Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-21
OUR BOYS
Write from :
THERE

Friday last received the following mes
sage from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
10 William Walker. NasSalboro. Me.
2II0. ! sincerely regret to inform you
one nought five four one MIN tWo Priv
ate William Walker, officially reported
admitted second field ambulance Feb.
ninth, nineteen eighteen gun hot
wound in right hand" The Private
Walker is the only son of William
Walker and is with the Canadian forces
in France. in parts of some of his let
tets he says they are having some vc-y
hard Knocks wit he enemy at The
front. lIe. says MY two best friends,
one las been killed and one wounded
bu. ! am thankful to say | got no
wounds yet" written of course be-
fore above message.) "All we are long
ing for. is our American boys to come
over and help US give the Hunsw hat
they deserve. Tell my sister, Mrs. HUI
ley at Halloween / received her parcel
ami also tell sister Jennie at Brooki',c,
Mass, / cot hers. But mothers | did
not set. ! expect the submarines have
her parcel. Send some more kennebec
Journals
The following interesting letter has
beer this week received by Mrs. Ed
ward H.. Soper, 10 Page street, Au-
gusta, from her son. Howard NJ. Soper
now with NJ Company. 103rd Infantry,
with the American EXpeditionary
Forces in France.
somewhere in France.
Jan. %, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Received two letters from you to-
night. ! nae a host of mail and |
don't believe Ill ever get it answered.
1t is quite warm here now. all of the
snow is gone and it is fair weather
part of the time, ! am glad to say. 1t
is much nicer than last fall when We
came. 1t seems as if you had been
having a lot of good cold weather with
coal shortage for emphasis. Well, it
can't last forever. We hav been very
fortunate about running into cold
weather. 1t is very seldom that it
gets as cold as 10 degrees above. Most
days were Just snappy cold and now
we are running around in our shirt
sleeves during the middle Of the day.
We hay" quite a bit Of reading. |
see about all OF the Is. J.'S.
| would be glad to receive letters
from home as often as once a week
but you see they come in clusters two
or three weeks apart. | am writing
home nearly every week.
Peter Jennesse and went up to the
next town yesterday. | had to go on
business but we turned it INTO a pleas
ure trip and had a good time during
dinner hour when all stores were
closed. We went into an old French
church. It was very pretty, as large
as the First Baptist and only one floor.
The inside is all of stone work. There
were five affairs and one had the Birth
of Christ pictured out in small stat
ues. The Others represented some
story from the Bible. The statues
were in colors and very well made.
All were pretty. The music. a large
pipe organ, was way up in the wall
of the church. just under the caves
and must have sounded fine.
] also visited a printing office and |
really didn't think there could be my
thing so out of date in use. ] have
never seen such an old style machine
but | have heard Tom Poole speak of
them.
/ have taken a few pictures and am
sending them along. that is, those |
an. Guess I'll have to carry the best
ones with Inc.
We have had our rolling kitchen for
over W months, probably you have
seen pictures Of them; they are used
in travelling and in the trenches. We
have used them several times in prac-
tice and think they are fine, will burn
anything. Wood, or that is, the lack
Of it, is u greatest trial over in these
parts. The French people seem to
have a lot of respect for a tree, and it
is almost impossible to get any. OF
course we are issued some for our
kitchen but if we need any for our
room we give about SIS a cord. 1
have paid as much as SO per pound
for so cent candy and they only ask
10 cents apiece for eggs
l have learned a little French and
can get along fairly we'll if I have
Pete or Cyr along with me to do the
talking.
Boys Of Percy's and Everett's age
consider themselves dressed up. with
the military uniform of the French
soldier, ana they look quite neat.
Regards to all the folks.
HOWARD.
From Sgt, Howard NJ, Soper