Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-08-16
LETTER FROM .,eRmAN HOVER

Allentown Pa, Aug 10.
Dear Fol,ls:
!, We are back in Allentown
again, thank goodness. Got back
Tuesday afternoon. Certainly
were glad to get back. Can't give
these hikes thing.
4 They marched Us out into some
God forsaken holes. We left on
the hike Saturday night, the 2Sth
We left at I p. M, and only had
about two hours advance notice
and half the sections weren't
here. was out at the park and
didn't get back until about half
an hour before they left and had
to hurry like the dickens to get
things together. We only went
about three miles that night and
camped in a field over Sunday.
The tents are quite small. about
6 feet long and 4 feet wide at the
bottom. Each man carries half
the tent, a collapsible tent pole
and five aluminium stakes. They
make a blanket roll of that and
the two blankets and any clothes
they carry with them. They are
carried over the shoulder, but on
the hot days they carried them in
the auto trucks for u.s. We also
carried haversack and can
teen, and a knife. fork, spoon and
two plates that tit together. You
can carry anything YOU want in
the haversacll, but the lighter the
better.
1t rained Sunday morning. but
we kept dry. Didn't do anything
all day. Was officers orderly
for a couple. of hours that night
brought them food, cleaned
their quarters. etc. We packed
iup Monday "a. m. and went about
five or six miles to a little place
called Siegersville. We camped
alongside of a river by a mill dam
right i'm a hollow between some
small mountains. Gee, but it was
hot place. III stayed about 1OG
/! for three or four days straight
Believe me. I've got some coat oil
sunburn. We just sal arounC
and sweltered. Went i'm swim
ming quite a bit. We stayed there
until Friday. Would take short
hikes every morning. They gave
us our second shot for para Iy-
phoid Tuesday morning and We
were off for the rest of he day
Fitz and went up town (Allcn-
town-w walked a mile and hal
and caught the trolley sand tool
a hot shower Csc at the Y anC
went to the Orpheum and about
supper time we called up a couple
iof girls and talked to them lons
enough to get a bid for supper
SO we went up and had i5OMI
feed.
Had big thunderstorm We'd
nesday morning. Gee, but j
rained and blew down trees. W.
had to sit in our tent and hold i
|down. We kept dry, but lot o
the tents blew down and got TIT
fellows stuff all wet We came
Ian town again Thursday night
had supper and went visiting
Friday we packed up again ant
walked about ten miles to Stating.
ton and camped on the ball parl
over night. We didn't pitch GU
tents-jusl slept out in the open
tPretty chilly. Saturday morning
we walked from Slatington t.
,BaBth-about sixteen miles,
tffink-just up hill and down. W.
left at $50 and got there a
1890. Some hike. Lots of tn
fellows had to drop out and ride
J. I'VE would walk so minutes ant
jrest 40. 1t certainly was worl
out bunch. We stayed at Bait
over Sunday. Sunday noon tn
y citizens OF Bath treated us all t,
ice cream and cake-l'ine! Their
were about $50 on the hike, too
Il Sunday afternoon we borrowed
big truck from some cemen
: company and rode into Allen
town. Monday we went abou
eight miles. and camped in som
old oat field. Some rough place
Il 1t rained again that night an
some of the fellows got drowne'
out in the burrows. We wer
lucky again and kept dry. We lef
for Allentown again Tuesda
: morning. We went through
town called Catasauqua and tn
inhabitants gave us big feed a
noon-ice tea, bologna, cheese
crackers, cookies, oranges an
cigarettes-Pretty Fine! We go