The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1918-11-08

today | should say we We're some
where rear the North Poe
luis letter will not start back to
yo'. iii we land but | am told it will
start back as soon as we land
Next day The weatke. is calm
and nice today and everything is
agreeable, all the seasiek boys are out
and around, and the indications are
that We will land soon-tomorrow l
left my clarinet with very fine boy
at FIT. Riley. He will send it home.
| have been fortunate enough to have
been thrown among exceptionally
good men ever since | have been in
the army. Our Lieut.. is regular
gentleman.
We are now in the submarine zone
and well conveyed. Of course there
is possibility of being sunk We
have worn our life preservers ever
since we left port. But there is not
the least trace of nervousness among
the men
Well, as probably won't have time
to write any more before we land,
will bring this to close Write
soon and tell me all the news.
Lovingly, Frank
Next day We can see land on
both sides of us this a. m.
France, Oct. 5, 19lS,-Dear Moth
er: As | have a little time, will
write you few lines | have been
travelling around so much that | have
not had chance to write for week
or two. Just after | wrote you be-
fore | was sent Eastward, and |
thought sure | was going to the front
but landed III camp a short dis
lance back of the lines. stayed a day
or two, and was sent here to join my
organization, but when | reached here
the said organization was not here
SO am lying here waiting for further
orders, was put in charge of some
other men tcan't tell you anything
definite1 at the camp from which
wrote you before. They are still
with me-
Have not received any mail since
left Fort Riley and don't expect to
till | get settled Have been nearly
all over France since | landed. Some
times it was smooth travelling, other
times it was rough, but am in the best
of health and would be pretty well
eontented if | could get settled with
some organization.
The weather has been warm and
sunny. 1t is altogether different
climate from that of the camps | was
in when | wrote you last. Am now
quartered with very fine lot of boys,
who are very hospitable. They are
far above the average in every way.
Many of them are from Arkansas,
some from Washington County. /
can't tell you all about them, | can't
tell you all about anything, ON ac-
| SodAlb v tHt NNiooiy 81 itdft OAl
some of the things you would like to
know. Am now far behind the lines
| have good quarters to sleep in and
excellent food and plenty of it, so
you see | am not faring so badly.
There is considerable excitement in
this town today, it is market day
Every Saturday is market day here
the merchants come in Friday night
and early Saturday morning raise
their tents and spread out their wares
The people put on their best clothes
and come to town to spend the day
They bring everything they have to
sell and buy a weeks supply. The
day is sort of a holiday, and every
one is as pleasant as possible. They
are the most polite people you ever
saw Monday the merchants will
be at some other town and it will be
next to impossible to buy anything
for another week.
Everything in France seems very
primitive, their wagons have only tive
wheels and are pulled by one horse
one burroW or a team of oxen OF
cows. Their turning plows have
beams about 8 feet long with wheels
under ends of the beams, and two
mouldboards, one right and Que left
They pillow straight across the field
turn their plows and pillow straight
back. Thir railroad cars look about
like Kansas cook setback and have
only four wheels They will not
permit an American engine to run
very fast for fear it will tear up the
tracks and it undoubtedly would.
Well must bring this to close
bought you some silk handkerchief
at the market place this a. M, and
am enclosing TO you. Ethel and Gold.
en-. Hoping to hear from you soon
as | get settled, | am
Yours lovingly,