Beara tn Bellefonte, Pa., November 1, 1918. om Te Correspondents.—No communications published unless accompanied by the real mame uf the writer. P. GRAY MEEK, Editor. Terms of Subscription.—Until further aotice this paper will be furnished to sub- seribers at the following rates: ; Paid strictly in advance $1.50 Paid before expiration of year - 1.75 Paid after expiration of year - 2.00 DEMOCRATIC TICKET. For Governor. EUGENE C. BONNIWELL, Philadelphia. For Lieutenant Governor. J. WASHINGTON LOGUE, Philadelphia. Secretary of Internal Affairs. ASHER R. JOHNSON, McKean County. Congress At Large. JOSEPH F. GORMAN, Lehigh County, FRED IKLER, Columbia County, J. CALVIN STRAYER, York County, SAMUEL R. TARNER, Allegheny County. Congress. Wm. E. TOBIAS, Clearfield County. Senator. MATTHEW SAVAGE, Clearfield County. Representative. JOHN NOLL, Bellefonte. A REAL NEWSY LETTER FROM FRANCE. Robert Willard Tells How Many Bellefonte Boys are Getting Along. There isn’t a day goes by but the father and mother who has a son in France thinks of that boy and won- ders just what “he is doing now.” In the following letter written by Robert Willard to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. I. Willard, the young soldier tells much of personal interest about a number of the Bellefonte boys and we know it will be good reading for the many friends of all of them: Somewhere in France, Sept. 2, 1918. Your very welcome letter was re- ceived yesterday. I sent you a Boche helmet and gas mask, but it is hard to tell whether you will ever get them. If we could send as many as we could get, I could send one to each of my friends, but I guess the mail service is pretty busy as it is. You asked about the boys. I see Nolan and Woods every day, as they are in this company, but have only seen “Pinkie” Doll once since we came over. They are near us now, and I was over to see him, but he has never been over here. He was as glad to see me as I was to see him, and he wanted to know how the “old gent” was. I also saw some of the other fellows out of the old troop who are in the same outfit as “Pinkie.” They were Lute Crissman, Deppy Dunlap, Chub Beez- er, Vic. Dawson, Hugh Daley and some others that I do not think of just now. We were certainly glad to see each other, it being our first meet- ing since leaving the States, which was four months ago today. Today is an ideal fall day, not too hot nor too cold, but just right for writing letters. From where we are at present located we can see for many miles over the country, and it is a most beautiful picture. Here and there is a small village which has been partially destroyed but there are still some buildings standing. The houses over here are mostly built of stone or cement. They are white, with a red roofing, which makes a good contrast in the sunlight. The majority of the villages we have seen lately are deserted by the inhabit- ants, it being too hot for them. Being in with the French forces we come in contact with lots of French solaiers. Of course our French and their English vocabulary is some- what limited, so it is hard to carry on a conversation. However, we manage to make gestures, ete., to explain our- selves in cases where we cannot use words. Occasionally we run across one who can speak English, and he is generally surrounded by American soldiers. Thzy like the Americans and we like them. I will tell you of some of the Belle- fonters in this company: Lieut. Shoemaker, who left Bellefonte wear- ing one gold bar, for 2nd Lieut., is now wearing one silver bar, the insig- nia of a 1st Lieut. He is very capa- ble and is generally liked by all un- der his command. Lieut. Cruse, who left Bellefonte wearing three chev- rons on his shirt sleeves, now wears one gold bar. He is very efficient in his office and is certainly a very pop- ular officer with al the fellows. Ser- geant- McMurtrie, who hails from Coleville, is at present away at school, so I have no report to make on his welfare, but will say “Red” was sure capable of handling his sec- tion while with the company. He is well liked by all the fellows. Corpor- al Saylor, better known as “Pete,” a former member of Troop L, is well. As long as Pete has his chewing to- bacco he is feeling fine, but when he has to chew Bull Durham, look out. He is very popular, and says there is not a squad in the company that can beat his. Mechanic Guy Lyon, anoth- er member of Troop L, has the job of fixing up our guns when they are not working right. Guy is fine, and likes to work, nit! Next is chauffeur Gil- bert D. Nolan, better known as “Boots.” He takes to the Ford very well, but often says he would sooner be at home with the Studebaker. Oh, no! he is not lazy. Private Clair