VOL. XCI. LIEUT. W. “NED” KELLER’S IMPRESSIONS OF FRANCE ; Valor of French People Remain s, He Says. Soldiers Quartered Pours Lead Into Coaches ; The following intensely interesting letter has been received by Mrs. J, W. Keller, at Linden Hall, from her soldier son, Lieut, W. ** Ned” Keller, in France, Lieut. Keller has the faculty of giving his readers a clear and vivid im- pression concerning the things of which he writes. L Somewhere in France, 1918, m. Sept. 7. Sunday, 4:30 p. Dearest Mother O'Mine, time to keep you informed as to how I am getting along since I France. I wrote a long letter last S day and 1 shall joy the day brought forth. cause I had received your first letter and then it was the in a month that I had an you. th Lia received in landed in un- never quite forget the th First 1 re first time opportunity to write to Since then there has been no mail and the we are very much concerned for it seems that that is all we have to live for, I shall tell you first of all have come to a great country with wonderful history. with a splendid re- cord of which the French people have just reason to be proud. They are | worthy of our respect and of our admir- ation, My first impressions of the] French people have changed since being | with them a few weeks, After landing | at one of the largest ports in France, we | traveled across count in and | cattle cars, We peace times the best in much injured by heavy travel and lack of repair, We among which for almost four years have been cultivated by the willing arms of the | women, the child.en, and the old men. | We went through villages where housés | are closed forever, fathers and sons hav- | ing been killed at the front. We aged men, who have their women have lost husbands and young girls sweethearts. All the people has gone out of remains. In some places the houses, the trees, | the ground itself, have been shattered and hopelessly wrecked by the ca f the enemy. The been deliberately cut down to the roots, 1 shir 4 LAT regiment that we a ry trucks drove over roads the world—now 3 paYda } passed fields | met | 1 + ost s0ns, thar vaerr wh a 0 have lost their joy for these life. Their valor | who "nn nnon often trees have Thus as we passe ough v uld not judge what Frauce used to be. only touch her desolate soul which have come to help restore. For the time being we are being quar- | tered in a little willage not so many miles from the front lines and as we con- tinue our daily intensive training we can hear the big guns day and night, | Any time we look up we can see the | aeroplanes in large numbers circling | over our heads. In fact we go about our | work without giving them much notice, for they soom became commonplace around here. Our drill schedule keeps us very busy from early morning till late at night and | when we are not on the drill field we are attending night school for Every evening we assemble at a little | 1 un officers. school house and for a time our thoughts | are of home for just before school opens | we gather around a large wall map of | the world and try to point out to each | of other just where the garden spot the | world really is. I have had very little time to devoleto the study of French but it is surprising to note how well one can get along with these people and still not speak their language. I am billeted in a little vil-| lage about a mile from the rest of the company and it was necessary for me to] secure quarters and food for my platoon, on our arrival. Well, it was really funny to hear them all talk at once and all I could say was ** wee-wee"”, which means ** yes’. I finally found room for the men in lofts, barns and sheds, All puildings are under one roof and since they keep the fodder, hay and grain on the second floor it is necessary for the folks to live next door to the farm stock. The barnyards take up the ground just in front of the house and needless to say the sanitary conditions are not what they might be. I was very much impressed with the fact that the French people sleep with their windows shut and very generally have no running water in their houses. All buildings are made of stone and as a rule are very old, The roofs are thatched, that is, made of straw and covered with moss and all floors are made of stone, I am staying with a little French woman who is seventy years young and it's marvelous to see how she lives, Every morning she starts out to the grain fields with a large basket