TRANSCRIBED FROM THE GREEN FOREST TRIBUNE OCTOBER 18, 1918 P. 2
Aug. 26, 1918.
Dear parents and all:
I am well and hope this finds you the the same. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for I get careless about writing sometimes, and put it off longer than I intend do.
I see something new to me nearly every day. Yesterday I saw a new way of threshing rye. The machine was made something like a farming mill. It took four to turn it and about as many to operate it. It done good work, but of course was slow. All the work was done by main strength of the human muscle. I guess they can thresh wheat, too. Crops are good here. They are harvesting now.
They have large oxen here-15 hands or more high. I saw one I could not chin. A good team of oxen cost about $300.
The people here have used concrete for a long time. Watering troughs that have been used for a long time are almost like granite. Stone and cement are the principal building materials.
The women work on the farms over here just the same as the men. The villages are just about as close together as our county school houses. Gardens are well kept.
The other day I saw a small locomotive engine. It had a smoke stack in the front and behind. The fireman and engineer were in the middle. The firemen could shovel coal both ways. I sure didn’t know there were so many different kinds of locomotives. Some are so odd in design. I saw several that didn’t have any cab on them. The fireman and engineer stood up. There was just a wind shield like to stand between.
They can talk about how they do things in the Old Country all they want to but I will take the New One for mine.
Hope Luther likes his new camp.
I have seen lots of tame rabbits, my but they are big fellows! Lots larger than Annie’s rabbits.
I also saw a lot of Guinea pigs the other day. I think they make dandy pets.
Everything but the timber land and swamp land is cultivated. I will have a lot to tell you when I get back. Things I would like to write about as you know I can’t, so I don’t have much that is interesting to write about.
France is a nice country to travel through. Have good auto roads, and they are well kept up. Rain don’t bother one from travelling. Bridges are good. You can go anywhere if you have a map. There are sign boards made of iron put up on iron posts telling how far it is from one town to the next and name on sign board. Cross roads and branch roads have sign boards so you can’t get lost, if you can read.
I guess school will be started before you get this letter. Hope you get a good teacher.
Don’t worry about me for I am all right. Write often.
As ever your son and brother,
Willie Twilleager.
Merch. W. L. Twilleager, Co. M. 114 Inf. American E. F.
NOTES: William Adolphus Twilleger was born on December 14, 1888 in Neosho, Missouri and died on November 19, 1983. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Spirit Lake, Idaho. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpt. in the US Army during WWI. He departed for France from Newport News, Va. On May 15, 1918 onboard the Lenape. He was a mechanic serving in Co. M, 114th Infantry, 29th Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Aug. 26, 1918.
Dear parents and all:
I am well and hope this finds you the the same. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for I get careless about writing sometimes, and put it off longer than I intend do.
I see something new to me nearly every day. Yesterday I saw a new way of threshing rye. The machine was made something like a farming mill. It took four to turn it and about as many to operate it. It done good work, but of course was slow. All the work was done by main strength of the human muscle. I guess they can thresh wheat, too. Crops are good here. They are harvesting now.
They have large oxen here-15 hands or more high. I saw one I could not chin. A good team of oxen cost about $300.
The people here have used concrete for a long time. Watering troughs that have been used for a long time are almost like granite. Stone and cement are the principal building materials.
The women work on the farms over here just the same as the men. The villages are just about as close together as our county school houses. Gardens are well kept.
The other day I saw a small locomotive engine. It had a smoke stack in the front and behind. The fireman and engineer were in the middle. The firemen could shovel coal both ways. I sure didn’t know there were so many different kinds of locomotives. Some are so odd in design. I saw several that didn’t have any cab on them. The fireman and engineer stood up. There was just a wind shield like to stand between.
They can talk about how they do things in the Old Country all they want to but I will take the New One for mine.
Hope Luther likes his new camp.
I have seen lots of tame rabbits, my but they are big fellows! Lots larger than Annie’s rabbits.
I also saw a lot of Guinea pigs the other day. I think they make dandy pets.
Everything but the timber land and swamp land is cultivated. I will have a lot to tell you when I get back. Things I would like to write about as you know I can’t, so I don’t have much that is interesting to write about.
France is a nice country to travel through. Have good auto roads, and they are well kept up. Rain don’t bother one from travelling. Bridges are good. You can go anywhere if you have a map. There are sign boards made of iron put up on iron posts telling how far it is from one town to the next and name on sign board. Cross roads and branch roads have sign boards so you can’t get lost, if you can read.
I guess school will be started before you get this letter. Hope you get a good teacher.
Don’t worry about me for I am all right. Write often.
As ever your son and brother,
Willie Twilleager.
Merch. W. L. Twilleager, Co. M. 114 Inf. American E. F.
NOTES: William Adolphus Twilleger was born on December 14, 1888 in Neosho, Missouri and died on November 19, 1983. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Spirit Lake, Idaho. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpt. in the US Army during WWI. He departed for France from Newport News, Va. On May 15, 1918 onboard the Lenape. He was a mechanic serving in Co. M, 114th Infantry, 29th Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS