7
VARIED EXPERIENCES OF OREGON BOYS ARE TOLD IN LETTERS
THE SUNDAY OliEGOXIAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 8, 1918.
French Women Are Lauded
by Portland Soldier.
Pathetic Incidents Impress Captain
K. C. Sammons.
one is idle in France and they
does are doing their bit. This is the
Impression of the country acresa the
fceas as set down by Captain E. C. Sam
mons, eon of Mrs. May J. Sammons, 69
East Eighteenth street.
Before the war Captain Sammons
was assistant cashier at the United
States National Bank, leaving there to
enter the first officers' training camp
at the Presidio. Minus previous mili
tary experience, he won a Captaincy
lie is a former member of The Orego
nian news staff.
"July 14 was celebrated in this little
town with an impressive ceremony." he
writes, "In each commune each widow
or mother who has lost a husband or
son in the war during the previous
year is awarded with a diploma or
proclamation.
"After church services nearby all
the people in the village were as
sembled in the square and the Mayor,
assisted by an American Colonel, pre-
and a fearless lad with .much of the
soldier-man about him.
"It was after he was gone that I
gathered the things by his bedside
things that had been removed from his
uniform pockets.
"How interested your son was in each
of you and how proud he was of his
marine corps! Most worthy, too, was
his pride in those marines, for they
have been fighting valiantly and have
done excellent work.
"I have been twice to visit your son s
grave where he lies in a beautiful spot
chosen for the little cemetery, and in
the company of other brave and hon
ored American men. Flowers were
there and fresh ones are brought al
most daily by the French women and
children in living expression of their
affectionate appreciation of our men.
"You have given so tremendously in
giving your eon to bring right and jus
tice to the world: I cannot nope 10
bring you comfort, but maybe the griel
will be less hard knowing that the boy
was attended with love, with nursing
and medical care.
Late Lieutenant Lambert
Wood True Inspiration.
Mother Here Receives Last Letter
Written by Her Gallant Son.
................. .
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Captain E. C. Sammons. of Port
land. Who Writes Interesting;
Letter From France.
Silk Canvas From Hun Plane
Brings Message.
Novel Letter to Parents Written by
Portland Boy In France.
sented these poor sorrow-stricken
women their pieces of paper. Think of
It there were 27 in line! And this in a
village of 1000 persons. It is said that
100 have been killed in the war to
date and another 150 from the village
are at the front.
"France is at war. I know, I've seen.
I saw these wonderful women march
tip silently, sadly, but I dare say proud
ly and receive their outward evidences
of loss. Poor, poor, brave France.
"These people are wonderful, now
that we have come to knew them.
Some of their little customs make us
shy of them at first, but their true
characters are admirable. They seem
perfectly content and go uncomplain
ingly about their work with no show
ox sorrow, unless one can read it in
their very quietude.
"They smile and are cheerful to us.
They don't wear their grief on their
sleeves. Our men have come to love
them.. They have been taken into the
French homes and been shown every
courtesy.
"There is not an idle person or an
idle animal in France. Even the dogs
work. Hitched to some little hay wagon
or market cart they trundle along
with smiles on their faces just like
the people.
"Old men. tottering with age, old,
wrinkled and toothless women and
young women and youngsters of all
ages and descriptions they all do their
part. I have seen women at work
haying, carrying loads that would
probcbly stump me, husky as I am.
Our average American girls would col
lapse under such conditions.
"During the long evenings, one does
not see French women sitting on their
porches, rocking and Idling away their
time. They always have their knitting
or their patchwork.
"And they are tremendously thrifty.
Kot a thing goes to waste, down to the
tiniest piece of wood or paper, or rag.
Apparently they have plenty of funds,
but they simply can't get things, so
must save. Money won't buy the things
It does in the States. The French peo
ple probably could live on the wastage
of the United States before the war.
"I hope Just for thriftiness' sake
that the shoe will pinch Americans
hard. It would be a good thing. The
most useful thing that will come to
us as a result of the war is a proper
sense of values. It will make us realize
not only the value of a dollar, but of
life and health.
"I'm well, despite the fact that I'm
not getting as much exercise as when
I was in the 'line.' I continue my
calisthenics morning and evening and
always have an appetite, keep my
weight and healthy color. Am get
ting plenty of good food, amid the
most cheerful of surroundings, have a
good bed and a neat room, plenty of
writing material and a host of cor
respondence so why should I worry?
"I haven't any hope of the war ter
minating this year. I think, however,
that Spring will see the end. If Aus
tria cracks there may . be a blow-up
this Fall, but that is doubtful. An
other year is my guess."
0 KB of the novel letters from France
is that recently received by the
parents of Leonard A. Pinard, a Port
land boy who formerly worked for the
Northwest Steel Company, it is writ
ten on a fragment of silk, from the
wing of a German war plane, brought
down by French airmen.
The young soldier is with Headquar
ter's Company, 148th Field Artillery.
He is the grandson of Oregon pioneers
and his home is at 524 Rhone street.
"We have been on this line for nearly
a month now," he writes, "and are
surely seeing a lot. Being a motor out
fit, we get around quite a bit, and are
always on the move. We are holding
positions now where the Germans were
driven out on one day and we came In
the next. They had to leave in a
mighty big hurry, and left lots of ma
terial behind them, also lots of dead
Germans and horses they didn't have
time to bury. There are lots of newly
made German graves. scattered around
here, each with its little cross and the
inscription, 'For the Kaiser.'
"The woods are full of German dug
outs, and it is very interesting to go
through them. Rifles, blankets, and
all kinds of stuff, souvenirs enough to
fill a battleship, are scattered every
where. (They generally leave a sol
dier's helmet on his grave.) Tell Dad
I have a dandy German rifle I picked
up, and that I would like much to get
it home.
"This silk canvas I am writing on is
a piece of a wing of a German airplane
which a French aviator brought down
near our guns. That Boche will never
fly again."
THE last letter written by Lieutenant
Lambert Wood, killed in action July
18, has been received by his mother.
Mrs. Elisabeth Lambert Wood, of Gar
den Home. Full of enthusiasm over the
fight his regiment put up in holding
the Germans at Chateau-Thierry, the
letter is a splendid reflection of the
fighting spirit of the American soldier.
Lieutenant Wood was a graduate of
Portland Academy and a son of Dr. W.
L. Wood, prominent physician. He went
across with the first American expe
ditionary force.
"Still out, thank heaven, hope we
get a long rest," the letter says, "we
need it. We have had many wonderful
things said about us by the great Gen
eral, by the conventions of Mayors of
French towns we saved and by states
men. "Our own Colonel, a distinguished
soldier, said that to command the Ninth
regiment after our magnificent fight
for nearly '40 days was the greatest
honor he ever expected to have.
"The hardships and dangers we en
PORTLAND BOY WHO WROTI
LETTK R ON WIST. FRAG
MENT FROM DESTROYED
Hl'N PLANE.
Corporal Mac Boulanger's
Regiment Twice Cited.
Hans Retreat So Fast Leave Half
Equipment Behind -He Says.
:; j , ' a
Leonard A. Pinard. of Headquar
ters Company, 148th Field Ar
tillery. -
LETTERS from Corporal Max L.
Boulanger, now serving in the
148th Field Artillery, give indication
of the success of the Americans in driv
ing back the Hun hordes in France and
of the scenes encountered as the boys
take possession of land and villages
wrested from the Germans. Plenty of
chancen exist to obtain interesting
souvenirs, he says, but it is useless to
gather them, as the fighting man has
no place to keep them.
Corporal Boulanger is & son of Mrs.
P. Boon. 650 Northrup street, and has
been serving as an interpreter, as he
speaks the French language. He en
tered the service as a volunteer in
June. 1917, enlisting in the cavalry.
He was later transfered to the Ord
nance Corps, with the 148th Regiment,
Field Artillery. His regiment has twice
been cited for its splendid work.
"We have been at the front since I
last wrote you about three weeks ago,"
Corporal Boulanger wrote, six weeks
ago, "and we have been on the move
half the time. Our infantry has been
advancing with such speed that it is
all we can do to keep up with them. We
certainly are going after the Boches in
rreat style. They have never retreated
so fast up to now that they leave half
of their equipment behind. I have
been through their dugouts and places
where they had been two days before
and I could have picked up all kinds
of souvenirs but had no place to keep
them.
