Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-07
HOME FROM
FRANCE 0 n
FuRL0uG.H
Corporal From G Company
Says Morale Of Americans
Cannot, Be Excelled /;
Speaks At Opera House
Tomorrow Night.

Tomorrow Night,
as.
COMMERCIAL CLUB
GUEST WEDNESDAY
Back from the trenches with Z
whole skin, tired but happy, Corp.
Merle Skinner Of G company, 16Sth In
| fantry, Ottumwa's own troop, has been
greeting his countless friends In
sOttumwa today. Arriving from
Chicago at ISIS a. m. today, he
Was met by numerous friends who
learned Of his coming and later said
he got the nearest to nights rest at
homo that he has been able to snatch
for months.
II have been getting not more than
four hours sleep at q stretch and die
no better than that after reaching the
states over week ago, but, believe
me. 1t 10 good to get a regular bed
again and escape the hell Of the war
4one.
+ III . O6eOy OOI " g ne S1SNVOs u
f'It is hell but I'm going back and,
believe me, we will be there and at It
until the kaiser is taught the lesson
he needs. We are not downhearted.
Quite the contrary. We are happy, Tor
it's glorious to do what the American
soldiers are doing. The morale Of the
American soldiers IS the best; you can
not ind q happier lot Of fellows. The
only fellow who Is unhappy is the lad
who Is In France just about twenty
four hours who has not seen the front
line trenches and Is rearing to go"
~ PUBLlc MEETING TUEoOAY
Tomorrow night the people RI OF.
tunwA anAfvic1nfty viii have m cppof.
tuuity of seeing Ottumwas returned
soldier. The War Savings Stamps
drive committee has secured the prom
Ice Of Corporal Skinner to make an
address at big public meeting In the
Grand opera house at 8 O'Clock.
Everybody is invited and there will be
NO seats reserved. The tale of what
the boys in the trenches are doing to
win the war. to defray the expense of
which the drive Is being made for w.
8. g.. will be told first hand by Cor
poral Skinner. He has "a real. tale
TO tell. too, and everyone will have an
opportunity to see and hear the young
infantryman who was one OF fifty
picked by General Pershing to help
sell Liberty Bonds last week in the
large cities Of the United States.
TIL TO SPEAK At LUNCHEON
i Wednesday Corporal Skinner will
be the guest Of honor at the weekly
luncheon Of the Commercial club
when the w. s. 8. committee will be
In charge. v. L. Wilson, city chair
man Of the drive. will preside and with
the young soldier will be his father,
N. H. Skinner, . well known G. A. r.
veteran. The tickets will be limited
to members and the first 175 to apply
will be served as accommodations are
provided for this number and the first
making reservations for place will be
supplied. Persons desiring to attend
should make their reservations at once
a order to get place. Corporal Skin
ner will make q talk on his overseas
experiences following the luncheon.
NEW WORKERS TAKE BUTTONS
Life In the trenches is not bed of
roses, according to Corporal Skinner,
but In describing the worst expert
ences he and his comrades have gone
through, there was not tinge of re-
gret Instead, the spirit to keep 1t up
until the Job Is completed, permeates
| ~ talk and dem eanor when discussing
ne subject.
''They sure gave us some run for
our money In New York." said he.
They actually cut the buttons from
'l1r uniforms and finally we had to
have an escort OF policemen when
leaving out hotel for the places we
were billed to speak. We talked in
Stheaters and various places until the
nifty Of us we're split up. Sixteen re-
manned in New York, eight Of US came
to- Chicago and the balance were d.
vided between Boston, Philadelphia
and some other big eastern places.
I'VE arrived at Hoboken after seven
days on the water on April 26 but
were not permitted to land until the
next day at Governors Island and
went to the Harvard club in New York
City, Sunday, April 28,, where we re-
ported to the Liberty Loan committee.
The week was one continuous go, and
sloep was out Of the question. This
explanation will probably suffice for
my late arrival this morning and my
personal appearance"
INTERVIEWED IN eATHRoeE
CORPORAL Skinner was garbed in a
bathrobe, luxury not enjoyed in the
trenches, he stated, and with large
stock Of cigarettes and smoking equip
ment filling a nearby table. enjoyed .
smoke while being interviewed.
Strewn about the room were many
pieces Of trench and war parapherna-
iia. Not tawdry disarray, for remem-
ber he arrived in the we sma' hours
of the morning and Of course there
(contiasss On psse :. Col ~