Deitrick, or “Tilly,” is as congenial as ever, but he don’t care much about digging any more emplacements with- in two hundred yards of the Boche lines. As to William C. Lyon, chauf- feur of old Troop L, he has lost some weight, but it isn’t because he doesn’t eat enough. As yet he has no car, but he draws the extra pay anyway. Private John Woods, familiarly i known as “Ike,” is another Troop L | man. | while He was a dog robber for a but I guess he didn’t have time enough, so he lost his job, or quit. When there is any hiking to do he generally gets his quill in to ride, so as not to wear out his shoes. Earl Teaman, private, is a very industrious young man, and is as good looking if not better than ever. He would like to get one of those Germans at his disposal. Private Lee Lyon has not lost any weight, even though he does have a lot of running to do, being in headquarters platoon. Private An- thony Wasson, or “Camel,” as he is generally called, is pretty lazy, but that is natural. He says he liked the Edge war better than this one. Pri- vate Merle Packer is next, and he is a very efficient dog robber for one of the Lieutenants. He says he is hav- ing dandy fun. Last, but not least, is private Percy Miller, who is the ca- pable dog robber for our commanding officer, Capt. Leitzell. He has all the boys stopped with the gloves, as he is very handy with his “dukes.” Now if there are any fellows I have missed it is because I can’t think of them, but they are all well. I hope this finds you all well as I am. Somewhere in France, Sept, 20, 1918. As we have been on the move for the last week or so I have not been able to find much time to write. As you will notice, I am writing this on French Y. M. C. A. paper. I amin a Franco-American Y. M. C. A,, but by the number of U. S. soldiers in here one can hardly believe that the French are running it. However, there is a Frenchman at the desk selling hot chocolate, and also one giving us writing paper. The hot chocolate is the first I have had on this side and it is fine. In my last letter I told you that we were going back for a rest, but it was all a mistake. We are still in the game, only we are not on the same sector as we were. We were in the big engagement, but were in re- serve most of the time, so were not in much action. The only time we were to go up was when the Boche made a counter-attack, and they didn't do much of that. That doesn’t mean that we were out of danger, as we were in range of the big guns, and seemed to be a target for Jerry wher- ever we moved to. But our dough- boys cannot be beaten. In regard to American tobacco, we get lots of it now and can buy it very reasonable. This company is made up of fellows from all over the State. When we come home we will be able to go any- where in the State and find fellows we know. The French people where we are now are doing everything -they can for us. We are the first Americans that have been here and they sure do like us. The French soldiers are good to us, too. You say the boys leaving for the camps go away as joyfully as though’ they were going to a picnic. that is just the way the boys go up to the front. I remember one night a battalion of our dough-boys got or- ders to go up and they started to cheer and shout for all they were worth. In fact, you never see an American soldier who looks as if he were worrying any over this war. The nearer the front they are the hap- pier they seem. Yes, I am liking France better every day, but there is no danger of R. T. W. staying over here for these French girls. I knew Jim Farell was killed in action some time ago, but I thought I wouldn’t say anythihg about it. His grave is right beside Col. Fetzer’s, and I saw it. It made me anxious to get a crack at some of those Boches. Well, I must close as there is to be a vaudeville here and it is about ready to start. Don’t forget to send me some snap shots of the family. Your loving son, BOB. meereteesietori = Gl Lieut. Fred Yeager Wounded Again. Lieut. Fred C. Yeager has been wounded a second time, but fortunate- ly it is not very serious. He is now in a base hospital at Vittel, France, from which place he wrote the fol- lowing letter to his mother, Mrs. Maurice Yeager, now located in New York city: Vittel, France, Sept. 29. Mother: Your son is a popular boy with the Hun bullets. Here I am back again in the hospital wounded in the left hand this time, but as usual getting: along fine. Do not worry, mother, for the wound is slight, only a little worse than the last one. The bullet tore up three fingers on my left hand but fortunately did not injure the bones. I had not been with my com- pany more than a week when we went into the fight again and I got it