on her back and for hours she roams over the hills picking up wheat and oats heads and by noon she has her basket filled partly with grain and any little bit of dead wood she can find on her way iii Escapes. mallet and pounds the grain from the straw and thus she manages to get feed : for her rabbits and chickens. She has | no stove but cooks what little bit of food | she eats in an open fire place. ln four weeks she has only made fire two or three times, so saving are they with the Her winter fuel is of 3 | many smal made 1 bundles of dead pine boughs | wood. up {she has gathered during the summer and | placed in the barn, 1 some from night school she is standing in the door way eating her sup- per of perhaps a small piece of dry bread Many times ‘as come I or a bowl of bread and milk. 80 far cure any daily papers and of course we it has been very difficult to se- hear very little what is actually going on Since leaving the States 1 have only seen one or two papers and willing get one in our we are 0 pay most any price to t possession. The Report- ul even a North American would cer- look good to me, The safest way them over here would be to place send letters French peasants very seldom ever of »m in envelopes and as go out their own villages and very few papers come in and so they convey the news by haviog a drummer go through the streets beating a drum and after the people all gather in the public square the mayor who happened to get the news will convey it to the public. Every little village has its church but for many years they have not been used for worship. ha Luda The corner stones indicate t they are from four six hundred hat 0a to en told t fifty years. The peasants do not regard their work just the same and it's remark- seven days in the week. arrived in France it had not rained and every thing For three weeks after we much was suffering very even the , and as a result the crops are not near what they 1 be. [think that accounts for the that have never seen a French nk of water since we They have their wine three times a day, and when calling on wells were practically all dry shoul« I fact dri landed here, them they never fail to offer you wine on leaving. a food them t It may serve as to ut for my part | prefer the water. lly get all the milk I wantand it's a quart. The milk wagons in the small towns and villages consist of driv- ing several goats and cows through the ng the milk right into street and milki your bucket or cup; no middle man here chateau the day ; the owner, a well known French countess, was certainly kind to There were three of officers. I visited a famous old other us. us wonderful arbor; that the was always delighted to see ricans. Presently she came out we were glad to find her a very young woman of about thirty. looked just like an American girl spoke beautiful Fnglish with that Prench accent. She served us tea and cakes and then personally conducted us through the grounds—sev- eral miles of them, Her husband and two brothers are at the front, but she hasn't heard from them in a long time and doesn’t even know if they are alive or not, and yet she was as cheerful as could be and always smiling. Such is the spirit of the French people. They look sad and their faces show signs of mental suffering ; but when you speak to them they brighten up and have al- ways a cheery word for you. Too bad the majority of our people are not that way. a Am She ans na delightful September 18, 1918. Never had time to finish your letter for we were ordered to make a hasty move toward the front and had to put my writing aside until convenient to write again, Since then we have moved up andhare now located but a short dis- tance from the salient which was held by the Germans for four years but now taken ower by the Americans. The country here is very rolling and wonder- full to carry on modern warfare, Oc- casionally we have an air raid but we always make it so warm for the raiders that they hesitate about coming within range of our automatic rifles which are always ready for them. Only yesterday as a troop train pulled into the station one of the Hun planes swept down from behind a cloud and before any one saw him he flew up along one side of the train and circled around the engine and then down the other side, all the time pouring a stream of bullets into the moving train, All this happened in the early morning and sad to say he got Continued on luside page, ) appended CENTRE