The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-03
Joseph E. Bolton
Writes Letter
To Home Folks
Newport News, Va,
August 20, 1918.

cOulu WflCe leUGeF CnaG would be
Of interest to any of the Greene
county friends. This is my first time
to write a letter to a paper, so you
will please not look too long at it,
or you may find a great many blum
ders. Nevertheless, ! will do my
best, ofco urse, to not make enough
till the editor win throw it in the
waste basket.
This is quite a business place here.
The population in 1916 was esti-
mated at 10000 and has doubled in
the last three years. It is located on
the banks of the James river. We
have fine breeze off the river most
of the time, but when you go out
and see that water laying still you
can look out for a shady place.
The land is very level, making it
awful nasty when it rains. have
seen the water almost knee deep in
the streets here, and it stays so long
after the rain. The shipyard here is
interesting to any one that never saw
anything Of the kind. There is about
$4,000 people employed there. It is
a sight just to see them coming out
of the yard after the whistle blows.
There are about 25 or 80 boys here
from Greene county. Most Of them
/ knew personally before I came
here, and those / didn't know back
there got acquainted with soon
after / got here. For as soon as they
said From Greene county, Tenn"
they seemed like friends, and were
found out to be friends soon after,
and old Tennessee gets the praise
when we get together. Two Of our
little number have been called to
camp from here, namely, Herbert
Ferguson, from Chuckey, R. F. D. 2,
and Edgar Woodruff, from Chuckey.
Both Of these boys just seemed like
brothers to me. We were together
nearly all the time. Woodruff was
my roommate and better hearted
boy never breathed than he was. Fer
guson was here in the same building
with US and Vas just as good as the
best. What one Of US had we all had,
and my prayer to God is that they
may find success and return to their
homes unframed. Their parents,
brothers and sisters have my heart
felt sympathy. We three went home
together in June and we were some
happy boys as we rolled down the
line, especially after we crossed the
Blue Ridge mountains. For then we
could begin to see where more farm
ing was being done. And the fur
Their west we got the better it looked,
and after we passed Bristol the wheat
fields were further forward, some Of
them being harvested and the re-
mark was made that we knew old
Tennessee had them all skinned, and
it was a fact, too. The people of
East Tennessee are doing all they can
to raise lots of foodstuffs, and I am
very sorry to hear of the drouth
which is hurting corn so, but we can't
have everything our way.
We boys have seen things here that
has been great to US. We see hun
dreds Of Uncle Sans big ships. Some
Of us have been on some Of them.
They certainly are fine inside. And,
by the way, we have seen some of old
Kaiser Bills ships, too. But, believe
me, his men wasn't in charge, cause
Uncle Sam "done had 'em."
| have been more than lucky here
Of late. My mother and sister visit
ed me here. Then my father came
by here on his way home from Wash
ington, D. c., where he had been at
work, and | got a pass to take him
in the shipyard. We only had little
while in there, although think it was
about all the time he wanted, for he
was lodging engines, ETC., and when
he would see one of the overhead
cranes coming in his direction with
a large piece Of steel Hopping about
in the air, he had business elsewhere,
and that soon. / don't think he
would make a very good yard hand.
He would be like the eolored fellow
who had been drafted and when told
that he would be with the cavalry
he objected right away. He said;
mo, boss; TO- Gods sake don't put
me on there, cause when dis niger
goes to retreat he sho' don't want no