"I went through a village of about
one hundred dwellings yesterday and
there was not one house standing whole
after having been shelled a couple, of
days before.
"Our regiment is doing great work.
It has been cited twice already by the
French commander and once more will
entitle us to wear a citation cord. By
the way, we now are wearing our gold
service stripe on our left sleeve on
account of six months' Bervice in
France. I do not know how many
more we are apt to wear but if we go
dured and they were not light seem
as nothing, though we were among
those few thousand devoted Americans
who saved Paris and perhaps the whole
outcome of the war. We do not talk
much about it, but deep down in our
hearts we believe it.
"We know the conditions as they
were. Instead of being forced back we
hurled back many Hun attacks and dur
ing the time we were in, forced the
enemy back two kilometers on a front
of eight kilometers and took 1400 pris
oners and killed thousands more.
"I started this letter hours ago, but
so many brother officers have been
running in for visits that I could not
finish. . We are so happy to see each
other again and so childishly glad t
be alive.
"It is such a fine feeling to know
that you are respected and liked by the
officers who belong to the best fighting
regiment of the best division in the A
E. F., all of whom, tested in the fire
of real battles, have not been found
wanting. We are almost like children,
laughing and talking and kidding each
other."
A letter of condolence and sympathy
from Colonel L. S. Upton came soon
after the letter from Lieutenant Wood.
"Lieutenant Wood was killed while
leading his command In action in the
Allied advance south of Soissons, Jul
18," the letter says. "His death was in
stantaneous. "The regiment lost a courageous and
gallant officer, beloved alike by his fel
low officers and his men. His conduct
during this battle, and in former en
gagements with his regiment, has been
of the highest order and an inspiration
to all about him.
"The officers and men of the Ninth
United States Infantry extend to you
their heartfelt sympathy."
to please me. ' I slept on a real bed
with such a downy mattress that I
dreamt of floating on a pure white
cloud and bumping into the sun. I
awoke to find madamoiselle opening
the shutters and the morning sun shin
ing in my face. She said the air was
so fine in the morning that it would
be a crime to sleep with a closed shut
ter. Guess she was right.
"Little Marcelle adopted me, and it
almost broke her little heart when 1
had to leave. Was sorry not to stay
for the fete for there were no Amer
icans to thank the people for their con
sideration. "A French officer told me that girls
in France are encouraged to become ac
quainted with American soldiers and
marry them later, when possible. They
admire the United States so much that
it almost amounts to love. The better
class think we are wonderful to come
to fight for their beloved France.
"There is a rule here that when we
go on pass we take our white bread
with us. In the cafe at which-we ate
we gave the lady some of our white
bread and she was almost overwhelmed
with Joy. There is no white bread in
France except that for our troops, and
the French people place a higher value
upon it than we do on cake at home.
Theirs is real war bread and not make-believe."
Oregon Soldier Dies in Cal
ifornia Camp.
Star on Masonic Honor Roll at Salem
- - Represents Chester Wilcox.
A GOLD star represents Chester Wil
cox on the honor roll at the Masonic
Temple at Salem. Mr. Wilcox was
manager of the. poultry farm at the
State Hospital, Salem, and formerly me, and that is a few handkerchiefs.
picturesque old chateau with wide
Btone steps and ivy-covered walls. . .
I have been in France five months, and
while I cannot carry on a conversation
and am not thinking of writing a book
in French, still I can manage to make
myself understood, and that's more
than I could do when I arrived. I study
every day." In response to Mayo's sug
gestion prior to his departure that she
would knit him a sweater. Captain
Moore writes his little girl friend: "Do
not make me a sweater. I have more
now than I can ever wear. But I'll
tell you what you can make and send
Portland Dentist Promoted
to Captain in Army.
IDr. James Hsrvey Johnson Writes I
of Work In France. I
lived in Portland. Because of a slight I It is next to impossible to get things
French Villagers Praise
American Soldiers.
Tribute Paid to 65th Artillery When
Town is Left.
W
Edward Cecil Died Hero
With Fighting Marines.
Red Cross Nurse In France Pens
Touching Tribute to Soldier That
Parents May Know Life Not Given
in Vain. .
EUGENE, Or Sept. 7. (Special.)
