The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-01
FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS

BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS
From Saturdays Daily.
December 10, 1917.-My dear Sister:
Have written letter to Dad and
may as we'll drop you few lines
while | am on job. Today | got big
box containing candy, fruit, cake, bis
cults, gum playing cards, hand knit
socks, towel, soap, tooth brush and
paste, cocoa, 2 handkerchiefs, tablet
and OXo cubes from the Daughters of
the Empire, London, Ontario. Pretty
good wasn't it? They sent me two
pounds of chocolate creams couple
of weeks ago too so think that if they
remember all of the London fellows
like that there won't be any kick
coming. Marie Elmer wrote that they
had started box to me also so /
won't do bad this Christmas. Am
looking for the box you sent, too.
Don't you think l am greedy? No it
isn't that Sis, but | do appreciate
these good things. We are getting a
touch of cold weather now, but it
hasn't been below zero yet. Engines
get cold out in the open all the time
and are hard to start generally. Some
freeze up but we. try to overcome this
as much as possible. 1t would be
pretty hard to furnish some anti
freeze solution for all the cars that
are out here so we drain all water off
instead. 1t is pretty chilly sleeping
in the truck but there are worse
places. hung some clothes up to
dry last night and they froze stiff,
but that's nothing. Wish the war was
over for it gets tiresome, but all
must stick it out to finish it. We
are planning on a good Christmas as
/ wrote you before and if every
thing turns out as planned it will
be good thing. Had a letter from
w. D. Willard couple of days ago
and a check for four shillings. Not
bad was it? Write often Sis. Your
loving brother, M. A. Dobbin.
December 26, 1917. My Dear
Sister: Christmas is over and we
all had fine time with good
feed and a musical programme to
follow. Your fine box arrived the day
before Christmas and everything in
it was fine Did you bake the cake?
1t was good. You sent just the things
I needed. You mentioned in your
letter about a fountain pen and some
cigarettes. They didn't come and
am wondering if you sent them in
another package. I'll tell you what
| have received this Christmas. Dad
sent a good box of stuff, you know,
and | wrote you about box l got
from a Canadian Patriotic society.
Baker sent a big box and in it were
two pairs of socks (home knit a
big cake, candy, gum, towel, soap,
three handkerchiefs and some
tobacco. w, E. Cane, a friend of mine
in Canada, who runs a garage sent
cake, tobacco, shirt, chocolate, a
pair of home knit socks and some
handkerchiefs. Dr.qJ. H. James of
Mankato sent tobacco and a pipe. He
also sent cigarettes but the pack
age had been opened and someone
lifted those. That's all SO far but
there are more on the way for
Marie Elmer wrote that they had
sent me box Not bad for me was
it? do hope that you had as good
a Christmas. Hope I'VE can spend the
next one together AS i want to
thank you again for these good
things for you sent me more than
you really should have sent. Will
write again soon and you write often
too. Regards, to dad. / am your
loving brother, Merton A. Dobbin.
Mr.. and Mrs H. knott have re-
ceived the following interesting let
ter from their son William knott, who
is now in the United States army at
Kelly Field:
"Dear Folks: Am still located in
the same place, and have at least
two weeks more in this camp. We
have large number of young Off
GERS here from training camps. The
camp is now being prepared for the
draft army and that seems to indicate
that | will move soon. From the time
you receive this don't write or send
anything until you hear from me
again | know that | have a lot of
mail on the way, but I'll get it in
time te
ct hasn't rained bit since / came
here, and tonight the papers state
that the rainy season for Texas will
start now. This place will be sea
Of mud as the fine dust here is three
inches deep, One reason 1 want to
leave this country is because it is al
most impossible to keep clean. To-
day has been very warm, about eighty
or eighty five above. Am really
getting tanned. Am certainly feeling
fine This outside life is the best
thing in the world for me, can see
that / try to remain cheerful at all
times and take things as they come,
and haven't had minute of the
blues yet. think that is pretty good
for my first experience SO far away
from home, and no chance to get
back for a long time
"This is as far as / got with this
letter last night / was suddenly
stopped by one of the worst storms
that I have ever been through, and
you know the Kind we have up north
1t is now $50 o'clock Friday after
noon, and / will try to describe what
a real Texas norther is. First l will
say that this storm is the worst they
have ever had in this part of the
state.
"It was about $50 o'clock, and |
was sitting in the door of my tent
writing when | heard someone say
that norther was coming. OF course
l was curious to know what they
| o. o,,t h.