Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-23

me like a machine gun opening fire'
on n German, ending up with an ex-
preston "Pourguve." (Why?) That
was the only word did get. knew
why l shook the stick. but 1 did not
know how to tell him so. One of
i the fellows finally helped me out
and my mistake was soon explained.
Then away we went for another
ride. did better that time, made !
! another good landing, which pleas |
ed him nightly. That sent me
up to the next class, in which 1 have |
not yet received ride. Maybe if
the mood let's up l may get ride. |
| If it don't stop soon, I'll seriously |
consider building an ark-I have not
considered it serious as yet because
| ii would be rather lonesome. l
have not acquired a wife, you know.
How 1t Feels
| This weather reminds me of that
| little song:
Il wouldn't be a, duck, would you?
| II wouldn't be a duck, would you?
With a feather on his back he goes
quack, quack.
1 wouldn't be duck, you'd you?"
| You have to sing it to get the right
effect.
1 don't agree with the hsong. in
fact 1 imagine being duck here
would be rather enjoyable. One
wouldn't need worry about wet feet
| then-and still he could fly.
Yes, 1 am flying a Nieuport now,
| not alone yet, but soon, l hope be-
cause they sure do rush the pilots
on those machines. They are sup
posed to be the pick of the students,
you know, naturally, they send !
them up in most any weather. Two
DAYS ago thry weer sent up in the
rain, and the following day in gale
! of wind. L use the word they be-
! 4 Cti HNi, tn
structor. If the rain would only let
up for one day might get a chance
| to show what I can do.
| / now understand why the Moni-
! teurs impressed the fact on us TO-
use only two fingers in handling the
controls 1t was foolish to even
attempt 1t on a Candron, because
it would require pretty strong, fin
gers. 1 know, after an hours flight
on a windy day, 1 have come down
D.! with muscles sore on back and arm
and l was supposed to lead it
! around with two fingers! 1t is pos
sible on a Nieuport, in fact the only
way. because the least touch and
something happens. And the ma
chine is so sensitive that holding
the stick CONTROL too tight one
loses the whole feel of the plane
Therefore, the deathgrip, is not prac-
tieal with safety on these speedy
birds. That first Moniteur scared
4 one fellow into it by his steep banks.
The student only did it once, how
ever, and that was his last ride on
Nieuport. They sent him on bonn
bardment planes, which are slow
and heavy and do most of their fly
ing at night.
Expect to start your Christmas
/ present just as soon as l can find
some packing. Knowing you as I
i - 0
with the rest of the family. Moth
ing else can get through don't
even know whether this will.
In Need of Chocolate
And now I'll put little more fuel
on the fire and proceed with the let
ter. You know 1 can't write let
ter without eating chocolate, which
reminds me of the last part of the
average letter from which Pop so
cleverly quoted-"Send chocolate"
BY the way. if you send any moro
packages for me send them to as
Montaigne Ave, Paris, care Y. NJ.
c. A." because I will be sure to get
them, To date l have only received
two and word of another. Heaven
only knows where it isl don't.
This desk is getting awful heavy
and my back is getting tired hold
ing it up. Yes. n suitcase laying
across ones knees makes a very eff
cient deSk-if there is not much in
the suitcase. About two more trips
aboard these French baggage cars
and my desk viii he no more.
Am eating at the "ordinaire,"
(soldier's messy now and was sur,
prised to find it so good, after hear
ing the awful stories about its rank
ness. OF course, some of the things
might take your appetite, but I'm
hardened soldier now and don't
mind watching the Trenches wash
their table tools in the soup and
drying them on the bread. Rath-
er good bread too. it being nearly
white. The plates are washed out by
an application of the cold tea (some-
times it comes lukewarm, naturally
with no sugar. and there being no
place else to pour it, under the table
it goes. And then someone won
dered why it was so damp in there.
Say. printing these letters is bad
enough because I writo them to
you and not to the public, but If
they must he published for ritv
sake. keep them in the L. S. A. One
of them found its way over 10
France and found it on the Y. NJ.
c. A. table here in Avord, much to
my surprise and disgust. 1t was a
letter written when I was still as
piring to master the penguin" and
was headed "Dauphin Boy Soon to
Fly n Nieuport." . 1t surprised me
+hPt thev Drintod il inst % ! w~Hte
it, but I am not so fond of popular
ity as that. and I hope the boy who
comes from near that town won't
get any more of my press notices.
WALTER.