the second day. I am glad you are getting along and like it in New York. We all feel that it won’t be long now until the war is over and then for the dear old U. S. A. and together we will talk over many things and TI will take care of the dearest mother on earth. You do not know how much I think of you and the girls, and I know you think and pray for me. And I want you to pray for me, for we are always in danger, but we have no fear. Every man is always ready to go forward. I am now a first lieutenant and my colonel has recommended me for a captaincy. I liked the hospital at Nantes better than here and hope to be sent to another in a few days. They are sending all men from here that can travel. In a few days I will have three gold chevrons on my right arm for wounds and one on my left for six months in service. Well," aA LIEUT. FRED C. YEAGER BELLEFONTE Has tion in France. Tieut. Yeager is a ty-six years old. He enlisted tion soon afterward. CAPT. VINCE TAYLOR HOME. A Little of His Experience and Other Facts About Men in Service. Captain Vincent Nicholas Taylor arrived home on Sunday from Camp Dix, N. J., where he has been since arriving in this country from France several weeks ago, spending four days with his father, Col. H. S. Tay- lor and family, leaving yesterday for Boston to see his sister, Miss Mary Taylor, who is a student at Hill Sem- inary. Capt. Taylor not only looks so but is in splendid health and does not show any effects of the strenuous service he saw while in France. He is very modest about his own part in the war but the fact that he has been cited several times for bravery and daring in action is evidence that he has the spirit of the true soldier. While yet a lieutenant he served in the 38th regular infantry and that was one of the organizations that lay south of the Marne previous to the German drive. On several occasions Capt. Taylor swam the Marne in charge of patrols to find out, if possi- ble, what the Germans were doing and usually secured valuable information. The Germans started their big drive across the Marne at midnight and the 38th was pushed back by the sheer weight of the German onslaught from a mile to a mile and a half. coming to the rescue the Germans were driven back three days later and Capt. Taylor found all his stuff with the exception of a coat and one pair of boots. Some German, however, had bayonetted his blankets as they were rolled up, a half a dozen or more holes being punched clear through them. Capt. Taylor stated that when the Germans were driven back the American wounded that they had been compelled to abandon when the Ger- mans made their big onslaught, were found in places protected as much as possible. German doctors had dressed their wounds and they had been sup- plied with milk and bread sufficient to last them several days. The captain stated that the rear guard fighting of the Germans in their retreat is of the most determined and tenacious char- acter. Capt. Taylor addressed the students at the Bellefonte Academy on Mon- day afternoon and made a decided hit with all who heard him. WILLIAM McCLURE WRITES HOME. Mr. and Mrs. William McClure have received a letter from their son William, with the headquarters com- pany of the 109th field artillery in France, in which he says: “We have just been relieved from the front and are now on our way back for a rest. Our outfit advanced several kilome- ters while we were in action. Receiv- ed a letter from home several days ago but have only received one pa- per from home since I have been here. Everything has been going good and well, and I hope all are well at home.” McClure is with the same command as William Lambert, who was cited for unusual service last week. ARTHUR UNDERCOFFER WOUNDED. Baggage master Joseph W. Under- coffer on Tuesday evening received a telegram announcing the fact that his son, Arthur Undercoffer had been wounded in action in France. The young man was sent to Camp Meade from Lancaster county where he qual- ified as an instructor on the Browning machine gun. After going across he was assigned to the 316th regiment, Liberty division, but in what capacity is not known. Just how serious his wounds are is Also unknown. CENTRE COUNTIAN LOST IN SINKING OF TRANSPORT OTRONTO. One Centre countian, James W. Kehoe, of Sandy Ridge, was drowned when the transport Otronto was sunk on October 6th off the Scottish coast in a collision with the steamer Kash- mir. Particulars as to the young man’s family and enlistment are not known at this writing. On Wednesday Mr. and Mrs. John Tshler, of State College, received a letter from their son, private John B. Ishler, a first gunner of Company B, 311th machine gun battalion, stating Your loving