NEWS: Lieutenant M. B. MORGAN, Jr., Writes Home, 1918, of Eldorado, Blair County, PA

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LIEUTENANT MORGAN TELLS ABOUT WORK

"You Know or Hear More About This War Than We Do," Writes Engineer

  Folks at home know or hear more about the war than some of the soldiers in 
France, Lieutenant M. B. Morgan, jr., Company C, Twenty-eighth engineers, A. E. 
F., writes to his father, M. Morgan, of Eldorado.
  His letter follows: - "I have finally gotten settled for a short time, and 
have a few minutes, so shall write you.  When we landed over here we were 
marched to a rest camp several miles out from seaport where we stayed a few 
says, then began out movement further to another camp where we stayed about 
thirty-six hours and afterward moved to where we are at present.
  "Just arrived here yesterday, so you can see all we have been doing is 
packing, moving and unpacking.  All in all I have seen some very beautiful 
country on our way from the sea except for a part of it which was made at night.  
We say some very attractive towns and farming country.  The towns are rather 
quaint in that the streets are very narrow.  The houses all built of stone years 
ago; some date as far back as the year 4.
  "The camp we were at first is said to have been built by Napoleon and its 
buildings all of stone, are in good condition.  The farms themselves are small, 
divided into fields of only a few acres, separated by a hedge or stone fence, 
with abundant running water, but very poor buildings.  The farmers all live in 
town instead of on their farms.  Their crops are apparently somewhat later than 
ours.  Their stock is very good-looking. They have no farming implements, 
everything being done by hand.  The only means of conveyance is two-wheeled 
carts and one sees many yoke of oxen.
  "Nearly all the officers of our company have lived on a farm at sometime and I 
think we may all stay over here and start some farming on and American plan.  As 
one said coming up on the train, "We can at least do as well as these people-
raise children and dogs.
  "At present we are stationed about a half hour from a rather large city, where 
there is a vast amount of engineering work to be done.  Our men are divided into 
small groups with other engineers and scattered over an area of 30 or 40 miles, 
and I am kept busy about seeing after them.
   "A couple of us were downtown to dinner the other evening and I met a few men 
from the hospital, who are stationed about 30 miles from us.  They invited me up 
to spend a weekend with them and I surely would like to get up to see them all.
  "Hope this finds you all well.  I don't want any of you to worry about me, for 
I am alright and perfectly contented.  Write me often for we get absolutely no 
news from the states, and I suppose you know or hear more about this war than we 
do."

Altoona Tribune, Monday morning, September 2, 1918, page 8