisions
ha ve be<n fighting continuously from
2't to 4 months.
A raptured document show* that a
plan has been projected to disband the
fourth company of every battalion
which has fallen below 650 men, re
ducing the battalion to three compan
ies. The advantage at this plan. It is
pointed oat by German officers, la that
the arrangement would raault in les
sened needs for officers. Equipment
and men will thus be available to All
up the depleted units, which it is hop
ed to retain, although the strength of
trench companies haa fallen to from
AO to 75 men.
Baker in France Again to
Viait American Army.
Washington, Sept. 8.—The War de
partment today announced the arrival
in France of Secretary Baiter, accom
panied by an official party, including
John D. Ryan, assistant secretary in
charge of aircraft, and Major General
Gorgaj, surgeon genera] of the army.
Mr. Baker and his party made the
trip on an army transport which ear
ried its usual quota of soldiers to
Prance. Before leaving this country
the war secretary said the personnel
of his party would make plain the
purpose of his second visit to France
and that he hoped the trip would net
keep him away from the United
1 Mat** tor a very ion* perioa.
It is understood that Mr. Ryan went
, abroad for the purpose of familiarix
| ing himself with the airplane situation
overseas and to inspect the factories
I engaged in building planes for1 the
American army. Surgeon General
Gorges will inspect the American
army hospitals overseas.
| Brigadier General Frank T. Hines,
chief of the embarkation service, who
, also accompanied Mr. Baker, will visit
the American ports of debarkation in
, France to acquaint himself with
facilities and conditions in those
| places.
Lieut. Col. Geortre H. Baird. mili
tary aide to Mr. Baker, also is in the
. secretary's party.
This is Mr. Baker's second visit to
' the American army in France.. Sev
1 <-ral months ago he spent some time
1 abroad inspecting the ports at which
American troops and supplies are
I landed; the lines of communication
l-etweer. these ports and the army at
the front and the army itself,
Haywood and 92 Others
Are in Federal Prison.
Leavenworth, Kan.. Sept. 7.—•Wil
liam D. Haywood, secretary of the In
dustrial Worker* of the world, and ftt
other members of the organiration,
convicted in Chicago on charges of
voilatiag the espionage art, were re
ceived tnot the federal penitentiary
here this afternoon. Haywood de
clared the recent bomb explosion in
Chicago was very unfortunate and op
portune for the emn under sentence
and that because of the occurrence
they had been harried to prison.