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The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Byrl Sylvester transfered to American hospital in Paris

September 22, 1917 - September 26, 1917


PAGE 105

home safe and sound. Incidents like this are what bring home the reality of war and it may not be many months before other homes will share in the anxiety of these parents and friends.
Since Byrl has been in France, he has sent home many interesting letters describing the scenes at the fighting front as he has viewed them while serving in the lines and each letter has been anxiously read by his friends and especially the boys in the training camps.
Below we publish a very interesting letter received since the accident but written some time before.
(NOTE: Letter written August 24 printed here.)
It will be noted that while mail has been sent to him regularly from home it is a long time reaching him. He had just received the draft list published nearly two months ago and is not aware that many of the drafted boys have enlisted and are not in the service. The box of cigars alluded to were mailed from Rochester over two months ago and had but recently reached him. Regardless of these trying conditions he has been faithful and has sent home letters every week.
We know that the sympathy of everyone in this community goes out to Byrl and all will anxiously await to learn of his recovery.

Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Sylvester and Mr. and Mrs. Claud Cray attended the Christian Church Convention at Rochester Tuesday evening.
Letter
Saturday, September 22, 1917
"A French Hospital"

Dear Folks,
Ten days have passed now since I arrived here and am going to be moved into Paris tomorrow FOR SURE. The last few days here have certainly dragged along. This is the longest that I ever stayed in bed at one clip in my life. Three days ago a new bunch of engineers, who are camped a few miles from here started coming over here to see me. About twenty have called already, and of all the stuff they bring over. It sure is a grand sight to see those great big fellows coming in there bringing bread, jam, eggs, chocolate, plums, smokes, and even cucumbers. Just this morning three came in bringing cherry pie which they got some place. These fellows are real men, from all parts of the States and are here for business. For several days I had two nurses on my trail – one French and the other English. The French nurse left yesterday. She came in to say good bye and gave me a package of cigarettes. Pretty fine of the old girl.
One of the cars brought your cable over the other night about ten. I had planned to cable myself – but the office evidently beat me to it and fired it over. Have been reading in the home paper about the County Fair. Was it a big success as usual? Plainview must certainly be a dead old place with all the young bunch away. The boys are certainly scattered now. Maybe some will be able to get home for Christmas. Well the doc is hanging a needle to shoot some stuff in me.
Love, Byrl.
DO NOT PUBLISH
Will write as soon as I arrive in Paris.
Letter
September 26, 1917
Paris – American Hospital

Dear Folks,
Here I am all nicely located in the American Hospital in Paris. Just arrived yesterday. Was very lucky to be brought in by a couple of our officers who were touring the Front. A nice big roomy car. We passed through some very interesting country and


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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."


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