TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE FEBRUARY 12, 1918 P. 7
I often wonder what the boys would say if I were to come back on the railroad job and tell some old engineer to carry on to the next box and turn his loco on the triangle, and I’ll bet it would be something other than ‘righto. A conductor, is a guard; an engineer a driver, and a brakeman is unknown, as only three men operate the trains. The general offices are known as ‘Central Control,’ and the dispatchers’ and superintendents’ offices as ‘District Controls.’ The dispatcher is a ‘controller,’ a car is a ‘wagon’ and a coach a ‘carriage.’ The way stations are known as boxes. O. K. is known here as ‘righto;’ proceed or go ahead as ‘carry on.’ A yard or terminal is called a ‘railhead,’ an engine a ‘loco’ and a Y is a ‘triangle.’
For the past three months, we have been working along the most active front of the line, and participating in an important drive in which most of us got plenty of spicy action. We are operating the narrow-guage road from ‘railhead’ of the broad-guage up to the trench lines. We are at present attached to a British organization, and almost constantly under shell fire. Almost daily Fritz sends a few airplanes over to drop bombs on us, but none of us has yet been knocked off. I believe I have met and made friends with some one in nearly every unit fighting with the allies. Also I have seen many Germans, prisoners, and a few good Germans—dead ones. I like the Australians best because they seem to be more like us. The Canadian Scots seem to attract most attention with their kilts and bagpipes, and as fighters they are simply ‘bear cats.’ Their creed is to take no prisoners, and they live up to it. A few weeks ago a party of them out on patrol in no man’s land were surprised and taken prisoner by the Germans. One escaped and brought back the news that the Huns crucified their prisoners. Reinforcements at once went over the top, seized a bunch of Huns and put them to death at once. No wonder that Fritz calls them ‘Little Ladies of Hades.’ I feel sure that before 1918 is over the Huns will meet a new brand of fighters and get a taste of fighting made in the U. S. A. Then they will think that they have met the ladies’ gentlemen friends. Just to look at France today will put the fighting spirit into a pacifist—towns, churches and schools demolished, and even the vaults in graveyards broken open and robbed.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Norman Tolson who before the war had been working in Little Rock, Arkansas as a brakeman for the St. Louis SW Railroad. He was born May 3, 1889 and died December 11, 1985.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I often wonder what the boys would say if I were to come back on the railroad job and tell some old engineer to carry on to the next box and turn his loco on the triangle, and I’ll bet it would be something other than ‘righto. A conductor, is a guard; an engineer a driver, and a brakeman is unknown, as only three men operate the trains. The general offices are known as ‘Central Control,’ and the dispatchers’ and superintendents’ offices as ‘District Controls.’ The dispatcher is a ‘controller,’ a car is a ‘wagon’ and a coach a ‘carriage.’ The way stations are known as boxes. O. K. is known here as ‘righto;’ proceed or go ahead as ‘carry on.’ A yard or terminal is called a ‘railhead,’ an engine a ‘loco’ and a Y is a ‘triangle.’
For the past three months, we have been working along the most active front of the line, and participating in an important drive in which most of us got plenty of spicy action. We are operating the narrow-guage road from ‘railhead’ of the broad-guage up to the trench lines. We are at present attached to a British organization, and almost constantly under shell fire. Almost daily Fritz sends a few airplanes over to drop bombs on us, but none of us has yet been knocked off. I believe I have met and made friends with some one in nearly every unit fighting with the allies. Also I have seen many Germans, prisoners, and a few good Germans—dead ones. I like the Australians best because they seem to be more like us. The Canadian Scots seem to attract most attention with their kilts and bagpipes, and as fighters they are simply ‘bear cats.’ Their creed is to take no prisoners, and they live up to it. A few weeks ago a party of them out on patrol in no man’s land were surprised and taken prisoner by the Germans. One escaped and brought back the news that the Huns crucified their prisoners. Reinforcements at once went over the top, seized a bunch of Huns and put them to death at once. No wonder that Fritz calls them ‘Little Ladies of Hades.’ I feel sure that before 1918 is over the Huns will meet a new brand of fighters and get a taste of fighting made in the U. S. A. Then they will think that they have met the ladies’ gentlemen friends. Just to look at France today will put the fighting spirit into a pacifist—towns, churches and schools demolished, and even the vaults in graveyards broken open and robbed.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Norman Tolson who before the war had been working in Little Rock, Arkansas as a brakeman for the St. Louis SW Railroad. He was born May 3, 1889 and died December 11, 1985.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT