Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1918-09-05
VIVID PICTURE OF LIFE
ON AMERICAN TRANSPORT

Several letters have come from w.
A. Funk, who is working with the
Y. M. c. A. aboard transports, says
the Idaho Springs Siftings. Mr..
Funk's letters are so full of war
sIiIit ard CT his sincere interest in
tie boys as individuals that 1t is
doubtful If any tetter man any
where could have been found for the
Position he fills. A few extracts
from his interesting letters follow.
In speaking of loaairg boat MIR.
Funk says: We'll they kert piling
on and piling on, and it wasn't long
1 before We had quite chocolate
colored" ship. We tock on several
tfonsard Chocolates" and ended
up by taking several hundred whites.
was keTt busy all the time supply
irg the needs of the troops. ! work
ed awfnily hard morning, noon and
nitht. wore my voice out complete
ly end am Just beginning to recov-
er it. We had several Colorado o
boys, hut of course / am forbidden
to give any names.
"Cne Of my days would be about
as follows: Breakfast at a. m.
then down to the office and figure
cut a plan OF action for the day.
| While l am in tie office. about a
dozer fellows would come around
for something like magazine a
game of checkers, a game of domin-
oes. chess, book to read. writing
paper, fill fourdain pen, etc. You
can always find some yourg fellow
who has had experience in Y. NJ. G.
A. work to leave in charge.
This morning l start out with
100 sheets of Iopnlar sorgs. ! come
to @ trr1h OF several hundred ne
eroos who can sing but don't know
the words. Vas sir. loss, rs a pur-
ty good singer sometimes, deed an
homes is, but to tell de truf, boss,
/ aint had no cbarct to learn none
o desc hyar new tangled songs what
de soiar boys sings, but ! shore
wemld like to try my hand at 1t, ef
you jest is willing to help me out.
So we start in with Over There
There's Long, Long Trail Wind
, ing ard several others. After ] get
them started pretty well, l go on TO
ar ether turth and so en-.
Then after dinner take the
\ nj Lot
use 1t. ard then pass around with
corios of the ships news that is re-
ceived daily by wireless.
"Thonsancs of these boys have
never teen on the water before, it
is their first experience on any kind
CT 81 lir. and naturally they come to
the Y. NJ. C. A. man for information
about geography, arithmetic. longi-
's'Ge srd time. how to get the cor
rect tine. where We are goirg, how
socn We get there. etc.
"Ttcn cores the religious mat
ters ard the more delicate matters
CT home, family troubles. pictures of
tEcfr homes, pictures of their wives
/ ard sweetfearts, wanting me to
serd n nessages for them (which we
are strictly forbidden to dol etc.
I'VE can never re certain of any
thing aboard one of these boats. All
yomr calculattors are liable to be
tlown into a cooked hat or into a
torredoed transport. It's all in the
game, ard when / think of these
roor fellows returning arm less, leg
lass, etc. the little troutles don't
cut much ice.
"Yhe fellows ! feel sorriest about
ere the rocr firemen down in the
stoke-trld these hot days and nights,
shoveline coal irto those red hot
OILERS, four hours on ard eight
hours eff continually day ard night.
Tfey cone up from I'll at fire room
plumb exhausted. and just throw
themselves with their clothes on
down on the steel deck and are
asleep any Place, flat ON their backs.
When this war Is over ] want some
one to write good ernogy about
'"S wy VI eiS pi@Sh oaHS, as the
firemen are called
STeakirg of the wounded men be-
ing brought hack, Mr.. Funk says,
"The Red Cross is dodng wonderful
things Tor tie men. Those nurses
will do anything and undergo any
tardshirs for the boys. They go
out ard tny thirss for them. ard do
little deeds of kindress which Inc
boys appreciate.
"scme OF these to.s have not
been ptfd for months ard montl s.