Lillian J. Blackwell, a Red Cross
nurse In France, has written Mrs. V. G.
Cecil, of Eugene, a letter telling of the
death of Mrs. Cecil's son. Edward.
"Several times during he past few
days I hav tried to write you concern
ing your son," the letter states. "I feel
incapable, but know, that you will wish
to hear and I am hoping that you al
ready have received such word that I
am not bringing you the first knowl
edge of his death.
"On the first day of July be was
brought to us wounded in his left
shoulder and arm. The surgeon, doc
tors and nurses gave him immediate at
tention and did for him quite all that
skill and science could advise. For
some reason he did not respond to the
treatment as we hoped he might.' He
did not complain of great pain, nor do
I think he suffered intensely. It Just
seemed that hewas too weak to make
the nesessary" fight and he slipped
away so very fast, the end coming
about a quarter of 2 the morning of
July 3.
"I can't tell you exactly how it Is,
but these boys seem to meet the giving
up of their lives quite as if it were an
Incident in the larger life of all eter
nity, and not as the marked culmina
tion of all things of this earth as we
have been accustomed to regard It.
Xour boy seemed to ma a. very young
... nmm,.HLLUU..:?-. -vv-wwyw:'VVJ 4
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Edwin Francis Cecil, of the Sixth
I'nlted States Marines, a Eugene
Boy. Who Made Supreme Sacri
fice In France-
Oregon Boy Sees Historic
Old French Estate.
Sergeant Hargreaves Writes of In
teresting Sunday Outing.
ORTHY tribute it is that when the
Sixty-fifth Artillery, Coast Ar
tillery Corps, came to leave a village
in France, where it had been billeted
for three months, the municipality is
sued a farewell message of cordial good
wishes.
The text of the farewell greeting has
been sent home by Caryl Heslin, son
of Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Heslin, Fairview,
Or. The young man was formerly an
Oregonlan carrier at Fairview. He is
now with the Supply Company of the
Sixty-fifth Artillery.
In enclosing the farewell address he
says, "We've sure been treated fine
by the people here. The old people
have treated us like a part of the fami
ly, always watching over us and taking
care of us when we came in hot and
tired or sick."
Characteristic paragraphs from the
tribute of the French to this bunch of
American fighters follow:
"Our children will never forget you
large boys who stayed with the chil
dren and took them into their arms and
gave them caresses and bon bons, and
no doubt these children brought sweet
remembrances of home.
. "Our young ladies will keep sacred
the memory of your good "graces, of
your gaiety and of your courtesies,
truly chivalrous.
"Our poor will also regret the de
parture of those who so generously
gave. We love you, we all will re
gret your departing and we will ac
company you with our best wishes
wherever you may go.
We all have admired the good har
mony which exists among the officers
and men, and the exact discipline, fully
observed, notwithstanding the great
familiarity existing between officers
and men.
"And we also extend our thanks to
have been permitted to admire every
day the good carriage of the officers
and troops, the parades, and the- re
views with the noble flag of 'The Stars
and Stripes,' which already on the
battlefield floats in " union with our
glorious tricolor.
"Receive our ' farewell, American
friends, and we wish from the bottom
of our hearts that health, happiness and
glory will follow you, and you leave
remembrances which will make you
considered as one of our beloved fam
ily."
like hankys over here.
Captain Moore tells of the esteem and
real affection in which the French hold
the Americans. "It gets under my skin
and I thrill like I do when I see our
own colors, to hear the shouts of the
French, 'Vive l'Amerique," " he writes.
Private Edward Long Plays
; ' Baseball in England.
We Had the Time of Our Lives,"
Writes Soldier to His Mother.
HOW they are bringing the good old
game of baseball into England,
heart murmur a year ago he was de
nied the privilege of serving his coun
try, but was drafted into the Army
August 1 and a week later passed the
physical examination at Camp Fremont,
Cal. On August 26 he died of pneu
monia Mr. Wilcox was a graduate of Lincoln
High School, Portland, and Oregon Ag
ricultural College, where he specialized
in poultry husbandry. His work at the
State Hospital as manager of the poul
try plant was a distinct success. Be
fore his death he was offered the man
agement of a large stock and poultry
ranch in California.
