Letter by Louis Lynn to J.H. Hevron
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Title
Letter by Louis Lynn to J.H . Hevron
Creator
Lynn, Louis
Subject- LOC
World War , 1914-1918 -- Correspondence ; Veterans -- Illinois ; United States . Army . American Expeditionary Forces -- Correspondence ; Illinois Central Railroad Company -- History ; Railroads -- Employees -- Biography
Subject [IDA]
Military Veterans World War I
Description
Typed letter from Louis Lynn , who was serving the United States army in France , to J.H . Hevron , superintendent of the Illinois Central Railroad in Clinton , Illinois . The letter was given to the Clinton Morning Journal for publication and contains editor's marks . See also DeWitt County War Service record 6-1_WWI-6-2010-62_005
Contributing Institution
Vespasian Warner Public Library District
Date
12 Oct 1918
Type
text
Format
4 typed pages and 1 handwritten page + 1 typed envelope
Identifier
5-1_WWI-5-le-2010-072
Language
English
Transcript
With the American Expeditionary Forces , France October 12th 1918 Mr . J.H . Hevron Supt , Ill . Central R.R . Clinton Ill , Dear Sir , Being an employe of the Illinois Central at Clinton under your supervision and enlisting and coming to France I feel that you would be interested in the work that the Illinois Cent . men are doing over here. You can find plenty of men from the Illinois Central so if you are in France and in the Transportation service you have many fellow employes here with you and you are not lonesome . I am connected here with the Railway work that our Army is doing in France and it is very interesting work and it is one class of service that is wholy responsible for the welfare of our Army as we have the provisions to transport the to the many different regiments or Divisions which is no little work . Accounts have to be kept between the French Government and our own and it is a very hard task where you transport as much freight as we are transporting at the present time . The French Government is very obliging to us and renders us every assistance that they can in order to expedaite the food stuff and supplies our army . Their cars are very small and, of course the task of furnishing an army that is as large as ours is here is not little matter in the railway work . We have men of many years experience in this work and I can say that I believe that we are meeting the demands of our army in every way that they wish . Every thing seems plentiful here for our soldiers and I can truthfully say that I know that every American soldier here fells very grateful to the Americans who are back home for the support that you care giving us. Of course we are making a sacrifice and we are willing to do so , but without your assistance we would fail and I believe that this is the sentiments of every American Soldier in France . You can see by the information that you receive that they boys are doing their bit and doing it cheerfully and seem to think nothing about it and just merely talk about what is their duty to their country . There is no question but what the American soldier has shown that there is none his equeal and when the real information comes to you I think that you will wonder how they did the many brave deeds that they did but neverless it is true . My duties here bring me in close touch with the operating department of the railway and I have been able to accomplish at least the fundamental parts of the French Railway system . There equipment is in excellent condition also their roadbeds and theor power is very good shape and with the assistance of the American Rail Heads they are doeing business on the a large scale . We mix and mingle with them and many of us boys can go out and work with the French crews and converse with them just like back home and the only reason for this is that the average American can adopt himself to any thing that he cares to. This I think is facts for I see it clearly demonstrated over here. The time came when the boys had to do things and do them quick and they worked with the French and good results followed . Their system of Railroading is not a great deal different from ours in as much as altho they have a few ways that seem funny strange or I might say seem unnecessary to the average American but I think that their ways of railroading was and is a better paying proposition than the Railways in America . From the fact that their cars are little is no reason that [Page 2] (2) their ways of railroading is not good but that seems to be the opinion of most Americans . I think that the cares are large as they necessarily need be when every thing is at normal conditions over here. There is many things to be considered in regard to small cards for instance , Men push most all cars around at a station and they have small turn tables at every station and no switch engines are needed and the road crews do little or no switching . They are small so that they will not be of such weight as this would cause them to be made bad order in switching and all switching in making up of trains is done on what they call a futte which represents ou humps . They can and do switch cars as fast over their humps as we do and will say that they never make a car bad order in this operation . In fact I have only saw three bad orders since I come over here other than what was made by our own men . I have had charge of yards here and I find that the slow steady grind that the French have is as good as the hurry-up systems that some people have for it is much easier to tell why you did not forward a car than it is to tell why you destroyed it with its contents . The part of the French system that I do not like is the part that gets the train over the road . They delay thier trains to much and for of no use reason and I have inquired into this and I find that if you live up to the French railway rules it is absolutely unnecessary to have a wreck by collision . They have no such