Mexico Missouri message., 1917-11-08
VERNE LEWTON WRITES.
Visits Audrain Boys At Funston
A Dig At The Kaiser.

" ~ LCWbOhp AlONASoA OAhSOlo
Training Camp, Ft. Riley, Kansas,
has written the following letter to
his mother, Mrs. Alice Lewton, at
Laddonia, this county:
Dear Mother:
Just received your most welcome
letter. We have just got out of
quarantine and l tell you now we let
the rest all know it. You know
have been waiting so anxiously to
get out to go over to Fort Funston to
see some of the Laddonia boys as
had not seen a face from home for
years. met Ray Smith, Gene Sum-
mers, Ross Hubbel and Howard Coil.
Coil was the only one who knew
me. 1 do wish you could have old
Ray when told him who 1 was. You
would have thought was his moth
er; he was so tickled he couldn't do
anything but sit and laugh for
while, but poor Roy is up against it.
He is in the hospital with spinalmen-
ingitis. but it may be that he is only
isolated on suspicion and awaiting
developments. l hope so anyway.
Yes, l suppose, the society ladies are
doing a whole lot in their efforts to
make the life of the soldier easy, but
I've often wondered where all of
their stuff goes as I've never seen
any of it or heard of anyone that
did with one exception. The Red
Cross gave us all a package of cigar
cts when we came thru Fairbury ,Neb.,
on our way from FIT. Douglass. 1t
is a wise idea to send anything you
wish to give to send it direct to the
one you want to receive it for rea-
sons l have written before.
You asked If got my pay regularly.
l have been in the same service four
months and have had one pay day
and no idea when we will have an
other. We are kept so busy all the
time we have little time to write
We have been digging trenches
and erecting a field hospital and get
ting wise to our duties we will have
when we get across the pond.
have been quite lucky as to the hard
work as I've been acting as Corporal
every time our bunch is out to show
them how to do it, but there is moth
ing soft about the work.
You say I've got to be a Western
man, going off half-cocked and jump
ing at conclusions. Well, maybe 1
am, but, not saying this boastingly,
have the name of being pretty cool
headed, but when you have travelled
in the West six years you learn to
take no one on trust and size pc r.
son up the first time you see him,
and you seldom make a mistake.
There are many grand sights to be
seen in the West but 1 wish you
could see the big timber, as you love
the woods so much anyway. Trees
from six inches to 16 feet thru; from
1870 feet to 225 feet tall, but of all
the country I've seen from Alaska to
Old Mexico, California is the place
for an ideal home. The wages are
not so high as in other places, but
the living expenses more than Offset
that.
Well, 1 have just had my supper
and feel at peace with all the world.
Say, one fellows mother just sent
him one of those hand washing ma
chimes few days ago and 1 don't
know what he will do with it, as he
can't eat or wear it either. When
we cross the pond we will only be al
lowed rs pounds baggage, and as
our clothes will take up most of
that there is going to be an awful
bunch of stuff left behind us.
The boys will appreciate that to-
bacco fund more than anything else.
l would like to have a penny for ev-
cry package of cigarettes that are
sold at this one post, as my present
salary would be doubled many times.
Ethel wanted me If ever found the
Kaiser on the battlefield needing any
attention to handle him carefully
and tenderly and not shock his sensi-
tive nerves by any rough Western
manners. Yes, will, The only man
he will be interested in after meet
him will be the undertaken. and he
will need him bad.
AS this is my last sheet of paper
will have to close for this time,
With love,