The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-08-16
PLEA FOR CHEERFUL LETTERS
TO BOYS IN FRANCE

That cheerful letters, and many of
them. are what the boys in France
want, and would be extremely proud
to get, is indicated in a letter re-
ceived in Paris by Paris newspaper
man, whose modesty forbids mention
ing his name. The letter was writ
ten by Captain Clifford Wright, of
the 324th Field Artillery, now on
active duty in France. Many Bour-
bon county boys are with this outfit.
Capt. Wright endeavors to make it
clear that it is the cheerful letters
that count-''the more cheerful the
better" The letter, with its insist
emit postscript, follows:
Battery A, Field Artillery, France.
(Place and Date Not Given.)
Dear Sir:
Il have just finished censoring the
mail written to-day by the men of
this battalion to their friends and
relatives in America, and find that
many of them are from your city and
county, and that they seem to know
you quite well. / wish to quote be-
these letters:
"tOur mail arrived this morning.
You don't know how good it makes a
fellow feel to get mail when he is
four thousand miles from home. The
boys are happier and have more
spirit this afternoon than have seen
them have since we landed in France.
One cheerful letter does fellow more
good than all the sad ones would do
that you could write in year. The
more pleasant the better the letter is
TO the boys over here. / feel real
sorry for some of the boys who did
not get the letters they had been eX-
pecting. The look on their faces
would have melted heart of stone
Now, / will leave it to you that
nothing is more important for the
soldiers overseas than for them to get
frequent and cheerful letters from
the folks back home. 1t does not
matter what branch of the service
they are in, nor what company, regi-
ment, or battalion they are with, just
SO they are from your town and
county, and just so they get good
cheerful letters from their old home
town once in while. One of our
best military authorities has said
that soldier can get along without
food and water, if necessary, but they
cannot absolutely dispense with let
tiers from home. 1t takes away any
incipient touch of homesickness, the
worst trouble in the world anywhere.
Our boys here are doing their duty
finely, and America has every right
to be proud of them. So. get behind
them and show them that you are
with them and behind them by send
ing them frequent CHEEKY letters, de-
failing the happier and cheerful do
ings and sayings in the old home
town The more cheerful the letters
the better, has become an army slo-
gan now.
Il am addressing this letter TO you
as a newspaper man, in the hope that |
you will give it publicity in your pa
per, and in the belief that the people |
of Paris and Bourbon county will be |
interested in knowing how welcome |
their letters will be to the boys over |
here. I should appreciate your re-
producing this letter in the paper |
with which you are connected, if pos
sible. / honestly believe these boys |
would be willing and ready to fight /
the DEVILS forces themselves after |
getting cheerful letters from home. |
Urge this on your people, please!
Don't forget to tell them-cheerful |
letters, and many of them
Very Truly Yours,
CLIFFORD WRIGHT,
Captain 324th F. A. N. A, Com |
handing"
"P. S.-Tell the folks not to worry /
the boys with doleful or sad tidings |
Write cheerfully.
&c. W."