Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-09


of Mr.. and Mrs. Herman P. Miller,
and a Princeton graduate, writes
home again. Excerpts from some of
his recent letters follow:
u. S. Base Hospital, No. 8,
France, Nov. 16.
Dear Mother-I received several
letters the beginning of this week.
Some of them came over in just two
weeks, While others took three.
Dad asked me several questions
which will try to answer. We have
here in our hospital only American
patients, about 100 OF them, most
of whom are suffering from minor
ailments, such as rheumatism,
grippe, sprained arm, broken legs.
etc. Our hospital will probably be
one of the largest American hos
pitals in France, provided that the
plans are followed out. We hear
various rumors floating around
one day that We will have thou
sand beds, the next day it will be
double that number. and at one time
1T was said there would be quarters
here for 10000.
We are so located that there is no
danger of our ever being bombarded
or bombed and sometimes when
there is not much to do we can
hardly realize the war is going on.
At present our quarters are still in
the main hospital building. In a
month or so we may be put in bar
racks which have just been started
right near the main building. Our
food is just about the same we
would have in the States. For
breakfast we usually have oatmeal
or mush with perhaps some bacon
or prunes. Some mornings we have
scrambled eggs and once in a while
hot cakes. I'll tell you what we
had for dinner to-day: Soup, beef
steak. boiled potatoes, carr s.
bread, butter, coffee and cornstarch
for dessert. The meals are really
very good and I am beginning to
take on a little weight. 1 weighed
myself this morning and the scales
said 165. If they are right, and I'm
pretty sure they are, 1 have gained
fifteen pounds since leaving home.
I have been receiving the Tele-
ceived two copies, dated October Q
and %. We have been having
pretty nice weather and not as
much rain as a few weeks ago.
They are trying to start a foot
ball team among our fellows to play
against some of the engineers and
other soldiers who are located not
so many miles away. l have been
kept so busy with my Photographic
work that 1 don't find much time
for other things.
November 25.
The regulations converting mail
have been changed somewhat since
I last wrote. We are now allowed
TO send personal photographs
through the mail and 1 am enclos-
ing three, which 1 hope will go
through all right. (They did, And
We may send picture postcards
which show neither localities nor
places. AS the cards we would like
to send always show these, We'll
probably not send many. We are
also given more freedom in send
ing packages home. 1 sent off two
packages on the 23rd. The one, ad-
dressed to Dad, contained German
% helmet, taken off a German soldier
killed by the French in one of their
small raids. I hope it reaches home
all right without some one appro-
priating II. Thanksgiving even
ing there is to be a show of some
sort following a turkey dinner. Ev-
cry week or so we have movies, but,
as our machine isn't very good and
the films are rather ancient, l don't
bother to see them.
In one of her letters Lillian says:
sit is evident l was in a small town
of southern France" 1t is true that
We are in a small town, but l may
not say she has the exact location.
I think l told you before that 1
am in the X-ray department and am
the official photographer for the
unit. 1t is just a month to Christ
mas and I wish you all a merry
Christmas now, for it may take q
month for this letter to reach you.
France, December 16.
1t has been two weeks since I
last wrote-for I hear a rumor that
mail was expected in soon and
thought I'd wait until 1t came. It
didn't reach here till Friday, but it
was worth while when it did come,
as ] received twelve letters and one
package. 1 think that I shall re-
ceiye the other packages sent be-
fore Christmas, for we hear that
lots of mail has arrived in this coun-
try the past few days. There is no
doubt 30 much mail that it Will
take quite while for it to be sorted
and distributed. I have not heard of
anything being taken from the vari-
Gus packages received and the ma
jority of them come in good condi-
ton. I'll thank you now for the
things sent and am sure they will be
very much enjoyed.
I expect to spend Christmas here
at the hospital. They expect TO
have a Ahow and, no doubt, things
will not be quite as slow as they
might be. Well hardly have any
Christmas weather, as so far there
has been no snow or real cold.