Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-30
FLYING WITH SHAFFER
DOING PARIS
LETTERS FROM DAUPHN BOY TO HIS MOTHER

loi OclOIS CloC iiO NOoie
change us to Nieuports.
This didn't seem to faze the other
fellows any, for one of them pro-
ceeded to tell us the story about said
captain showing the first batch from
our escadrille how to land-and stoI
quick. He did too, but he smashed
up" and that rather gave us the
laugh on him. Certainly not, We die
not laugh to his face. That would
be against military etiquette, as Vel
as get one a Jail sentence.
An Unearthly Hour
All that happened Saturday, END
to-day is Sunday, and for a wonder
it was made a. day of rest-half of II
anyway. However, 1 did not know
of it and showed up at the field as
per orders at a. ma most un.
earthly hour for me. After hang
ing around the field for an hour Or sc
l gave it up and "cherche" some
breakfast. 1 don't know whether
have commented on it before, but
this field is enormous. They must
be drawn by the cosmopolitan flock
of man-made birds always sailing
around here. And it has amused me
quite often to watch them endeavol
to initiate some of our acrobatics
Honestly, l believe they are jealous
Even at that they can show us 9
few-and their motor never gives
them trouble, either.
Had a dickens of a time finding
a room, but finally found one, and il
sure has some soft bed, surely its
minus fire, but such a trifle DOM
worry me any more, and it's getting
near summer anyway, although my
birthday is cloSer-are' you going tC
make the usual freezer of ice cream
to celebrate my old age, and may
have more than one plate? They
have a young boy here about or
years old and he always gives me q
military salute whenever L arrive
Of course, l get a number of salutcs
now and again for every infantry
soldier regards one of we aviators
with awe and purely out of respect
salutes us, but. this kid salutine
amused me exceedingly. He did il
so well for one so young, you know
There is one church in the town and
that is how / knew to-day was Sun
day, as every one was going to
church. No, l am sorry to say
didn't go, because 1 just found this
room when the bell was ringing.
did not fly to-day although VIC
went out to the "piste" (field) in The
afternoon. But something got wrong
with the motor on the first trip and
they spent the rest of the day iiX-
ing it, while we fumed and fretted
around at the delay, because we ex-
pect to leave Tuesday and l for one
would like to learn a. few more
things about it.
The usual Sunday crowd walked
up and down the road which runs
nearby and gaped in the usual wan
dering way at the antics of some
acrobatic Spad, or the many differ
ent types of planes flying, for every
type of plane is represented here
from the tiny, fast Morane to the
double-motored, enormous photo
planes. You notice that for once
l am on top the heap, for the Zane
is not made yet the equal of the Mo-
rane, either for speed or beauty.
Thinking it was bed time, looked
at my watch. It's only p. M, but
! think this will last you awhile. Be-
sides something more will have tc
happen before / continue.
WALTER.
Back Again
Somewhere in France,
Feb. II, 1918.
Dear Mother: ... ...
Back home again and glad to be
here, even if it is awful cold. Oi
course, have nothing against Paris
but it takes, money to live there
and enjoy ones self even in my eco
nomic way. Let's see, now, where
did L leave off telling you my woes
Oh yes, | remember now that 1 wrote
you several letters from Plessis Beili-
e,fo
four days, two of those in which we
did not fly on account of the fog, Sc
when good weather came we were
rushed through our training quickly
so that when the captain arrived on
the fourth day we were unanimous
in our opinion that we could handle
our new bird. The fact that none OF
us had broken anything pleased the
captain nightly, and for that rea-
son he said we could have a day and
a half in Paris. That tickled the
Frenchmen - me also, because
wanted another thorough (even il
painfully bath. Come to think of il
though, one of the fellows nearly had
an accident, as he ran into some tele-
graph wires coming down to land
one time. That is the one bad fea-
ture about the field at Plessis-those
wires which run along the road near
by. One could not ask for q smooth
er landing place-the field, l mean
not the wires-for the field is as
smooth as a billiard table, but wher
the wind blows from the west, one
must come down over these wires &c
land, and many are the pilots who
smash up because they tried to skim
the wires too close. This was my
comrades trouble, only 1 thought he
was past the wires, when suddenly
the little plane staggered as il it had
been struck with a club, something
snapped with a loud twang, and the
machine came wobbling down tc
earth, as the pilot quickly regained
control. The only damage caused
was a cut in the propeller where the
wire hit, which says a lot for the
strength of this little Pegasus. TAX
ing no chances though, they chang.
ed the propeller, and we were soor
sailing around again, only it was no.
ticeable that nobody skinned those
wires close any more. / know wher
my turn came, ] gave them a wide
berth, although judging their height
was made easier by a workman or
one of the poles fixing the broker
wire. After trip or so, came pretty
close to said workman as I came
sinking down to a landing.
Money and Medals
Got into Paris this afternoon anG
I made tracks for Doctor Gross OF.
flee for some money, besides they
were giving out gold badges to the
Lafayette Flying Corps and / wanted
mine. The allowance you know has
been cut down to 100 francs for some
tip1e htlf that 1ool<ad like a 1ot f,t
money to me, and 1 wasn't passing
up any chances to get more. 1 re.
ceived the badge and money The
hndnn 10, 1nrntinr hnitnrr Of al