The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1918-05-31
LETTERS FROM OUR
LADS over THERE
Corporal Sidney Barnes, Co. E, 1l6
Engineers, writes as follows:

/ Corporal Sidney Barnes, Co. E, 1l6
Engineers, writes as follows:
MAY l, 1918.
"They seem to be determined to
feature me in mortal combat with the
Boches. but honestly, it is no use. By
the looks Of things just now, l will
spend good while yet in teaching the
yonng idea how to shoot, Tin two mean-
ings, as Captain White, our new C. 0.
has asked me to help him in the edu-
cational work at the Y. M. C. A. We
meet tonight to outline our program
and believe it is to be interesting.
IL have just completed a bunch of
dummy heads for the bayonet dummies
which are to be photographed before
they are "casualties;" and if the Gen.
sor allows, l will send you picture of
them to let you see what I've done.
I'm just little proud of my first at
tempt at sculpture. When | get
home will do Dads likeness in papier
mache and label it, "The Man who
waged successful wsrfare against the
Bloated Capitalists and Drove the
Liberty Loan Home"-or something
similar. Last night l had three cas-
ualties in my regiment. Somebody
knocked three of my dummies down
and totally destroyed one and severely
wounded two-which means half day
lost.
"This morning | did hig washing.
The procedure might interest you: Cold
water, Poverty Flat soap, las Bret
Harte would say, a scrubbing brush
and lots of elbow grease. Kind O. hard
on the clothes. and sometimes not very
efficient; but if you are careful to fold
them just right they usually pass the
Saturday inspection and are very u.s.
able.
my daily programme now is: 6:15
reveille; 6:45 mess; S-9:45 l. D. R.
calesthenics or bayonet, (every other
day in the Colonel's company The
balance of the day is Camoufage, and
Thursdays and Fridays am to lecture
to the touring parties. Retreat is 5:45
and expect the Y. M. c. A instruc-
tion will take care of two or three eve-
nings aweek. The rest of the time |
will rest. That's sarcasm. But hon.
estly, | am glad to do as much as / can
because l believe every little bit helps
and there'll be lots of time to rest af-
ter this killing and manning is stopped
Its the men who are crippled or ruined
by gas, and must spend their lives in
misery, who suffer most.
81 am going out on the target range
tomorrow and will be able to tell you
what percentage of Boches | will get
when l get my chance-which looks
long way off yet. Corp. Jerry is on
military police duty just now and
Percy Wilson has been made corporal.
Recently saw Jim Holgarth, but he's
gone now; may be fghting-maybe
not. Don't worry about me not COM
ing back to Gods country because I'm
like the fellow who said all he needed |
was a canoe, compass and dis |
charge, and he'd walk the rest of the
way. France is bon patrie, but the
good old West for me. During our
travels we have met many soldiers
Japanese. Algerians. Chinese, French,
Moroccan, English, German prisoners
and others. To my mind, the Amer
leans are the huskiest of the bunch.
Have been in four different towns here
and covered good bunch of territory.
Do you know, this tourist life is rather
expensive. and at present ! am broke.
"Weather-Cloudy and warmer.
"Health-Good.
Conducting myself Moderate.