Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-10-30
OSCAR LOVSTEUN
over THERE
When the Star Spangled Banner is
Played the French Riddles all
Grab for Their Hats and
Off They Go
SAYS IT'S LESSON TO
MANY OUR CIVILIANS
Experimenting in Making Sauce,
Frying Eggs and Making Toast
One Day, and it All Went
Fine
Somewhere in France
Sept. 1918

| Somewhere in France
| Sept. 1918
Dear Brother:
Just heard the church bell ringing
and it wildly reminded me of home.
| GFenwood and the church bell we
used to hear when we were upstairs
shaving and getting ready for church.
We have services this afternoon
at 400 p. m. in French church,
the band plays for services. That
will be about the same time you will
be attending services also.
About this time can see you hik-
ing down to the barn, milk pals and
cans rafting.
| Some of the boys are singing,
Pack up your troubles in your old
kit bag, and smile, smile, smile"
There goes, II may be gone for
long, long time"
We are now sleeping in pup"
tents, two in each tent. Mus. Pitts
and l are bunking together We have
each our bed tick of straw under us.
Next We put two blankets under Us
and four over us and we sleep warm
and comfortable
Got the Public Opinion a couple
of days ago. 1t was the one pub
| lished Aug. IA. 1t was old, had
been to Camp Dodge, but was ex-
ceedingly welcome. l have subscrib-
ed to the Stars and Stripes, the
official paper of the Am. Elk. F. and
expect to get some news that way.
They get a French newspaper
here every day. Saw one this morn
ing, and things look good. A few Of
| to read the headlines. See that Bull
garia is ready for peace, and that
the prisoners taken by the Allies
are counted by the 1000 each day.
Its great.
A French boy just walked by our
tent Pitts told him to sit down, and
he pulled out his French book. The
little fellow is conscientionsly pro-
nouncing the words for him, and he
is repeating them. If he pronounces
e. word wrong he has to say it over
again. Wish you could see picture
of 1t.
The French children are surely
interested in, and admire the Am
orleans. When We play the Star
Spangled Banner the kiddiss grab
for their hats and caps, and off they
go. / think lot of American child
rem and older people can learn a
,ittle from that. Even the French
children have such respect for us
and our national anthem that they
remove their caps when played, anil
yet there are thousands back in the
Iatn tOy,n n 20
ness fail to do so. saw civilians by
the dozens at Camp Dodge not know
ing enough to do so, and felt like
giving the hats a punch that would
have sent them a mile.
We give concerts every evening
and they are appreciated very much
both by soldiers and French civilians.
Did little experimentingin making
sauce, frying eggs and making toast
last week. The eggs and toast !
wounldn't have been ashamed to
have anybody see; the apple sauce
I didn't have such good luck with.
It was eatable and disappeared as II
1t had been some of mamas best.
How would you like to haul ma
nure, pillow, haul grain, etc. with OK
en-. That's what they do here. When
they haul a load one goes ahead
guiding the oxen and the other per-
son goes behind. On the hind part
of the wagon is a cross piece that
acts as a brake on the two wheels.
Whenever the brakes are to be put
on the person walking behind turns
the handle on the cross piece and
keeps on turning until the brake is
on. For threshing they use the old
time tread mill and it is very In
teresting sight.
/ suppose you are busy with the
threshing and fall blowing now.
How is corn this fall? Are the other
crops good? Have you sold those
cattle yet?
when Hilda writes tell her to
number her letters as If 1t was writ
ten from home.> When l write her
I'll number her letters with the rest
of the letters I send home. AS re-
quest has come down from Generai
Pershing that we write home at least
once a week, and shall be glad to
do SO. viii try to- write every sun
day.
Dagmar's birthday. Figure out the
dates of my letters from that.
Will now close with my love TO
ma. pa, you and all.
Your loving brother,
OSCAR p. LOVSTUEN.
Hq. Co. 351 Inf. Band,
Am. E. f.