Mr. Wilcox was engaged to be -married
to Miss Nell Sykes, of Salem, An
rfA,TZn r,iV: 7.. hi. T where "icket has hitherto held sway, is
was to have taken place after his re-I ... , .
1 related in a letter from Private Edward
a letter to his mother, Mrs. Edward
Long, of 358 San Rafael street. The
letter is ' dated "somewhere In Eng
land." ":Well, we had the time of our lives,"
writes Private Long of the ball game,
"and were certainly treated nicely. Our
headquarters were at the best hotel in
town a nd we had dinner in fhe large
banquet hall with the Mayors of two
towns present, prominent men and
women and the Canadian officers' base
ball team and our own.
"There was a large crowd on the
field when we arrived I should say
about 000 people, for the gate re
ceipts were 150 at Is 6d a person. As
soon as we came on the field the band
played 'The Star-Spangled Banner and
everyone arose with hats off. After 15
minutes' practice the game started, and
it sure was exciting, as the score was
a tie until the last inning."
r t
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lyif I ' i J i J I
f fr1 ff--i-i-.'fiftTi"i.OTr t
Chester Wilcox. O. A. C. Gradu
ate, Who Died In Service.
American Troops Greeted
Warmly in Italy.
Alfred J. Young Writes of Flower
' Strewn Streets.
D1
JOHNSON.
who recently practiced dentistry
in Portland, with offices In the Med
ical building, and who was commis
sioned a First Lieutenant in the United
States Army when he enlisted with
Base Hospital Unit No. 46. has been
promoted to a captaincy, and is now
taking a special course in jaw surgery
at a large Army Bchool "somewhere in
France," according to word received
here recently by his wife, who resides
at 531 Montgomery Drive.
After leaving Portland last Septem
ber. Captain Johnson was stationed for
some time at Camp Kearney, Cal. He
was made a captain on June 7, while
still In the United States, and left for
France on June 12. He did not cross
the Atlantic with the Base Hospital
Unit.
Captain Johnson writes interestingly
of his life In France. Upon arrival
there, he says, he spent almost a month
in the city of Blols, where he was en
tertained a number of times by Mon
sieur George Delemare, a noted poet
turn from the service.' Funeral cere
monies were held in Salein.
Yankees Have Little Fear of
German Bullets.
Raymond V. Williams Writes of
Former College -Men Now ' la
France. , . f
Portland Youth Succumbs in
Hospital in England.
Herbert Parker Dies After Brief Ill
ness. Comrade Reports. -
HERBERT PARKER, son of Mr. and
Mrs. A. W. Quinn, of this city, died
at a hospital in Winchester, England,
July 27, according to a letter which
was received by Mrs. Quinn Friday
from Gordon Russell, of that place.
Herbert Parker was reared in Dufur,
Or., and in The Dalles, but at the time
of his enlistment was a resident of
this city.
Parts of. the letter telling of his
death are quoted here:
"Herbert Parker passed away at the
hospital here on July 27. He was evi
dently taken ill. very suddenly, as he
was only admitted to the hospital July
24. I have asked one of his companions
who knew him well and respected him
J highly to write to you about him and
T71ROM France comes a letter from i you will not doubt hear from him soon
Jj Sergeant R. E. Hargreaves, writ-' "It was my sad privilege to officiate
. . I at the funeral, which took place July
w uio iuuiuci, jura. jn. .riargreaves, i
9Rft Hlpth Tivantt.fh , . . 11 : I
- . ... ai.i, iciiljlg
260
of an invitation one Sunday recently,
with some other American boys, to
spend the day at the home of a Duke,
who lives on an estate about 30 miles
from where the company is billeted.
It was by request of the Duke's daugh
ter that the boys received the invitation.
"It doesn't seem as if a year had
passed since we unloaded from the
boat and started across England,"
writes Sergeant Hargreaves. "Time
surely does fly. We had three days off
around Fourth of July, practically to
do as we pleased. All unnecessary duty
was suspended, so we did considerable
tunning around.
"Last Sunday six of us visited an
old historic tower and estate of some
Duke about 30 miles from here. This
Duke's daughter (whatever her title
might be) requested that a party of
American soldiers spend the day as her
guests and I happened to be lucky
enough to get in on the party. It was
interesting to look the place over and
learn its history. There are many such
places around here, but we do not
have time to do much touring, as we
are in the Army now."'
i r
after the Boches the way we have been
doing for a month, I am sure we will
not wear many more.'
