The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-12-20
"A Canon City Mother
Has Four Sons In the
us. Army-A Letter
From One of Them

L Jill OllC III 1llCllI
So far as the Record is informed
Mrs. z C. CowIes. of 4l2 Harrison av-
enue. has more sons in the army than
any other Fremont County mother.
Mrs. Cowies has four sons in the ser.
vice. They are:
Elmer johnson. 312 U. s. Infantry.
Y A. Camp Dix. wrighttown, N. J.
| W. D. Johnson. 3rd Co. C. A. c..
Coast Artillery. FL Casey. Wash.
Sanford A. Johnson. 18Th U. s. In
.antry. Linda Vista, Calf.
Arthur Cowles. U. g. Navy.
Mrs. Cowies has three more sons
who will probably eniis; before many
months.
The following letter from W. b.
Johnson to his mother will be Of in
terest:
Fit. Casey. Wash. Dec. Z. 1917.
Am cooking for guard detail now.
There is six of US on the job and
have to carry ratiops about two miles
on my back, cook three meals day
and stand one hour for searchligbt
drill every night
Believe me it sure keeps me going
every minute. but am satisfied as
long as can keep out OF the com
pany.
Will tell you little about our drill
as it will be of interest to You To know
what heavy artillery is like.
We are having -full service" prac-
tice now. which means we are firing
the same kind of projectiles as we
would in battle l. stood out on the
hinr yesterday and watched them FIR
ing at Fs- Warden which is about four
miles across the sound from here.
First we could see the fash OF the
gu1 and then in about thirty seconds
the shock would come. and believe me
II is some shock. Everything on the
walls have to be taken down and all
windows have to be open or it will
break them
Now IL you can imagine such re-
port as that four long miles away. just
think about standing right behind the
gun. in little pit about sixty feet
square.
We could see the projectiles strike
the water about six miles out The wa
ter flies so high in the air that it
looks like solid stream pouring ont
Of the sky.
An have to do on this Job is keep
the searchlight on the target which is
towed behind boat II is only six
feet square so you know it takes a
powerful glass to see it.
II were there l could explain 10
you how they get the range and ele-
walton but it would take too long on
paper. The searchlight throws six
ty-inch beam and is about twenty
thousand candle power strong.
II Is funny to watch the sea gulls
when they fly into the beam. They
will fall like they have been shot and
lie there for few moments and away
they go again.
Well don't want TO tire you out
with coast artillery all in. one letter.
so will talk about something else for
awhile. y
No M3n,mn. Elmer - not COM
missioncd ocicer yet, but he holds the
highest office that an enlisted man
can hold. When he gets his commits
sion he will be discharged and sworn
into the officers station. Then he will
either be made lieutenant or captain.
II is long jump for an enlisted man
to make. but Elmer has the stun in
him to do IL IL he will do his best.
Sanford and Alfred have q good
chance. too. and win more than likely
make their marks before the war ia
over.
have all that ever expect to get
In this branch of the service. unless 1
can transfer to the infantry. ] am frst
class private and nrst class gunner.
Being sober and attending to business
got me the first class private and a
little study the rest.