Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-05-31
LETTER FROM EARL MASON

Ell Paso, Texas, 5-24-17.
Dear Friend Poly:
Expect you will he surprised TO
hear from me, but you see | am
Ijust a little surprised TO think I
am down here on the border. If
you can't read this, just save it
until get home and will read
ut for you. And don't think any,
thing about me writing on both
sides OF the paper and all the way
across, for we are all broke and
Iget our paper at the Y. M. G.. A..
and they just give you so much.
Well. there are so many of us
here that they can't tell one from.
the other, so | put paper and en-
velope inside my shirt and wan
der around a while and then go
back and mooch some more.
| am sitting i'm the tent writing
by candle light. Did you ever do
that? Well, try il some time. We
have not been issued all our
lclothes yet. Guess Uncle Sam
|can't make them fast enough.
This sure is sandy old country,
and wind--the sand blows in our
itent so bad at night that you can
hardly get out of your cot in the
morning. Sure have to sleep with
your eyes shut. We sure are get
Iting hard, all of us Coating sand
and rock Have not had much
drill until the last three or four
days, but they are sure giving il
to us now. Gave us a ten-mile
hike this morning and then gave
us beans and onions for dinner.
Well, Bill Boulder, Julius Muller,
Glen Ball and myself thought we
needed some exercise this after
noon, and so we started for the
mountains. III is about two miles
to the foot of them. then about
two or two and one-half to the
ltop, so up we go, and say, be-
lievc me, it was some climb. We
had to be back for retreat at 1920
p. M, so it kept US going. We
don't get very much fancy grub,
but we have plenty of good hard
food. We have hash, beans.
meat and potatoes. And | almost
forgot--I had two prunes for
supper. Part of the boys were
left at Fort Logan and part of
them were sent to Tennessee, hut
there are still the lucky thirteen
lof us left here. Julius Muller
land | have been in the same tent
and the same squad since we got
here. We sleep eight in a tent
land it takes sixteen to make a
squad. The other boys have their
l tent just back of ours, so we
|play back and forth OF evenings.
Have been in bed every night al
Q p. X. ever since ] left Missouri
| Valley. How's that? But then
you know | always went to bed
Iearly when stayed with you
Every once in while you can
hear someone singing II Wonder
| How the Old Folks Are at Home. :
III guess there are several of us
that wonder the same. Don't
lLnnu, how .lnntr ,,,n will l,o L,ono
May stay all summer, and then
they may move us any day.
| III Paso sure is a pretty little
lefty. That is one thing that is
lnice down here. The houses arc
all on the bungalow style anc
lmade out Of stucco or brick
There are about $4,000 soldiers
here in Camp Baker and TT. Bliss
land they are what make the city
of El Paso.
1 Well, Poky, my candle is JUS
about all in, so will have tc
close for tonight. Tell everybod,
hello for me, and that we are al
feeling fine. And say, if you
have any old back numbers of the
Missouri Valley Times, you NIGH
send one or two to us.
Yours truly,
1 EARL MASON.
Address El Paso Tex, care FRS
i Regt., Sixteenth Inf.