The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-10-31
SOLDIERS Letters
BOYS SATISFIED WITH CONDI
TIONS-WELI. CARED FOR
In FRANCE.

Pierre. Oct. 31.-An unusually in
teresting batch of letters have been
received during the past few days
from South Dakota boys who are
serving their country either in the
military, naval or aviation branch of
the national service. These letters
come from concentration points in
different sections of the country be-
tween the two oceans and between
Canada and Mexico and several come
from France.
Donald Thomas, Milbank boy,
writes his parents from France,
where he is a member of the force
of troops under Gen. Pershing. He
states that himself and comrades are
we'll looked after, that they have am
pie food supplies and are enjoying
life as much as possible under war
conditions. I'VE moved our supplies
into a tent this week." he writes.
and l have a very cosy place fixed
up to sleep, with my desk right be-
side my bunk. 1t is far more salts
factory than sleeping in musty
barn. 1t is bit cool getting up at
5 40 o'clock a. m, but the days are
always nice and warm. We have
fritters and syrup for breakfast an
average of twice week, bread pud-
ding about three times week. We
have had apple pie once and We get
butter frequently that the French
pay so cents a pound for. and actual
ly had toast yesterday morning. The
meat is fine and we get steaks quite
frequently"
w. Brockman, Lennox boy,
writes in part as follows from a con-
centration point on the south Allan
tic coast: Il am having charge OF
the food hauling. This morning |
hauled SS sacks of potatoes. IA quar-
ters of beef, 40 sacks of onions, 40
sacks of beans, two loads of canned
goods and two loads of bread. We
haul the bread here the same as you
handle coal, but the bread is never
theless good stuff One of the Mon
tana soldiers died recently and his
body was sent to his home town for
burial"
Letter from France.
BILLY" Bowen. a Bridgewater boy.
writes from France. He strongly in
dorses the work OF the Red Cross and
the Young Mems Christian associa-
ton. His letter is in part as follows
Il am glad to see the people at home
support the Red Cross and the
Young Mems Christian association
| for these organizations sure do all
they can for us soldiers. We have a
fine Y. M. c. A. hut. We have a pi-
ano and a phonograph for the musi-
cal ones; several tables to do ouI
writing on and all kinds of reading
matter. There is something going
on every night. The fellows put or
little show of their own, or We
have a lecture or some sort of an en-
tertainment by the Y. M. c. A. peo
pie, and believe me. they are sure al
good as any we have ever had on the
chautauqua or lyceum course. IL mo-
better. We had contests today IL
grenade throwing, rifle shooting ant
bayonet exercise, and believe me
they are interesting, for the fellows
realize that the best they can do no
only helps win a contest, but also
may help win something else."
Brakeman's Letter.
From railroad brakeman to serv
ice on a submarine chaser is the ex
lperience OF Ralph E. Packer, of Wa
tertown. formerly brakeman on tn,
Minneapolis and st. Louis railway
He enlisted in the United States nav,
a few weeks before the United States
declared war or Germany. well
here I am - ho writo9 "ri0hf anna ri
in the war zone. There are suppos
ed to be over 800 German subma