Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-03-13
ADELDERT RICHMOND
WRITES TO PARENTS
FROM CAMP DEWEY
TELLS EXPERIENCES IN CHICA-
GO AMONG CLUBS. "JACKIES"
AND "KHAKIES"

Adelbert Richmond, who enlisted
and went into the naval service from
his home in Smyrna, writes from
Camp Dewey, after having been in
quarantine for some time from meas
les and mumps.
Dear Mother and All:
have few minutes to spare. so
I'll tell you how / spent my first lib
erty. got 36 hours starting Sat-
urday noon.
A fellow named Marvin and myself
went TO- Chicago together on the
tackles" special. We arrived in the
little burg about two o'clock. Marvin
had little business to attend to SO
| went with him. 1t was about four
O'Clock when we got to the public
library, where the Chicago Women's
club, which consists of many of the
richest ladies of the city, serve free
lunches to the boys in uniform. They
give US coffee or cocoa and all kinds
OF sandwiches; awfully good cakes
and apples. Well we filed up as the
chances were good. One of the
ladies' gave us tickets to a dancing
school and to dance in the evening:
also to a dinner at the Y. M. C. A.
After dinner they had little enter
tainment of story telling by South
ern lady. She was good with coon
stories. A violin artist from London,
England gave us a few selections;
also a Scotch singer rendered a few
lively songs that caused US to give
him the siren or navy yell.
Then we went to the Armory to the
dance where about 200 Jackies and
a fG~l
them were assembled. / don't know
why it is but the girls show a distinct
preference for the Jackies. / asked
one why but she could not or else
would not tell me. The girls were
invited by the Women's club so all of
them were Of the best class and some
were from wealthy families. Well.
anyway, / danced or thought / was
dancing or else just kept moving
about, as the music was muffled so
by the scraping of feet on the cement
floor that we could not hear it half of
the time. 1t was a Jackie orchestra
but not very good one. / picked out
homely girl in a spotted dress as
my partner for refreshments. | dane
ed most of the time with her before
lunch. She was fine young lady
found out after / became acquainted
with her.
| was introduced to a Red Cross
worker by one of the old ladies and
after the dance she came and invited
me out to spend the rest Of my Hber-.
ty, out in the south part of the city.
She had three pretty sisters from 16
to 20 and l was turned over to the
oldest of them to be entertained. They
have been entertaining Jackies ever
since the Women's Club started the
dances, so you see they could show us
a good time. There were three of us
boys who stayed there all night and
we did not get up until they called us
to breakfast which was 10:30. We
had lovely dinner of two courses.
Not much style for our benefit I
suppose.
In the afternoon we strolled around
in Hyde Park and over by Fields
Museum and other worlds fair build
ings. Some of them are condemned
so we could not go inside to see what
they looked like. They are near the
head waters Of the lake.. We saw
the swell apartments that are fenc-
ed in and kept under guard The
gates are locked at night. Lately
there have been many jewelry rob-
berries in those high-blood homes. But
Iney nave not Deen able 10 locate the
thief.
When we got back refreshments
were ready for us and we were ready
for them. We stayed until after 1880
and danced and played the Victrola.
When we left they told US when we
came in again to call them up and
they would show us good time and
would even write us liberty letters;
that is, help us to get liberty any
time we would let them know. Say
! was lucky to fall in with these girls.
Of course there are many others that
are doing Red Cross work as they are
but / don't believe there are many
that could entertain as we'll as these
could. These people live in the house
General Pershing used to live in.
They are acquainted with some of his
nieces and nephews.
Your son, Adelbert