The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-12

friends IN Hays, and now ! believe
that 1t is about your turn. Of course,
some of my correspondence requires
considerable regularity, while if it
IS occasional with some it is all right.
l think you understand what I am
driving at.
Well, Harold this is surely the life.
L only wish you were sharing it with
me. l have found out that it isn't
what you would like to do but it is
what you must do that determines
where and what you are, to be when
you work for Uncle Sam. One in
stance Of this fact is explained in the
peculiar manner In which I came to
be where am. In one way this job
was forced upon me, because two
days after / arrived the Sergeant Ma
Jor issued an order to increase the
office force in the Record Office and
of course l has signed up as book
keeper was ordered to report at the
office one afternoon I talked the
matter over with our Sergeant but
didn't decide to take the Job, and
promised to call the following morn
ing. Instead of calling as I had prom
lsed our drill master told US all to stay
and he would take the company out
for instructions. l thought this
would end the thing, thinking that the
JOB wouldn't amount to nothing, but
1 found out that when the roll was
called for the outgoing list af recruits
l was not included and then it dawn
ed upon me that I had been Stuck
for the job. Now I am glad and
think that Uncle Sammie is going to
promote me to something better in the
next sixty or ninety days. This is
what makes me think so. The Off
GERS Training Camp at Fort Riley
wants previous service men who will,
to try this branch of service and
there are number of the Sergeants
and Corporals from this post who are
going to take the examination and of
course this will leave few vacancies
in this post and someone will have to
fill them, and of course those who are
lined up with the work have the best
show The work isn't hard only a
lot of red tape, and accuracy is far
more important than speed. Some
times we are just rushed to death, US
ually when we have detachment go
ing out, while at other times we sit
around for two or three days and do
nothing only keep out of the way the
daily work. There are seven young
fellows in the Office now and all are
good scouts, but some. want a little
more action in theirs, and are dis
satisfied and are trying to get out
with the next outgoing bunch. Some
of US however realize our opportun-
ity and chance for something better,
and will possibly miss all the hard
work that is sure to be waiting for
them. Some of the Coast Artillery
are shoveling mud and cement and
doing such work. Not that 1 couldn't
do such work but l am fitted for
something better.
You should see me in my uniform.
I sure like it and look the part of a
real patriot. l took some pictures
since 1 came but the photographer
hasn't finished them yet. Some he
spoiled and others he hasn't develop
ed Will send you some providing
they are good. Maybe you think 1t
wasn't a pretty painful proposition
to leave all my good friends IN Hays,
and enlist for seven years. But as /
told you bsfore, if l had not made
an effort tpshnd out where l stood, ]
would have felt like a "piker" and
felt as though there was a yellow
streak somewhere. am awfully glad
that l did not meet anyone that I
knew when l came back to Hays, that
Tuesday evening, only those in the
Lodge, because I didn't believe I
could have gone through the thing
again. Got a letter yesterday from
Happy Sullivan, and he said
he would probably try the Officers
Training Camp at Riley after school
closed. l think there is only about
two more weeks. He also said that
Ward had received notice to appear at
Salina for examination. Things he
said were pretty dead around Hays,
although no one had left to speak of
Sinop orr h11nnh loft
sixteen came day before yesterday,
who had enlisted at Ellis, but there
were only few of the Hays fellows
that / knew. I met Raleigh Ransom
yesterday. He won't get away with
the next detachment which will pro-
badly be Monday (tomorrow,) be
cause he hasn't drawn any regular
supplies get and just now they are
short of uniforms, etc.
I surely miss all the good casts at
Mrs. Reemsnyder's although our mess
is not so bad since we got in the Of
flee and get to take mess at the non
commissioned officers table. We have
butter and real cream for the coffee
and some other dainties that the com
mon rockies" do not have. Our
quarters are not the most comfort
able in the world and not to be com
pared at all with the neat nice room
that l had while at Mrs. Oshant's
but if fellow has warm heart he
cam manage to sleep half the time. 1t
has been so terribly cold and rained
almost all of last week, and yesterday
we sure had some snow. There is at
least ten inches of snow on the
ground this morning on the level, and
is clear and the mountains surely are
grand. Fort Logan is ten miles from
Denver about 5249 feet, and at night
we can see the bright lights of the
City, and when we have another pay
day will try to get down and look
the city over.
That is another thing. 1 wish to
tell you about, and that is our pay
day. 1t is quite an event here and
everyone that has any money left
after settling his bills shoots dice or
CANDLES it away in some form. Most
OF the men go to Denver to get on
real drunk and what are left are
either drunk down town or laying in
their quarters too stewed to be com
Portable. No, my letters are
not censored because if they were. 1
probably would not be sending what
l am Happy told me that all the let
tiers from the fellows in NAVY were