Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-06-05
ERWIN EDIE WRITES
FROM ARIZONA
Former Burr Oak Boy Writes In
teresting Letter to Albert Van
Viiet About Army Life.
GETTING USED
TO GAS MASKS
Sees Lots Of Excitement on the
Border, Has Had Several Mixes
Wa h the Mex.cans
Camp H. j. Jones,
Douglas, Ariz.
April 2S, 1918.

Douglas, Ariz.
April %, 1918.
Dear Friend Albert
/ received your letter over a week
ago but haven't settled down long
enough to do any writing
since then. l should have received
the letter nearly a week sooner if
l had gone to L. troop after it. [
am now in the headquarters troop
in the intelligence Dept.
The Intelligence Dept. for a regi-
ment consists of about 15 men with
a commissioned officer in charge.
We have to learn how to signal by
flag, torch, handlanterns, heliograph,
search lights, rockets, bombs, by
small arms and other guns, tele-
graphy and by any other instru-
ments that can be obtained. We
also have to learn mapping and
road sketching and the most effec-
tive ways of placing explosives for
blowing up bridges, barbwire en-
ltanglements, buildings, railroads.
We have already learned most OF
the signal codes and have had quite
a little practice with fireworks
The worst feature of the demolition
school is the fact that we have to
build our railroads, bridges, en-
tanglements in order to have any
thing to blow up.
You must have been pretty close
to Upton, Iowa when you were
down at Lowden. / have forgotten
lust how far Lowden is from Upton,
but it can't be very far as Upton
is nearly in the center of the county.
The farmers are earlier here
than in Iowa by a month or so l
guess for last Wednesday the Intel.
Section hiked to Slaughter's ranch,
a large ranch about eighteen miles
east of Douglas, and saw large
field of corn about three inches high.
This isn't much of farming coun-
try at least this corner of the state.
for that was the only cultivated
field in the whole eighteen mics
We took a few pictures on this
hike which / will send to yoa as
soon as have them developed.
have also had some Photographs
taken and will send you one. they
are not extra good but guess they
will pass.
Say, I believe it would be rather
hard for me to judge how many
beans and "murphys" / Go eat for
we have to eat so much Arizona
real estate with our food that there
is no way of estimating the amount
of food we eat. Arizona has the
most enterprising soil Of aoy state
l know of. If it becomes tired OF
one location it forms 4 dust storm
and moves somewhere else an! that
somewhere else" seems to be in
the regiments cook shacks.
/ haven't made up my mind yet
as to what / would do when | get
my discharge from the army but
am sure there is nothing / would
like better than stock raising and
I farming so your offer strikes me
very favorably. Just what terms
would you offer? I have otter
d wished for chance to learn some
thing about the care of live stock
4 so guess your offer. would give me
chance that I will appreciate very
much.
Yes / am getting all the reading
material l want and considerabl!
more than / should have as there
are so many drill regulations, guarC
y manuals, field firing manuals, etc.
that / should study but fail to dr.
so. The 1st Cavalry has just finish
ed shooting on the rife range fol
n this season. / made sharpshootel
q this year and so will get an in
n crease OF SO per month on my pay
u / made 246 out of a possible 800
4 There are six different ranges, 20t
8 yards, 800, 500, 600, 500 and 1C0'
y yards, so you see when we get bacl
s. to a 1000 yards we are shooting ;
3 pretty good distance. Expert rifle
y man is 253 out of 9Qg so / onl,
j missed expert by z points
n Since transferring to headquarter
4 troop, I have had a real good horst
q assigned to me. He is regula
4 race horse and has great endurance
and very good AZ taking bitches anc
Z hurdles. AS soon as | can get ;
Z good picture\of him l will send yol
1, one
n The Intelligence Section has beer
8 doing some gum shoe" work on tht
4 border watching for smugglers fol
4 the last week and a half We have