son, FRED. that he had been wounded on Octo- ber 8th, the second day of a big drive IN CENTRE COUNTY'S son of Mrs. Maurice Yeager and is about twen- Was Scricusly Wounded in Action On William H. Ott and was born at Axe Mann twenty-one years ago. He was Troop L, trained at Camp Hancock Full particulars of Capt. Leitzel’s sent to South Bethlehem by the local and won his commission in the offi- military career will be found in anoth- board on September 19th where he cers’ training school at that place. He er column on this page. went across in May and got into ac- reading, as Capt. Leitzel has made a just about two weeks. in cap Taylor lost: all his: stuff save what he had on, but the Pennsylvania division | Been Wounded Three Times in Ac- CAPT. WILBUR F. LEITZEL STATE COLLEGE October First. most remarkable record. “HALL OF FAME” HARRY OTT BELLEFONTE Died of Influenza at South Bethlehem Last Friday. Mr. Ott was a son of Mr. and Mrs. It is worth was studying telegraphy. He was ill He was buried at Pleasant Gap on Monday. PAAAAAAAAAAAAA AANA AL OPP PPPS PP PPP PP PPP PPP PSPS PPPS PP PPPS PPS PIS and is now in a base hospital. It was the first letter the family has re- ceived in eight weeks. Private Ishler would like to have all his friends write to him as letters are the delight of the boys in the hospital. (Other county papers are requested to copy this item). LIEUT KELLER KILLED IN FRANCE. ‘Word has been received here of the death in action in France of Lieut. Daniel S. Keller, son of Deputy At- torney General William H. and Mrs. Keller, of Lancaster, and a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Keller, of Belle- fonte. The information states that Lieut. Keller was struck by a shrap- nel on September 28th and died soon after. Lieut. Keller won his commis- sior at Fort Niagara after complet- ing his course at the Columbia law school and while training at Camp Meade was admitted to the Lancaster county bar. After going across he was attached to the 316th regiment of the 79th division. Lieut. Keller was married shortly before leaving this country to go abroad. Dr. John Keichline, of Petersburg, son of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Keich- line, of Bellefonte, went to Fort Ogle- thorpe, Ga., on October 16th and en- tered the officers’ medical training camp at Camp Greene. The Keich- line’s now have two lieutenants in their family, Miss Anna’ Keichline ' sition she holds in the ordnance de- partment at Washington, D. C. Friends in Bellefonte have received | a letter from private Harry E. Sager, of Battery B, 109th field artillery, stating that ne has not had much time to write lately as they have been i too busy chasing Fritz, and that they have a hard time trying to keep up glad the boys over there are to get a home paper once in a while. Frederick Daggett, in the naval service at Newport, R. I, arrived home last Saturday on a brief fur- lough which he is spending with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Daggytt, " expecting to be here until Sunday. he has gained twenty-five pounds. Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Hunter left i on Wednesday to motor to Elizabeth- point, N. J., called there by the ill- , ness of their son, B. Graham Hunter, i who is an assistant cost inspector in i the U. S. naval service. His illness, 1 however, is not the dreaded disease, influenza. more serious. Dr. John Sebring returned home on Sunday from Boston, Mass., where he had been in the service of the govern- ment since the first of October assist- ing out the flu epidemic. J. M. Heinle, who left Bellefonte two weeks ago for Philadelphia to en- list in the marines, has been sent for training to Paris Island, S. C., where he has been assigned to Company 395, Battalion S. A cablegram was received on Monday from Robert S. Walker an- nouncing the fact that he had arriv- ed safely over seas. He was supposed to have sailed from Quebec about four weeks ago. Miss Hilda Patton Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Thompson, of Centre Furnace, has made application for a passport to France as a Red Cross nurse. Word has been received that Fer- guson G. Parker and William Payne, of Battery D, 48th regiment coast ar- tillery, had landed on the other side the latter part of last week. Among the commissions issued by the War Department last week was one as second lieutenant in the chem- ical warfare service to S. P. Armsby, of State College. soe ——Tomorrow will be fire preven- tion day in Pennsylvania. ranking as a first lieutenant in the po- with him. He also speaks of how Dr. J. E. Ward left for Camp, Greenleaf, Ga., on Tuesday in re-- sponse to a telegram that his son, Arthur T. Ward, had suffered a