Advances were still the order of the
day when Corporal Boulanger later
wrote as follows:
"We have been on the front now for
nearly a month and we have had plenty
of excitement. I assure you. I am at
present attached to the operations of
fice and I am right in the midst of big
guns and believe me when they are all
firing there is a continual roar, not
mentioning the enemy's guns. I have
seen dozens and dozens of Boche planes
fly over us but they never come near
us without our givlng-them a good bar
rage and we have dropped several of
their aviators.
"We are not statsned long at one
place, as we keep -advancing as the
Boche retreat. I hope that by the
time this reaches you we will have ad
vanced a good many more kilometers.
Our advance since we have been in the
fight ha been, about 20 kilometers," - i
Oregon Boy Samples French
Hospitality.
Admiration for . United States Is
Almost Love, Writes J. B. Hnlae.
Herbert Parker. Who Gave His
Life for His Country.
JOSEPH B. HULSE. an Oregon boy,
who formerly lived at Klamath
Falls, who enlisted at San Francisco,
and was sent to France about a year
ago with the 37th Aero Squadron,
writes to friends In Portland under date
of July 7, from Issondeen. France:
"Was on guard the Fourth, but got
a 23 hour pass for the next day and
went to Saint Ceinond, situated In a
beautiful valley of the White moun
tains, under Mont Blanc, set In the
richest verdure of any region I have
ever seen. The hotels were full, for
the people were giving a fete In honor
of the United States, so there were no
rooms to be had but being lucky 1
stopped to talk to a little (six years
exactly) French girl, and her mother
came out to see what it was all about.
After explanations nothing would do
but that I should stay with them. They
were so nice and bo exerted .themselves
30. The cemetery is oh high ground
overlooking a wonderful expanse of
charming country. There sleep about
B0 Americans who have given their
lives for righteousness and their coun
try. The women of Winchester have
taken it upon themselves to take care
of those sacred graves and they will
tend them lovingly and watch over
them as if they were their own sons.
"The funeral services were simple
but very impressive. The casket was
carried on the shoulders of American
soldiers who laid it, draped in an Amer
ican flag, on the gun carriage pro
vided by the British, and drawn by six
black horses. Before the carriage went
the firing party and the chaplain with
a soldier on horseback preceded the
gun carriage, and three other soldiers
rode on the horses which drew the
carriage. When near the grave the
bearers carried the casket and then the
Bervice was read, at the end of which
the firing squad fired three volleys
over the grave and the bugler sounded
. . . .... ... ,
T IEUTENANT Raymond U. Williams,
J of the 18th Field Artillery, a for
mer Oregon Agricultural College stu
dent, writes of former college men and
some of his experiences In France in
a letter to his mother, Mrs. H. E.
Gilham, of 1191 East Ash street, Port
land. The letter was dated July 25
and was written on the flyleaf of his
notebook.
"Yesterday I caught a glimpse of a
profile, -which I recognized as that of
our old acquaintance. Major McAlex
ander, of O. A. C," reads the letter.
"He was talking with Major Johnson,
of whom I ' have spoken as succeed
ing Colonel McAlexander at O. A. C.
and who is Major of our battalion.
"I was talking today with, a French
Captain who trained Colonel McAlex
ander's regiment before entering in the
lines. He praised his work to the
skies and favored his promotion to
General. Major Johnson is a prince,
and we all like him.
"War is a terrific waste, and many
towns are in ruins. A French officer
borrowed my field glasses today to
look at a town. He took one glimpse
and then returned them, saying he
couldn't look on the scene of devasta
tion. Stone buildings centuries old are
crushed to the ground. Our houses
could ' not stand the bombardments
these buildings get three minutes.
"You are now enjoying the good
news of our advance. We are follow
ing closely on the heels of our in
fantry, ' which is pushing forward so
fast that we have a hard time keep
ing up with them with our big guns.
It is move every day and sleep every
night in our 'pup tents.'
The airplanes are wonderful. They
do not hesitate to fly in cloudy weather.
rain, and even strong air currents.
