The Jasper news., 1918-05-16
JASPER BOY VISITS LONDON

JASPER BOY VISITS LONDON
Mendel Drake, Naval Musician, Spends
Furlough in European
Metropolis.
The flagship band, Of which NIendel
is member, enjoyed its first furlough !
the first week in April since going
across last October He has recently
been promoted to first class musician"
and is now q petty officer.
u. SIS. Melville, Irish Coast,
April II, 1918.
Dear Sister: Well, I've been to Lon
don and am safc back again snd caught
up with my sleep again. We got back
Wednesday afternoon all tired out,
too, I'll tell you, after riding all night
in an English third-class railway
carriage" 1t was some trip and l
couldn't begin to tell you all about it.
We covered the central part Of the city
pretty we'll think and went to all the
big shows besides. 1t is certainly some
old city. Talk to an Englishman and
he shows you this "the greatest so and
so in the world" that 'the biggest
thing like this in the world" etc, etc.
They think there is nothing like Lon
don in the world, but 1 don't think 1
ksaw anything we couldn't or don't
duplicate in America. OF course they
have things of incalulable value his
torically but that is all. OF course
there is nothing anywhere in the world
like London Tower and Westminster
Abbey. We went all through both
places and they are surely interesting,
st. Paul's Cathedral, too. The latteris
a wonderful place and just rs interest
ing as can be. Ii was about the only
modern architecture in the city, besides
the houses of parliament and q few
others. We saw the sepulclres OF some
of the greatest people of the English
race-Shalespeare, Milton, Tennyson,
Wellington, Sir Walter Raleigh and a
host of similarly interesting places.
We saw Queen Elizabeth's resting
place, Henry the Wits with some OF
his six wives and whole lot of that
history that you studied year or so
ago. You imagine how we enjoyed it.
We did all this sightseeing in the morn
ing and one whole day we spent with
a sightseeing party. Most of the after.
moons and nights we spent in the Lon.
don theaters. We have been playing
music from these big shows, so when
we got to London VIC thought we'd
have to see them. We saw "Chir
Chin Chow" "'rhe Maid OF the Noun
tains, "Bing Boys OH Broadway" ant
a bunch of others. We saw one CRANE
opera, -too,-"Carmen." We enjoyed
it more than any. They sure charg,
money everywhere-$1.25 for seat ir
third gallery.
; All the band is getting their heads
shaved and am going TO get min,
this afternoon. Won't we look pretty
April ~, 1918.
think there is mail coming aboart
! today but this letter is overdue so
thought I'd better write while / ha,
the ambition.
Some scoundrcl left a naked razo
blade on a shelf in here yesterday an
ran my thumb along it today. |
doesn't hurt but the cloth I've got o.
it almost prevents my writing.
The chief put one of his cornet me
on solo elto this morning. expec
} he'll get pretty good and cut me out {
a lot OF good solo work that I've bee
playing for the alto. l should worry
30 much the easier for me. reall
like to play il though, but I've &C
enough in my part to keep me bus
most of the time.
We didn't get any liberty on TIL
Melville last night so we got out {
playing at the club. We're going ovt
\ tonight and play in the orchestra. "
got q good notion TO lay out on accour
OF my thuml, only / like to play tc
!. well.
Il We've had to dress all up and clea
up for some Allied Army officers visi
=. ing today. We've been up on deck n
= the afternoon and haven't done thin