Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-01-30

friends IN tins military game, then transfer
and they all drop out OF our sight as we
work into new circle
This is the first day of great year w.
hope 1t will usher this wicked old world into
heads in liberty and peace
By Sergeant otto Helgeson. Headquarters
Co. l64th Inf 4ist Dv..Am. Expeditionary
Force. via New York, Mid Ocean, Dec POI
So far the trip has been fairly pleasant,
and though we in the danger
zone, hope and believe, will get
there without any accident. We left Camp
Merit a. m. about 9:4O and were loaded
the ship at .. by 80. but didn't
leave the dock until early -. We are on a
very large boat. but not allowed to give the
name. and the ocean hasn't been very rough
anyway that is what they say. the ship
/ hasn't been rocking very much, When
person gets on a ship and it commences to
roll, well your head just naturally does the
same thing. | havnit fed the fish yet and
I don't believe that | will. but persons head
| feels pretty light an the time if you stand
up walk around.
/ We are allowed to smoke on the deck for
little while in the day time. Have to be
1 inside by o'clock. when it gets dark.
/ We have a drill for getting off the boat
once or twice a day and have to
wear our life savers all the time. even when
/ we eat and sleep, also our canteen of water.
! One of the most dreaded things the ship
I is going to The first few days had
three meals day, but now we only have two,
one at from 80 TO 3 80 and the other
| from 100 to 80. There are so many troops
on. that it takes a person from hour and
a half to two hours to get to the mess hall.
in the line, and after that mess goes alright,
I but lots of time I'd rather go without my
I meal than fall in the mess line.
We expect TO get over there by Christmas
/ time. | hear only allowed to write
! three letters week, you wont hear so very
often. but hope that wont keep folks from
| writing
Have seen Timer Running a few times
since we came aboard, but haven't had a
chance TO talk to him, cant say how he
is standing the trip. but l don't think he has
! been sick either. he Is quartered on the deck
! below the on.
| would like to tell you all about this ship,
and lots of other things but you see all the
mail is censored. and | am leaving this letter
open because there is a censor on our ship.
! II is now 6 o'clock out here (about in
/ Viroquaj and it IS our bed time and we surely
; get enough sleep.
Somewhere in England, December %.
We arrived here safely and were sure glad
I when that part oe the trip over, be-
cause | feel whole lot safer on land than
on water Phrt Of the time we had to sleep
with our clothes on. so that we could quickly
/ abandon the ship IN case it was Summarized
For a while had convoy of ships going
with Us. that gave US little relief.
We surely had quite trip from where we
| were in England to where now. We
/ got on the train at o'clock and got OIL at
! 4 80 a. m. then walked with our packs, TO
the camp, and got here little before
! o'clock. then slept for a couple of hours.
/ then had bite to eat. The trains here are
, very peculiar. the ears are about two-thirds
I as large as our in the u. S. and each coach
/ divided into little compartments. which hold
about persons, and there Is no passage way
between them. so | can hardly understand
how the conductor would collect the tickets or
the brakeman get from one coach to the other.
| We surely had queer Christmas, up all
| night Christmas eve, and then gust coming
into a new camp. so you can imagine how
il seemed to US but live in hopes that next
Christmas will be more cheerful.
1t seems queer to be in England-the pee
pie are so peculiar and the money so much
more so. | went down to the L NJ. I. a.
to get this paper and bought a piece Of candy
! handed the man a quarter and he gave me
back six large coins tpenniesl which are
equivalent to lie Of our money so the &c
piece OF candy cost l3c- I'll have to lay on
eating candy. This camp would be hne
place in summer because even now the seen
cry is just beautiful around here, quite a
lot OF green grass and now 1t Is not quite as
cold AS in New York We havnt had any
mail since about the 18th Of December and
don't suppose we will get any for awhile
either. We don't expect to be here in Eng
land but few days more; then we 20 TO
France and begin training suppose
The Captain of the boat said that we
were the queer,~t bunch he had brought over:
The last load of troops before US were scared
to DEATH and he said didnt act at all that
way. l don't believe we realized the danger
we were in l haven't seen Timer since the
first days on the ship. / happened accident
ally to run onto him and haven't seen him
since. They didn't come to this camp until
little after did. and as yet haven't had
a chance to look aim UP.
Somewhere in England, Dec. go
We have been IN this camp longer than
we expected, and are apt to be here a
while yet, because there FIVE cases OF
measles in cur company, two in the barracks
l in, we are quarantined Tor u
days. but whether or not will be kept
here that long | do not know. The barracks
was fumigated when they took the patients
out We haven't had any mail since We left
Camp MERIT, over half month age SO you
getting anxious 10 get Il
We were not supposed to be here long 81
therefore don't imagine we will get any
while here.
\ person cant buy sugar or anything with
sugar IN 1t over here.
The other day three OF US took q little
walk around the country, and talk shout see
ing sights ana interesting things The build
| ings all have matched roofs. even though the
walls are OF brick. They remind me Of the
| houses described in EvangeIlue- There are
some very large buildings or castles as they
are called. of the Lords, and immense estates
We saw some cid churches. scIne OF winch
| were built ITO ~ over SEQ years ago. There
| are So many interesting things 1 would liks
to tell about, nut the mail Is censored and VIZ
| hardly know what we are allowed 10 write.
| Since We have been auarsntined We get uI
/ at so, make our hunks. which are boards
/ on two little horses about inches high, then
/ we have breakfast brought to Us, then We
| sweep out and clean up in general. then VIZ