ALFRED J. YOUNG has arrived
safely in Italy, according to a let
ter received by his father and mother,
Mr. and Mrs. I. H. Young, of this city.
Mr. Young was formerly superin
tendent of the Barton Packing Com
pany of Seattle. Following his en
listment, he was sent to Washington,
D. C, where he passed several -months
in Camp Meigs. He is now in the Quar
termaster's Detachment of the Ambu
lance Service of the First Division of
American troops to land in Italy.
"On the afternoon of the day of our
arrival," he writes, "we disembarked
and paraded through the streets of the
city. No notice had been given ou
before noon of our coming, but th
news spread quickly, for the streets
were banked with people. We were the
first Americans in Italy and the peo
ple gave us a routing welcome. I trod
the 'flowery path' once at least, for
the streets were strewn with, flowers.
"I am in the commissary depart
ment. The work is interesting, and so
far has kept all of us pretty busy, for
the Yankee boys have some appetites.'
: i . - h
Dr. James H. Johnson, Promoted
to Captaincy.
and literary man of France, whose
most recent work has become the sea
son's hit on the French stage.
Base Hospital Unit No. 46, he writes,
has been increased until it is now four
times as large as when it left Port
land, and is now serving near the front
line trenches, in charge of a hospital
with the most modern equipment.
Captain Johnson lived in Portland
since he was a very small, boy. He is
a graduate of North Pacific Dental
College, of this city.
Maid of Orleans Started at
This Place.
Sergeant W. J. JIald Writes From
Old Home Town of Joan of Arc.
Soldier's Memories of Port
land Pleasant. .
Private L. G. Moyer Proud of City
of Former Residence.
XUST before sailing overseas, Pri
tl vate L. G. Moyer, Company B,
68th Engineers, formerly of 482 Skid-
more street, Portland, wrote briefly. to
The Oregonlan in praise of this city
and its climate as compared with what
he had encountered since enlistment.
"First of all 1 am a resident of Port
land," Private Moyer wrote, "and I am
proud of it because of the drives she
has made in every war move and be
cause no place I have visited can begin
to compare with it for climate, roses.
timber, rivers and fishing."
Private Moyer enlisted though above
draft age. He was first sent to Fort
Lawton and thence to Camp Leach,
Washington, D. C, where he was as
signed to his present unit.
Handkerchiefs Are Hard to
Get in France.
Ex-Portland Man Writes of Life In
War-Torn 'Land.
PORTLANDERS who remember C
H. Moore, or Charlie Moore, as he
was fraternally called during his stay
here as division commercial superin
tendent of the Pacific Telephone & Tel
egraph Company, in 1913, will learn
with interest that he is now Captain
Moore, acting Major of the 411th Tele
graph Battalion, somewhere in
France." In a letter to Mayo Methot,
Captain Moore tells in interesting detail
of his work over there. When Captain
Moore was president of the Ad Club,
in 1913, Mayo was officiallyappointed
the Portland Rosebud to accompany
the delegates from the Ad Club back to
Philadelphia for the National conven
tion. Always eince then. Captain
Moore, who four years ago moved to
Oakland in the telegraph service, has
corresponded with little Miss Methot.
Parts of Captain Moore's letter tell of
the wonderful voyage from San Fran
cisco to New York and then across the
Atlantic. He tells of seeing Elsie
JanlB and the splendid work she is do
ing In entertaining the soldiers at the
Y. M. C. A. huts.
."Wo are billeted,", be . writes, ."la a.
LitiLih,ti rrom the very same
Il French village that saw the out
set of Joan of Arc's military expedi
tion against the English has been re
ceived by Mr. and Mrs. David S. Stearns
of this city, from Sergeant William J,
Haid, of the 318th Engineers.
"We are stationed close by a town
with lots of historic buildings and a
wealth of history," writes Sergeant
Haid. "Joan of Arc was cast in Jail
here, and I believe, it was from this
city she reorganized the French army.
'Our camp is an ideal one, much
better than I expected to find. We
have fine showers and a dandy swim
ming hole close by. The sleeping
quarters are fine, not as comfortable
as feather beds, but, believe me, we
have no trouble sleeping.
