The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1917-19??, 1918-09-14
AN INTERESTING LETTER
FROM LYLE BRUNER

North Fourth avenue. mo other ma
ton could do it in the same length OF
time" he adds. "Its amazing! be-
lieve I know how to appreciate fully
the old U. S. A.
Lieut.. Bruner also tells of life at a
seaport town, the houses, roads, and
stables being carved out of solid
chalk town. He was sent to this vii
lage to attend the school for artillery
officers.
Extracts from letters to his mother
| follow:
"At this time I have come about as
near to thinking the most optimistic
thoughts / ever had in my life. The
task before me and every other Amer
lean over here is entirely too large to
allow ourselves to brood over what
might be happening over home.
Picturesque Villages
"The roads around here are won
derful-some days we go out in big
motor busses and other days we go
out on bicycles through quaint little
villages and alongside streams. There
is little village about every mile.
each has it's church with a high
steeple and high stone walls around
the houses. One of the most inter-
esting places | have seen yet is lit
tie community on the side of a high
chalk cliff overlooking the river
There is one street carved out and
running four or five hundred yards
The houses themselves are carved out
of the rock and the fronts really look
like our houses! They are two sto-
ries, having windows, regular doors
and everything. And there are ever so
many little settlements with only a
cave-like entrance where they live
underground. The stable is under
ground too, and they have cows,
chickens, etc, If you go up over the
cliff or hill, as we often do, you will
find a bunch of chimneys coming out
of the hilltop.
"And Mother, | do wish you could
see the flowers. They are every
where Right here at the school the
big roses drop off and wither be-
cause there are so many of them
we have a big bunch of flowers in our
room each day and everyone else does
the same. 1t is hard to conceive of
just how many flowers they must
have had before the war, because now
most of the former flower gardens
are producing vegetables, etc. And
speaking of eats the market places
here are full of strawberries now. or
course they are not served with cream
and cake at our meals, but now and
then / go down TO the 'Paris-New
York restaurant and indulge in tha'
luxury.
II am enclosing some comic cards
that are almost reality at our riding
classes. AS yet | have managed to
stick on even over three foot hurdles
with no stirups, but should l fall it
would be, in a bed of deep sawdusta
And no harm would be done. Our
riding instructor has invited eight out
of each class to his home for tomor-
row evening. He is Frenchman, a
captain, and one of the finest men |
have had the pleasure of working un-
der in the army
Somewhat later Lieut.. Bruner is
allowed to tell where he is and what
he has been doing with himself. He
tells the details of his army life in
most interesting manner in the fol-
lowing letter.:
you see we are not allowed to tell
out your map and find where am
and no doubt you will appreciate the
fact that l am a long distance from
the big noise. We left the sea port
Sunday afternoon and landed here
early Monday morning and immedi-
ately reported to the artillery
school for another three months
grind
Comforts of Training School
"Now, mother, just prepare your
self for few of the things that l am
going to tell you about this school,
my location, conditions, etc, which !
you may find hard to believe. Do not
think l am telling you a lot of good
things just to make you feel good
about me. What shall say will be
absolutely as it is. What have
found here at this wonderful school
Is what | should call the seventh /
heaven for soldier-tha is for one
who has soldiered under so many
different and extremely unfavorable
conditions as have. We are in large
stone barracks, just like a big castle.
Everything is as comfortable as it
could possibly be. Now what do you