Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-01
Letters From
Local Soldiers
Sergeant Thomas Toolin

Dear Friend John:
Your letter received OK. and con-
tents carefully read. News from good
old u. s.. A. and especially Amboy is
very scarce over here and your letter
was a real treat.
The ocean trip enjoyed as much as
anyone could enjoy an ocean voyage
/ on a wartime transport We landed
in England and were there about
forty eight hours, when we sailed for
somewhere in France.
The first place we struck we were
located In he country near a farm.
We thought that was bad, until we
moved again. Then we were right
on the farm. We eat our meals now
surrounded by the cattle of the farm,
the pigs sheep and COWS. 1t Is an
outside army we are in over here.
We eat, sleep and live outside. Take
it from me, we are soldering now.
The France we have seen is a land
of hills n old m / am getting
SO hard from climbing these hills
that you could not drive a nail
through me. No, John, there is no
fun over here. You don't realize
what 1t means for a country to be
four years al war. We don't expect
to have any fun until we see the
Statue of Liberty again.
There is no real news that l can
tell you, somebody else reads this be-
fore you get 1t, but 1 have seen so
much already that 1 am thinking of
opening a saloon when / get back. /
could get a crowd every night just
telling them what / saw. 1t would
sound like "bull' but every word
would be the truth.
When you hear them say Some
where in France it's the truth, John.
1 have been here in this country now
over a month and I'll be damned If I
know where / am. I would not trade
any American city with a restaurant
for all of France I have seen.
1 am in the best of health at pres
emit. The climate here is very much
colder thar the States; it is much the
same as our utumn
I think 1 have said all I can tell
lat present. Give my very best regards
to the chief, the squad and all the
department, and here's hoping that l
see the dawn of a new year In good
old u. s. A.
p. S.-Tell Larson and Frank the
greatest treat you could offer me just
now would be a shower and pool like
lAmboy's Y. NJ. c.. A.
Joseph Hornsby.
Dear Sister:
Perhaps you are wondering what I
Iam QOlnK anu WllGbACA 4 LII Ao
army life in France. The life seems
somewhat different so far away from
home, but you know 1t IS part of the
game and there is re use ia playing
the game unless you take an interest
in it and play it all stages.
We had a slight thunder storm here
last night the first since u arrival.
1 have beer a%nxiously waiting for
some mail from home but none has
arrived. If you all address your mail
! via New York I think I will receive 1t
sooner.
We can get plenty of fresh milk
and eggs where we are but eggs are
very expensive. The farmers are
Charging nine cents each for them.
and get only their own allotments.
I am told that July and August are
the MY real warm months In the
/ year in this part Of the country.
Aeroplanes In the air are as thick
here as Fords In the states. i expect
that you have read in the paper that
the Australians and the Americans
celebrated the Fo nth of July by wal
looping the Germans and capturing Of
teen hundred pr.5o" crs. That isn't
the only ~walloping h a is coming to
them sooner or later.
1 had q letter the other day from
Alfred Larson, he was in Waco, Texas,
ana ne Wrote TO me thinking thae 4
was still in Camp Dix. The letter was
forwarded to me. That is the only
mail that I have had.
I mailed some postals to you and
hope that you have received them be-
fore the arrival of this letter.
I think I hav gained q little weight
since I left. Heaven knows that I had
enough ia carry and am not anxious to
impede my running capacity for fear
that I might need a little speed for
future use. I expect Sewell Is still
growing like a weed and is just as big
an imp as ever. I hear that the Bat
ftery is out of luck and all the fell
lows in the draft age have gon to
lDix.
I don't think of anything more tc
say so will close with love to you all
Loving brother,
JOE.