'Of course the Y. M. C. A. have
hut here, and they are now building
fine new one. we can and do go
there when off duty to see moving
pictures and hear singing and lectures,
with good concerts three orfour times
a week. For this we all have to thank
the Portland School Teachers' Asso
ciation. They made it possible for us
to have a band, and permit me to say
r
Captain C. H. Moore, Formerly of
Portland, Now Acting; Major in
France.
that my few francs are up against
any ' of the United States bands in
France.
We have been christened by our
Major as 'the hardest-boiled bunch of
Sammies' that ever breathed the air
of France, and he is proud of every
mother's son of us. Great rivalry
exists among the various branches of
the service here, and we have some
very good athletic meets here.
The portions of France we have
seen to date are all of peasantry sec
tions, where the habits and dress are
very ancient. Boys of 12 and 13 wear
a black dress or apron over their trou
sers, and children as. well as arults
wear wooden shoes. In act, leather
shoes seem, to denote prosperity. The
homes and business houses are very
old and many of the homes have no
Oregon Soldier Tells of Life
on Battle Front.
W. E. Adams of Field Artillery Has
Exciting Experiences.
Uthe
IN the front-line trenches with
gas shells, big guns and dug
outs, W. E. Adams, of a field artillery
unit, has plenty of exciting experiences
to. tell in a letter to his aunt, Mrs.
James A. Dowling, 610 East Forty
eighth street. North. The writer is a
son of R. L. Adams, of 1232 East Gli
san street.
"The battery is in the rear taking a
rest after doing its turn at the front."
he writes under date of June 27. "It
was a busy sector and there was some
thing doing all the time. Have seen
several combats between enemy air
planes. "About 5 o'clock one morning a boche
plane came over the lines very low and
turned its machine gun on a couple of
our boys in a field. Our anti-aircraft
guns soon made him flee.
"One Sunday morning the boche de
cided not to have a day of rest. From
3 until 5 in the morning he sent across
his old nuisance gas and we had to
wear our mask for more than two
hours. In the meantime he was throw
ing other shells from his 'ashcans'
down to the three-inch guns.
The boche infantry started over the
top. Our men laid down a barrage
among the enemy out in no man's land
and did good work, I heard.
The Salvation Army, Red cross ana
Y. M. C. A. cannot get too much praise.
They follow us to the front lines. I
saw a Y. M. C. A. worker handing out
hot tea to men while boche shells were
bursting all around his flimsy tent. Ul
here the Red Cross gives us tobacco .
and writing paper free."
"We Are Busy Keeping Fritz
Busy," Writes Jay Green.
McMlnnvllle Boy Is Serving Fourth
"Hitch" in Trenches.
"I
WOULD almost risk my life for a '
good piece of cake or pie," writes
Private Jay Green, former McMlnnvllle
boy, to Portland friends. "By the time
you receive this I will be serving my
fourth 'hitch' In the trenche? but I no
longer mind it much, as I am getting
used to the big noise. I almost miss
the two big guns that used o be sta-
tioned a few yards from our dugout,
but which had to be moved because
Fritz located them.
Well, we had the time of our lives.
regiment two cats and a crow, not to
mention the cooties. The crow was
caught when young by one of our
Frenchmen and now he tags his owner
around like a dog. Don't expect to
hear from me very often, as we aro
busy keeping Fritz busy these days."
Boys in Hospital Unit Are
Safely in France.
Portland Young Men Report Thnt
They Like Country.
THE safe arrival in France of Sam
Zusman and Sampel A. Stein, both
members of the Field Hospital Unit No.
362, has been reported to friends in.
Portland. The two young men, who had
been in training at Camp Lewis fot- a
year prior to their departure overseas.
are former employes of the Meier &
rank Company store.
Sam Zusman, who is a son of Mrs. R.
Zusman, 427 Third street, writes that
France is "some country," but that the
'good old u. S. A." is good enough
for him. Mr. Stein, whose wife 1b the
daughter of Mrs. Zusman, also seems
to be delighted with the land over
there.-
Both write that they expect the war
will not last long now and that they
expect to be back in this country be
fore another year rolls around. The two
inside stairways. They have ladders I young men volunteered in the hospital
on the outside y which the second I unit in June, 1917, soon after war was
story 1 reached.". , j 1 declared.