re-, lapse while recovering from the in- fluenza and his condition had become ON THE GERMAN BORDER. A Very Interesting Letter from Lieut. W. Ned Keller, of Linden Hall. To Sept. 25, 1918. To My Loved Ones at Home: Yesterday I had the pleasure of writing to mother and telling her that I was serving my first time at the front. I had to write while seated in my dugout, as it had been raining day and night for almost a week, and it was almost impossible to be out. My headquarters are in an old house which has only part of the walls standing, but am glad to say a good, safe dugout underneath. I am stationed with my platoon, holding a “strong point,” while the rest of the company is holding in re- serve. I will be here a few days and then will be relieved. This morning the sky cleared up and so far it has proved to be a beau- tiful day. The sun is out at present ( and it is simply too nice to stay in- side, and as long as the Boche don’t detect me I don’t mind telling you that I am sitting out here in the sun, at the same time being unobserved due to a pile of debris. Overhead the artillery is sending a stream of shells and not more than half a mile from here I can see several French peas- ants working in the field and paying no attention to the music. This morn- ing I watched a Boche machine being shelled by our anti-aircraft guns. It lasted for over half an hour, and every shell could be seen bursting around the plane. While he was too high to be reached yet he feared to come low enough to enable him to photograph any of our positions. Conditions are not quite as bad here as one would imagine, for really I am quite comfortable. My men are well-fed, and so far I have been able to give them three hot meals a day and hot coffee with two of them. That is more than we had while trav- eling through England and France. The men are feeling in the best of spirits and everything is working out finely. I am enjoying luxuries at present that you would hardly think The life evidently agrees with him as possible. The house where I am on | duty is owned by an old French lady, and since it is under observation, and subject to a constant shell fire from the Hun artillery, she is compelled to leave it during the night. Every morning since I have taken over the post she comes up to the house and spends several hours gathering up a few trinkets that may be left. This morning she was so kind as to bring me a basket of grapes and several pounds of English walnuts. I al- ways see that she gets her pro-rata share of the food, and it certainly is a pleasure to have her around. To- morrow she has promised to bring me a dozen eggs and if she can get them I shall have no reason to complain of the food situation. She stays several miles back from the lines but never is she concerned more than we when . . A they start shelling the place while ing the medical department in stamp- | she is here. On such occasions she goes into the dugout withus and it is really pitiful to see her when we tell her it is about time for her to leave for a safe place instead of staying there during the bombardment. So far my platoon has suffered no casualties and I am feeling fine. Would you believe me when I say that only yesterday I found time to take a warm bath. The orderly managed to heat some water over a few coals, thus we managed to get a real treat. Of course many things must go un- told until I return but I shall gladly forget the many unpleasant features connected with this life as long as things are going like they have been during the past week. We had much difficulty getting our mail while traveling through France but since nearing the front it has had a chance to catch up with us and am happy to say that last night and to- day I was greeted with nine of the love missives. All of mother’s letters up to August 23rd were received. Two very welcome letters from Lan- caster were received, and needless to say they were all very welcome. I hope you will find time to write often for nothing in this world will put us in better spirits than the letters from home. I would love to see a daily paper, and especially the home pa- per, but so far none have come through the mail. The best way to send them would be to place them in envelopes and send as letters. We get some information of what is going on through headquarters and of late bulletins of victories are arriving in constant succession from every active sector of the long battle lines. It makes one think of the dramatic scene of the messengers in the book of Job where it says “While he was yet speaking there came also another bringing news, not of disaster as to Job, but of still another victory.” This is the first I have had any time to write