The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-10-06

One of Uncle Sans fighting men,
a young chap from Montna, with the
euphonious name of "Pinkey" Simms,
has written a letter to his home
folks that throws interesting lights
on the experiences of the men now
at the front in Europe. The letter
was published in the writer's home
town paper and the text, given the
Tribune by Bert Thomas, is as fol-
lows:
Headquarters Thirteenth Engi-
neers (railway) U. S. Army, Some
where in France.
CAS- / am one of the first in the
new Pershing expeditionary forces
to be at the front and also one of the
few from Montana here now, l am
writing you a few lines and also en-
close a London paper with an ac-
count of our visit to hat city. 1
came from Deer Lodge to enlist in
this division, figuring it to be the
first under fire. | did not miss it,
either, for we can smell smoke now
while the watchful French aviators
are circling overhead.
"I would like to a a word in be-
half of the English. While in
America | heard many stories of the
chilliness of these people and the
animosity they feel toward the Amer
leans. / have made up my mind that
fhncn CfNrinC yvnrn pirnrr1afn6 hU tho
pro-Germans.
we left a training camp in Eng
land M morning about 8 a. m. and
marched six miles in the rain to
take a train for London. We de-
trained at Waterloo station, where
the streets were lined with people,
and a more sober crowd / eve saw.
Not a word nor a single cheer
greeted us. We marched to yelling
ton barracks, where there were many
more Americans and three English
military bands waiting for us.
1--WE were a d~own-hearted lot, and
we spoke in whispers of our march
from the depot up. Outside there
was the biggest crowd I ever saw in
my life. They lined up on both
sides of the street from the ground
to the roofs. Finally the first regi-
ment in order started out to the tune
of "The Boston Tea Party" played
by the Welsh guards.
LAS the first regiment of Ameri-
cans came put of the barracks a ter
rifle roar went up from the i'm
mense throng and they kept it up
during the entire parade. There
we're cheer leaders stationed at diff
ferent points and the noise was
awful. We were under strict disci-
pine and marched with head and
eyes straight to the front and spoke
to no one while marching.
1--WE were greeted with cries
everywhere of Cheer up, Sammy!
Cheer up!' and also Give EN- ELL"
Pretty girls and old ladies waved
and threw kisses from street and
at attention and gravely saluted as
old Glory passed the hospitals. The
king and queen stood at the gates
of Buckingham palace and he saluted
as each flag went by. We halted in
front of his stand and he turned and
spoke happily to the queen. He has
a very kindly face.
1--WE went on into the palace
grounds and were fed a mighty good
meal. Then We stretched our tired
bodies out OF the grass for a few
minutes rest. We weer assembled
again and marched through another
portion of the town. The crowd was
just as thick in n place as in an
other, unless the buildings were
higher in one place and there were
more windows for people to lean out
of. Maybe 1 don't know much about
big crowds because was brought up
wheer there weren't any.
The biggest | eve saw before
was when four different roundup out
fits got their herds mixed up one
time south of Miles City on Powder
river. But if this wasn't a crowd l
never want to see me-. We marched
back to Waterloo and some young
girls gave us tea, sandwiches and Gig
arettes and our colonel called for
three cheers for London, and Lon
don sure got the cheers.
II used to punch COW and worked
where you had to holler and get
them out of the brush, and l can
sure 'holler.' That was the end of
the day and we all changed u
opinion of the Britishers. Later, at
tho rest camp in France, we were