thing as a train order and it is all done by block system and their blocks are perfect . They only have three signals to work with and they are proceed stop and back up . They seem to do very well with no more signals that this and of course it seems and is so very much different that ours and the boys laugh and comment to them selves also to the French but the French are good fellows and just laugh and I have seen some French crews that have Americans working with they use some signals that Americans use . They carry a red flag with which they give all signals with and they say that they carry this in order for the engineer to be able to see them plainly and not mistake their signals . They suretry to do things just as they should be do . Their waybills are very much different from ours but I do think that they have a very good system with this for it has all the information that you could possibly care for and as it is in (4) distinct parts you can tear off each part and send to the different offices that are required to have a record of the waybills . It is a little more trouble to make out but when it is finished you have made 4 distinct reports and all you have to is to separate them. Their railways is purely are wholly Military and every thing is done in accordance with government instructions . There is not waste in merchandise or grain of any kind and the railroad never pays for the death of a trespasser . When you eliminate these things for the railways you have rendered quite an assistance for I know in America that these bills are very large . The fuel that they burn in their locomotives is much better grade than that we have and it takes so little and the work is so easy in firing an engine that they employ womon as firemen or “choffer” as the French call them. They use the telegraph with the Morse code and it is so simple that a child could understand . Every thing is very plain and the reason why it is to be done is also made very plain and they they do not accept excuses . If you fail to do certain things that are ecential to the work that you are doing you are discharged without ceremony . The French Railway employes in the Transportation are all bound together in a Union similar to our own and I have had many of them tell me that they were going to strike for better wages at the expiration of the war which they thing will end in a few months . [Page 3] The French people are very cheerful considering the length of time they have been at war and when one stops and thinks of the many soldiers that France has lost you can imagine how many homes that are in mourning for loved ones lost . [The following text is blacked out] I will add here that when America has finished with this war and has counted the number lost I am of the opinion that it will be much greater than you will think for. [End of blacked-out text] I have personally talked with hundreds of soldiers from the front and they can give you good information and all will tell you anything that you ask and I am afraid that America will have left many (or beaucoup) soldiers on the bloody battle fields of France . I have attended school here in France and heave travelled over mist all of France and I think I have a fair knowledge of some of the ways of this country . I am now in the south western part of France and engaged in railway work as my division was transferred to this class of work . I will not tell you just what kind of work I am doing for it would not pass the censor and I would like to write to only that information what will be allowed to be delivered to you . I have visited Paris , Tours , Angers , Le Harve , Bordeaux , Perigueux and some cities near the front line and I hope for the opportunity to get to go to the trenches and at least have the life on one Bouche to my credit . But if I fail to get to do so I am going to do my very best in the work that I am engaged in as it will help the boys who do have that privilege . Every American soldier in France would like to go to the front and where ever you see soldiers in small groups talking and was where you could hear their conversation you would here the words , “Well I would like to go to the front[”] and the Captain says that he is trying to get Gen Pershing to let him take his company to the front and relieve some other company that has been there for a while . This is the spirit that the American soldiers in France have and I can truthfully say that the Morale of the American Army in France is good . I have written you such a lengthy letter and to it is very hard to write a letter containing information which you would enjoy reading and get it [illegible] by the censor , so I will close and give you another letter in the future as I have a type writer here in my office . Yours Respt . Louis L . Lynn Co . C . 54th T.C . A.P.O . 794 American Expeditionary Forces France . In addressing your letter don’t fail to write the address just as I have given you . Don’t adreviate . N.B . The American soldiers’ best friend is the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army . Tell all the boys to put $1.00 in the Red Cross bx and they will have made a soldier glad . That the Red Cross in Clinton for me and tell them that their great work is being highly appreciated by their soldiers . [Page 4] Supt . J W . Heron [Envelope] After 5 Days Return to The Morning Journal Clinton , Illinois Supt . J.W . Hevron
Coverage- Geographical
United States -- Illinois -- DeWitt County -- Clinton ; France
Coverage-- Temporal
1910s (1910-1919)
Rights
The Vespasian Warner Public Library Distrcit (VWPL) holds the copyright for this image. It may be downloaded for personal use, but may not be published or redistributed, in whole or in part, without written permission from VWPL. You may contact VWPL at 310 N. Quincy St, Clinton, Illinois or at 217-935-5174.
Collection Name
DeWitt County World War I Collection
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