N. L. Bartges C. W, Boozer Carrie L, Bartges Edward E. Bailey Guy Brooks John W, Benner S. Edward Brown Cyrus Brungart Robert W, Bloom J. William Bradfora Jennie M, Bartges Roy Garbrick F. V. Goodhart F. P. Geary Charles Flink HALL Hazel E. Mrs, Lulu iam H. H. Mrs. M. E, Fredericks J. W. Foreman Joyd ( . GG, F. Emerick N.E Rush Dippary G. E. Ritter frs L.W.S. Person ’, D, Osman ertha M, Miller W. Mowery %. Lair H. Longwell, M. Mildred Long George W. Long Wilbur Lucas W. A. Henney Good Earl A, Ross Mrs. M. E. Strol Dauiel Daup Frank M. Fisher Emerick D. hart Oars Sara K James S, Swabb Mrs. Lillian Alexander Mrs. Mary Lee William E William D, Bartges D. J. Vonada Lola M, Ulrich J. L. Tressler John C Rossma M. Delinda Potter John F, Kramer Mrs. M. P. Tate Cont “COL William H. Homan Ralph Henney H. B. Frankenberger W. F, Fetterolf M. C. Delaney Philip Durst Mrs. W. D. Bartges May V, Rhone Helen Bartholomew William H, Bartholomew Mrs. AE, Mrs, Blanche Arney Madaline § Jennie Thomas Mrs. Elizabeth West William J. Smith Samuel S, Stump Lanson ] William H, Stoner Mrs. Sarah E. Smut D. Frank Smith Samuel 1 Mrs David David K Wallace N Sara | 1s Ar tholomew payd William S (ye rge O h HELP WILSON WIN THE WAR. * Marshal Foch's supreme and cen tralized control of the allied and Ameri- can fighting forces 1s hastening the downfall of Prussian military power more than any other single factor ir " the war ** The collapse of Bulgaria if directly traceable to the unity of and which has now coordinated all the allied military moves and linked in perfect harmony with American assistance’ ** The opinion is expressed that Ger many would have given fifty fighting di- wisions or more if the Allies’ and the Pr comm by President Wilson ", ceived this disadvantage before the mili- tary strategists in evidence of his clear wision ", ** German unity meant victories “ Itisso striking an example of the advantage Germany had in this respect that it served to reenforce President Wilson's appeal for unity of command at the Interallied War Conference last year", 50 says the New York Sun of October 6, 1918, “Unity of Command” at home as well as abroad is the essential funda- mental of success in the war, It pro. duces Harmony of action and Harmony of action produces strength-effective- ness, ** Unity of Command " prevails at the front, : The American people's task in the pending elections for members of the House and Senate is not only to main- tain Unity of Command at home but to wntensify it—if possible, This can only be done by sending to list of the subscribers Rhone Harter Lobert P. Campbell Cora A. Luse William C, Luse LINDEN HALL Mrs, J. W. Keller (reorge Searson . Mar Ephriam ( KH Ay 1g Mi Mark ks, Shoop unkle llingness to President anda assured fact. ident’s party can be r lied upon to do this. €- t was the slogan in our former wars. It was the claim made for Washington, Lincoln and McKinley, » —— MM A ———— Girl Has Thrilling Experience. Last Thursday evening girl seventeen years, Miss Wilma Hassinger by name, appeared before the door of a Philipsburg home and by means of "a noise drew the attention of the famil who found her securely bound with a rope about her arms and lower limbs a of Her story was that she was forcibly taken into an automobile by unknowh parties, after first being bound and blindfolded. She claimed to have cast herself from the car and worked herself with great effort to the house. She seemed positive that she was not erim- itally mistreated. A peculiar feature of the affair is that although the girl claimed to have thrown herself from the auto while moving at a lively rate, her clothing was hot soiled and she suffered no bruises of any kind. ————— I A A o———— Bringing out the panic scare is the 1918, YOUR VOTE THIS FALL. From Buccessiul Farming We rarely mention politics, and then only in a non-partisan way, but we teel that there is a great responsibility upon every voter this fall when he comes to vote for Congressman, First, we should vote only for loyal Congressmen, no matter to what party they belong. Men should forget they are Democrats or Republicans, ask but whether the candidate for Congress has supported or would, if elected, support the war and uphold the hands Administration. Ise be ing e : : 1, we would prefer the man already office He if he has himself, ill have had the experience, and ti W ia the hat he has voted right in t us confidence great nn the (i laloaoat + ir 4} 1 14ae Lo qelegation 1no the mocrat for Congress. yublicans should months or & year otherwise and ou in France would mire h muca r boy be kept from retu leymorer iOBLeT. vy Py 5 9 ur Co an r a Democrat for of propdganda ma- adcas. over Germany tin diating the President , trespass, . 