Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-03-21
INTERESTING LETTER
FROM SOLDIER BOY
LESTER SCHLANEGN FINISHED
SCHOOL-RECEIvED PROMO
TION TO I'D CLASS RATING
Pensacoa, Florida,
March II, 1918.

Pensacoa, Florida,
March II, 1918.
Dear Father, Mother and All:
! received two letters from you
this week and, as today is Sunday, it
is my time to write. I have been
preparing for my final rush for rat
ing SO haven't had time to write.
I finished school Friday and took
my test so am all through. ! got
my second class rating, too. This
raises my wages to $55. 80 monthly,
payable semi-monthly. Now, for a
first-class rating, if we don't have to
leave here too soon. hope they do
leave me here long enough for that,
but don't know, as have been trans
ferred again. l am now in Company
d, so address my letters to Co. D. in
stead Of Co. 35. The rest of the
address is the same. AS soon as my
name and rating is posted officially,
my address will be different. The
meaning of Co. d. is company draft,
which means that our company will
be the next to leave here.
Everyone here calls me "Old North
Dakota, as am just about the only
one in camp here from N. Oak. They
all think the picture of our place is
fine. got the box of candy, and it
sure tasted fine. Also received box
Of maple sugar candy from Aunt Del
10 and cake from Aunt Eva. Sweets
is something they all crave here in
camp-I suppose because nothing we
get in the mess hall is sweetened.
Tobacco is another thing we all want,
too.
Tell John H. that any reserve can
get to be flyer easy. could if /
wanted to, but don't believe am
cut out for that. This machinist job
suits me all right only I want first
class rating. When finished school
and was ready for the test, had to
answer twenty-five questions. After
that / had to set up q motor and
make it run absolutely perfect in 20
minutes. They had number of aer-
oplane engines in the school and we
had to take them all apart and set
them up again, time them and be able
to name each separate part. The
aeroplane engines are big ones. They
weigh 725 pounds and have eight
cylinders and are rated at 21O horse
power. / tell you they are some
engine; they are made so they will
not miss and so they will not die.
Each cylinder has two spark plugs,
and each engine has two separate
magnetoes, which makes the engine
pretty sure. Then, with all this
work, we had innumcrnblc definitions
to learn. 1t kept me OH the jump,
tell you.
An old bandman here who had been
in the Navy for twenty wears got 5
years in the guard house in solitary
confinement, his wages brought down
to $500 month and dishonarble
discharge from the service at the end
of that time, because lie PERSISTED in
saying, ITO hi with the navy"
was just over to the office of Cap
tain of Police and see that ! am on
guard for whole week. have to
guard the pumping station. That
means gun on my shoulder and
six on my hip. will be on guard
a hours, then 8 hours off, four hours
on and eight hours off, etc. If my
company is drafted within that time,
will be relieved of that duty.
Instead of having inspection yes
terday, we cleaned up the whole Navy
, Yards. It sure looms fine.
kave taken out n war insurance
!, policy which will cost about seven
dollars month.
, Well, it is time for muster and
!. lights will soon be out.
Love to all,
!, LESTER G. SCHLANGEN,