Ripley County democrat., 1917-11-09
Letters from Our Jim.


| ly, from James X. Cunningham, for
merly In charge Of The Democrat, VIII
last spring went to Montana with tn
bunch Of young men going there fror
There and who have all returned fron
there but him, be having registers
there and was drawn, and who 10 now a
Camp Lewis, Washington, with his reg
iment Of the natiopal army, may be o
interest to rsadsrs OF the Democrat
One Of them is 70 =, Fred Rorth, 0
the Palace Drug Store, he and jim
being chummy, and the other is to tn,
editor Ok this paper, his father;
CAMP LEWIS. WASH, Oct. 2l, 1917.
DEAR FRED:
/ Your Current River post card yiev
came this week, forwarded from Broad
view. J thought had sent my addres
here to you the day after We arrived.
4 When we left Billings we vent nortl
on the g. N. railway to Great Falls
arriving there about 10 pm. The mex
morning upon awakening we we're ap
preaching Glacier National Park, ant
arrived at the station about s o'closk
The hotel and glacier are right at thu
station, but the park was closed for tht
season. The train stopped there iol
quite while and ! got off and walked
around.. The glacier isquite sight
rearing its head up into the sky thu
summit being covered with snow ant
great forests growing on the sides o.
the glacier. The air up there is Ger.
tainly fine and crisp, and as cold as II
was walked around without hat and
felt no discomfort.
i From the time we left the glacier un.
til we reached Puget Sound we were
travelling Though the mountains and
scenery was something never to be for-
gotten. | don't see where any one
could go to get anything to equal IT.
| Mountain trout streams were every.
where, and the trainmen told me they
were alive with fish. AT one place o
brakeman toldms bear was killed q few
days before, and that In the winter
thousands Of deer, elk and other ami
mals we're lined up along the track for
shelter. Most Of the towns in the
northwest part of Montana and
through Idaho are sawmill towns, but !
saw some nice new towns that be-
lievs will be good places in few years
more. It is wonderful country up In
there, although to one passing through
it looks and seems to be foreign
country.
On Saturday night, when we arrived
at Spokane, we we're taken 10 the best
hotel in town and given supper and
CABRERA by the ladies of the town. Spo-
kane is certainly nice town, Sunday
morning when we awakened we we're In
the Cascade mountains. While very
pretty taey did not compare with the
mountains to the east. We struck the
Sound at Everett and followed 1t TO
Seattle and were taken of the train at
about noon and marched up town, At
ter standing in the street and waiting
for an hour we got breakfast dinner
combined, but II was good feed just
the same. From Seattle it does not
take long to run to Camp Lewis, and
we arrived here about pm. Since
then ] have been a guest Of "Uncle
SAM"
The weather here is never very cold
but II is the most disagreeable climate
l ever saw, damp, chilly and ioggy.
Camp Lewis consists Of more than 1900
barracks, each barracks holding about
2bO men. The parade ground is 2 miles
long and . half mile wide, and by 10
o'clock each morning Thousands Of men
are on IL drilling. Everett Kinnard is
in the artillery division about Q mile
from my barracks.
Last Monday we were marched 10 the
general medical headquarters where we
we're examined and given shot for
typhoid. We had already been
scratched for smallpox. I got back to
barracks all right and thought all the
talk about the shot making them sick
was bosh. But say; about 8 o'clock |
had one Of the hardest chills ever had
in my life. and wss sick until Thursday.
Tomorrow We are to receive the second
shot. don't know what effect Ii will
have but guess will find out.
About $4,000 more men began arriv.
ing today and when they are all in
there will be about 5000 here. Some
town, this.
Well, Fred, write and tell me all the
local inside news and don't put II Of
all winter. Just imagine yourself
about 1900 miles from home and how
you would like to hear from there, and
then write and write often.
Beans and coffee will soon be ready,
will write more later.
Address,
PRivATE J. X. CUENNGHAn,
i3t co. SO Ba. t08 Depot Brigade,
Camp Lewis, Wash,