8, Condo vs ORao v 2. S. Bennett n, appeal. er Thornt "x Spence on v pen Bes appeal, F. BE. Co., appeal, 's. Adams Express Naginey vs. Bell Telephone jurdine Butler vs. sumpsit, H. K. Mattern vs. Co., W. C. Holt vs trespass. The Penna, trespass oe Lu The Penna. R. R., Co,, James H. Weaver vs. Co., appeal. George W. & Adams Express 1s JA vs. New York Central R. R, C,, trespass. A AMSA Captain Leitzell Wounded. Captain Wilbur F. Leitzell, formerly with the Boal Mathine Gun Troop, and now of the 107th Machine Gun Battal. ion, was slightly wounded in action on the battlefields of France, according to a cablegram received by his wife at State College, a short time ago. I ——— A — Notice from Board of Health. Notice is hereby given that all places of business within the borough of Cen- tre Hall must be'tlosed every evening at six o'clock, By Orper Boarp or Hearn 300 Cases of Flu in Milroy. A delegation of Milroy citizens on Monday evening visited Red Cross emergency headquarters at Lewistown and notified the director in charge of the fight against the spread of the dis- ease, R, A, Bantle, that conditions were getting worse in Milroy and that there were now in that town between 250 and 300 cases of influenza ; that there was only one doctor ond he was being work. ed to death, The delegation was instructed to im- wits, A MMA SS A. roy has opened a headquarters at Dr, Boyer's office and a strong organiziation that of 1907 under Roosevelt? ing out the panic scarecrow is the best ————— A ——————— 2 «J NO. 43 TOWN AND COUNTY NEWS, HAPPENINGS OF LOCAL INTEREST FROM ALL PARTS kfm a sOYRr TILT } Orel Wwe are now running on the Boa sun-time sch Stat } Noverr) wa November qth, y 11 4 val at e College, will emf $s Sunt, last week, Forrest near Centre Hall, shot six Is and three quail, J. F. Zechman, th taker, x Roalehits ror se v3 od e¢ Boalshurg under $a aLy the peace of Harris Was recer appointed é towns is slated A cronet : FAATONS any of the rst sec rabbits lady Qaudia bd eth € Locally, quite pie be expected. Long LODE =old to homestead Miller The Jesse Sterling caer week. Jirich, of Coburn, was a at this office the latter part of last He is the Altantic City Refining 1 man on the sou centre county. Mr. Ulr rom Clarence W. Musser, vear Spring Mills, that he was in Paris and is getting along fine. Rebers burg, has sent his resignation to the de- partment. Mr. Bierly will have served his first term of four years in the near future and was the first one to receive the appointment under the new civil ser- vice ruling for that office. The premis- es he now occupies will be sold privately just as soon as his successor is named. George Hess, of near Lumber City, Clearfield county, was the first hunting victim in this section of the state. While hunting near Lumber City on Monday his automobile stalled on a hill and be got out to push the car, his gun being jostled to the ground and acidentally dis- charging, the charge tearing away the left side of his head. He leaves his par ents, three sisters and four brothers. i { C. M. Bierly., postmaster at up A loaded rifle in the home of a farmer near Centre Hall fell into the hands of two youngsters, a short time ago, and the only reason there is no need to chronicle the death of one of the chil dren is that the element of good luck was present. One of the children soap- ped the trigger and there was a loud re- port, the bullet whizzing past the other child and lodging in the ceiling. It's a grave mistake to have loaded weapons about the house, especially where there are children. No thoughtful parent will permit it, The Reporter is in receipt of a copy of the Setubenville (Ohio) Herald-Star, con- taining an article showing the wonder. ful record of Jefferson county, in which Steubenville is locafhd, in the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign, The quota of the county was $3,500,250, and the peo- ple went over the top and exceeded their quota by $800,000. Oureyoung friend, Guy W. Jacobs, is a member of the War Board, an organization which takes hold of everything Uncle Sam wants in a Next Tuesday is election day. It is
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