The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-06-14
REFLECTIONS Ox THE WING

REFLECTIONS ON THE WING
Our good friend, Tom Collier, is
of the west western. He is bound up
in the west, he loves the west, as we
all do, and thinks there is no place
nor people on the face of the globe
to compare with the west and the
inhabitants thereof. Mr.. Collier was
| called to Camp Grant, near Chicago,
by telegram, announcing the very
serious illness of his brother. His
love and friendship are deep rooted,
and he responded to that summons i'm
mediately. We are " receipt of let
ter from him written from Chicago,
and we are abusing no confidence in
making few extracts from that
epistle:
81 am going to write to you and
try and give you my impressions of
conditions in general as l came east.
We arrived all o. X, so far as train
service is concerned. 1t was all that
could be expected. Connections all
made without delay at any point, for
which l must thank Marcus division
officials, God bless them for their ef-
forts in my behalf. ] sincerely trust
that they may never have a mission
such as mine, yet hope at some time
in some way ] may be able to return
their favors.
"We arrived at Camp Grant on time
|only to learn that the 22nd Engineers,
to which my brother belonged, had
been transferred to Fort BENJAMIN
Harrison, Ind, and l could get no in
formation as to his whereabouts. You
know at these cantonments they do
not make much effort for civilian.
How ever, | got busy with the war Of
flee and found that my brother had
been taken off train at Chicago and
was in St. Lukes hospital and still
|alive, where | found him receiving
the best of care, his wife with him.
H., is still very sick boy, but the
physicians say has an even chance
for recovery, for all of which, 1t is
needless to say l am duly thankful.
This morning he recognized me.
While he was very weak his eyes had
cleared and l think the worst is over
end the fever broken. All now de-
pends upon his vitality and reserve
strength. Knowing the breed, while
the odds are greatly against him, I
am satisfied he will win in the race
against death.
Il am going to arrange with the
army officers to bring him west to the
God-given pure air of the good state
of Washington to regain his strength.
The sun kissed hills of. the Okanogan,. ;.
with its pine laden breezes Is the
best place under the sun for a man
in his condition. I am going to exert
every effort and make arrangements,
if possible, for him to return as soon
as he is able to travel, there to re-
buld himself among congenial people
and surroundings, for the people OF
the great northwest, like the hills of
old Okanogan, are the best the world
can produce. We are different from
the people of even the central states,
and ! thank God the balance Is in
favor of the people of the big north
west, for the people like their great
plains and magnificent mountains
tower high above all else in the uni
verse, not only in heart and brain,
but in a brotherly feeling for one
another. and in sense of loyalty to
themselves, their God and country.
1T was my privilege to ride to Chi
cago on a part troop train coming
east Through Washington, Idaho,
Montana and Dakota the boys in
khaki were enthusiastically received
and cheered on their way. However,
as soon as we reached Minnesota the
ardor of the populace seemed to cool,
and sad to state through Minnesota,
Wisconsin and Illinois to Chicago
there was no more demonstrations of
good will, or God bless you, or a
wish for their safe return. All this
did not daunt the smiling faces Of the
gallant boys. They made the best
! of it, and gently chided the effete
maids of the central east for their
lack of patriotism and friendliness.
However, these things did not affect
me so very great, for l expected con-
ditions to some extent something as
| I found them. To me the most heart
breaking thing of it all was the part
| ing of parents with their sons. The
white, grim faced father, the brave
and smiling face of the boy, the tear
stained face of the proud mother,
grasping, perhaps, for the last time
the hand of her son, smiling through
tears that were breaking her heart,
waving a hand to the last wave of his
hand as he disappears from their
view, then to fall back in the arms of
waiting friends to be carried grief
stricken mother to a waiting convey
ance, to be taken back to the old
home that will probably never be the
same to her again. Great God; can
there be a man who can say these
mothers tears will be in vain?
want to tell you the tears of these
people will not be in vain. The tears
of the fathers, mothers, wives and
sweethearts of this land are the price
less moisture that will dampen the
cement that will form a concrete that
will bind this nation in the bonds
of friendship and respect for one an
other that all the demons in Europe
can not shake or break asunder, and
,stand monument of strength for all
future generations"