Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-25
''BACK US UP" PLEA
FROM OTTUMWABOYS
ON WAY TO TRENCHES
Captain Edward Steller, In
First Letter From Europe.
Demands That Folks at
Home Prove Their 10y
atty.
G COMPANY'S MEN
ENJOY GOOD HEAETH

Get busy over there and back NJ
up. Do not lie down for minute.
Stop all the pro German tAR you car:
This is the Christmas message Chm
pany G sends to the people Of WaDello
county through Captain Edward 6tel.
Ter in a letter received By Yfad 6tsi
Ter, brother Of the coum1nder Of o..
tumwa's unit In the American expedt
ionary forces.
The letter, received today vaHu1k
ten December 6, the day betoso al
Ottumwa boys landed 1t liverpool q
their way to France. They sre be1Os
ed to be on the continent now w1Ek4ha
remainder Of tho 16Sth regiment and
he rainbow division.
MEMS HEALTH Is coon.
An the members of the local un4
are in fine fettle, Captain Stauer AuR
and their health has been excellent e1
cept for mid attacks q sea sicEneR
His letter follows:
AT Sea. Dec. e..1s11.
Dear Brother
We'll, Buddy, here ve-sr0vithin,oza
day of IN EngMsh port aft@ . vez5
rough trip. We ran into q storm abo0
four Days out and have been with Il
and very heavy fog ever since.
"Just picked up our escort today Oh
the ooast of Irefand.
Met many Fine people on board; one
Of them is the chairman and directoN
Of the American Society Of England
He owns haH dozen railroads in thG
United States and England
~eAck Us UP"
Conditions are about as described1n
your papers, hit GIT busy over thes0
and back US up. Do not lie down for
minute. Stop all the pro German taik
you can.
There are about 100 citizens on
board and quite few women and chl1-
dren. This boat is Tar larger than the
other one and there are only onexht1d
as many troops on bocrd, 20 you Sc
we have made the trip1 style.
II have St1teroom all to myself. Il
is about as large a. our office with .
f1ne brass bad. dre1Der, bath, reading
light, ct cetera. just Ike white folk
Joys OF TRAVEL.
"There b an old English lady on
board who is scream. She 10 about
60 years cd and smokes cigarettes
with an S-mch holder. She g1owls IKE
a walrus when she catches you look-i
ing at her. She has, after de-'
liheEately thinking the mattsr
over, made up her mind that
all soldiers are 9c1mps and not TOT
be trusted on the same ocean wiEh3
her. She has q world Of money snd5
brains, but she never loo0aE0 up WIN!
the cash to tho w1ffess: she getDs
about seven scraps out ok them day.
You can hear her all over the dinh8.i
roo m. Why In the blankety-blank
don't somebody start ship hsee3
where q peEson can get some oegvSoo3
AMERICAN TROOPS BEST.
"The boys ere, fine and dandy sm0
outside OF q very few getting sea4iek
are all In good shape. I haven't -
a sick minute on the sea. guess yu1t
must have br1tnS b get sea-sickneA3
There are q number Of officers -
the Enghsh and Canadian troops go1a
back from burroughs on this ship, an4
they certainly have been giving 40 the
dope. They don't seem to get over
physical DEVELOPMENT II mus ~
IL, Buddy, there h no comparison b.
tween the United States troops anQ
any other troops We have met, althoagA
the Canadians are good. You m
remainder that the English have bea4
fighting for more than three yeUU Am
don't you believe the report that sh9
is not doing her share.
II am censoring do boys' mail TO-DAY
as we land tomorrow and tho man VI
60 back on this boat.
~We1l, Pud shall write yuavhan4
get settled Give my regards 10 IL
our acquamtances and say the CO.
pany is O. X.
Love. Ed"