but only due to the fact that I am on the defensive while hold- ing this point of resistance, and as a result it is rather quiet during the day. At night Fritz usually shows us a merry time but to date we have shown him just what it is that makes the wild cat wild. I must close for it is time to ar- range to have some rations brought up after dark, and it is about time to get ready for the big show tonight. Would you be so kind as to show this to my Lancaster and Bethany friends and also my friend Pat, if he is at the seminary this fall. With love to all, NED. *>oo Capt. Wilbur F. Leitzell Injured. A cablegram, received on October 18th, by H. A. Leitzell, State College, said that his brother, Capt. Wilbur F. Leitzell, Co. A, 107th machine gun battalion, 28th division, had been wounded in France. On Wednesday of this week Mrs. Leitzell received word that her husband had been wounded in action on October first by a direct shell hit through the shoul- der, making a hole large enough to put two hands through. He has al- ready undergone several operations and eminent surgeons have held con- sultations over him, but it is not known whether his arm can be saved or not. The captain has no hopes of getting out of the hospital until after the holidays. Captain Leitzell was born in Scottdale and is 34 years of age. He was educated in the public schools of Scottdale and The Pennsyl- vania State College. For a number of years he was employed in the audit- ing department of the Scottdale American Sheet and Tinplate com- pany and before enlisting was associ- ated with his brother in The Athletic Store, State College. He served as a 2nd Lieut. with the Boal Machine Gun troop on the Mex- ican border, was promoted to 1st Lieut. after his return and commis- sioned a Captain before going to Camp Hancock, Ga., receiving two promotions within six months; and leaving for overseas in May of this year. In a letter received by his wife, dated September 11th and received October 22nd, he said that the divis- ion had been relieved for a short rest, after being under. continuous fire for. fifty-seven days. He wrote also of the privilege of sleeping in “a real bed” for the first time since going to the front. Capt. Leitzell’s wife and three children, father, mother and brother live at State College. Capt. Leitzell also wrote in the highest terms of the loyalty, devotion and courage of his company: “Noth- ing better at the front, no cowards or slackers among them. The morale of the company is wonderful and the men are fifty per cent. better, mor- ally and physically than the same number of men that might be select- ed in the States. Their watchword is no longer ‘over the top,’ but ‘forward, get the Hun. We have a fine Y. M. C. A. secretary in our outfit, who preaches real sermons to the boys, the kind they can understand.” The let- ter was written while on the way to a rest camp. r——— Lieut. Frederick Reynolds Cited for Bravery. In Sunday’s Public Ledger, of Phil- adelphia, Raymond C. Carroll cites Lieut. Frederick Reynolds, son of Col. and Mrs. W. F. Reynolds, of Bellefonte, for bravery in action. In writing of the splendid work done by the trench mortar platoon of the 112th infantry during the fighting in the Argonne forest correspondent Car- roll states that Capt. William G. Smith, who was in the charge of the infantry said: “The trench mortar platoon under Lieut. Reynolds were with us all the time, and almost up with us where we wanted them. It took a lot of will power and endur- ance for these men with their heavy loads to keep up with the infantry, but they did it. The men carried their guns and ammunition through- out the advance, keeping up always with the assaulting battalion. This progress took them through the vast stretches of barbed wire, only par- tially cut by artillery fire, up hills which the infantry had to climb upon their hands and knees. All of which made the advance of the mortar boys extremely difficult and exhausting be- cause of their heavy loads, yet they came out without losing any equip- ment.” Lieut. Reynolds after crossing to France was assigned to Company I, of the 112th infantry but was later transferred to the trench mortar bat- tery. In this action of his superiors the little god of fortune was with him, as in the fighting on the Marne every officer in Company I was killed. At last accounts Lieut. Reynolds had gone through months of service in the front line trenches and days of inces- sant fighting without a scratch. —_—— ee — Marriage Licenses. Wilbur T. Morgan, Bellefonte, and Carolyn M. Schindler, Milesburg. George I. Barnes, Perryville, and Bessie C. Breon, Centre Hall. James I. Bottorf, Lock Haven, and Sarah E. Falls, Beech Creek.