Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-11-22
ed was not to get home before
we left IT, s. but as the policeman
said, Orders is orders" Write
soon, your loving son,
ARTHUR j. DOTY.
LETTER FROM
BRENNAN DOUGLASS


| Dear Brother and Sister: re-
ceivcd your most welcome letter
| This afternoon about > 80 and was
Very glad To hear from you. am
getting along nicely and hope you
are the same. will not ask to
DE excused for not writing oftener
or soon. as should say, as just
kept putting it off.
Well, how is everything is old
/ Missouri Valley since the chief
+ events have gone down in his
tory? suppose it seems quite
dead, hut hope She survives.
1t sure was tough luck that
John \. X. had to die, as he was
evcrybody's friend. He sure will
he missed. could hardly believe
i it true, as it was so sudden.
How is Harriet getting along
'now9 Hope she is better, as |
suppose she is by now Tell her
hello and to write. How is the
business at the office these days
| suppose the raise came i'm very
handy. as hear everything has
gone sky highward since war (L)
broke loose. Here i'm the army we
never have to worry about the
price of corned Willie (beef) or
hard tack, let alone beans. But
al that we are setting pretty
With our chow. For instance, for
dinner today we had roast beef,
mashed spuds. gravy, coffee and
bread. Not bad and seconds,
too.
Say, | don't know what film
company took the movies of us,
hut suppose they were some Eng
lish companies. a couple of days
ago we had our maps snapped. 1t
was out to a big field review by
General Pcrshing and Marshal
JOt'fre. Believe me, ii was sure
some grand sight, both on the way
out and i'm passing the review.
There We're fully 10000 men
present. On the hike out, about
Z kilometcrs, or 3-S miles, the
column of squads was over a
mile and quarter i'm length. This
is the second big review and in
spection that | have been in in
the last couple of months 1t is
also the second time that | have
seen Marshal .Joffre. The first
time. he was within two feet of
me. as we stood saluling.
Yes. Frank Burke and are still
IN the same company and in the
same squad, although he is COM
pany clerk and don't see him ev-
cry day But now. Our Missouri
Valley bunch has been thinned
slightly, as Earl Mason has been
transferred to army headquar-
ters, where he goes to drive a
car. Gee, but | miss him, as he
was in the same squad and there
were only two hunks between us.
He left yesterday morning.
These days we get up at $40,
stand reveille at $3.50, chow at 6.
From then till 1925 we get ready
for the days hikes or drill and
clean up our hunks and room.
80 We line up and go out
To drill grounds.
80 We quit our drill and
work and rest.
l2--We have our midday chow.
900 We continue our drill.
2:30-We start back into our
camp, about u miles. Then till
l:lo we can do anything we wish.
40 Retreat, or salute the
flag.
5:00--Chow.
600 Call to quarters.
Delights out and good
night.
ON one occasion last week we
hlkcd about 30 kilometers i'm a
muddy road by rs. This is
about 2 y miles. and had only 20.
minutes rest all The time. Sure a
good tryout. l haven't fell out on
our hikes yet, and don't intend to.
Lately we have plenty of rec
rratlon, as we have a fine Saliva
llon Army nut, and also "Y."
Al present writing am i'm the S.
a. hut. III is a wooden structure
(demountablc), about 35X125. 1t
is we'll lighted, heated and is
equipped with many tables and
writing desks, checkers, dom
NOES, piano, Victrola with Eng
hsh records. Books, magazines
ana papers are furnished free.
Candy, chocolate and raisins can
be purchased at nominal price.
There are three real American
women here and two men-a very
honey place. indeed. 1t is we'll
filled each evening. The Vic
lrola is just playing when L
Leave the World Behind" That
will be in some far distant time.
| hope.
This afternoon we had an en-
lertalnment, as we witnessed an
air battle i'm which IN npon,,