Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-10-09
GOOD LETTER FROM THE FRONT
Oscar Doyle Writes interestingly
Men Read Their Obituaries.

received from his son. Corporal Oscar
Doyle, Of a machine gun company,
1lSth Infantry, the following very
interesting and encouraging letter:
A.E.F., Aug. 10, 1918.
My Dear Father:
The last three letters | have had
from home all say that you have
never Cotton letter wrote you
about two months ago. am disap-
pointed that you haven't. for think
1t was an interesting letter, If | do
say so. 1t may have been too inter-
esting, though, to get through;
don't know. ! also wrote YOU one
two weeks ago which | hope you will
get pretty soon.
/ We set ourselves up to good din
ner in town yesterday, which con-
sisted Of eggs, peas, potatoes, celery
and coifee--all good, but not Il bite
Of bread. They never serve bread
over here.
In the mail Saturday we got some
papers from the States which con-
tanned quite lengthy notice OF the
death over here Of Lester D.. Mere
dith, Of our company. Meredith is
still with us and in good health. We
had lot Of fun reading what they
had to say about him back home 1t
Is shame, | think, that such things
get In the papers on mere rumor.
That is the second time, in our COM
pany alone, that the "deceased' has
had the pleasure Of reading his own
obituary. You probably know Mere
dith's father. He lives about Town
vile somewhere. The "Old Lady"
as we call him, was quite justly
"riled' up about it.
We heard to-day that Charleston
and several Of the coast towns in the
United States had been bombed with
gas shells by the Germans. | hone
there was no serious damage done.
but I'll bet the incident will sci
more Liberty bonds than a thousand
silver-tongued orators. Jerry" is Il
thick headed lot about some things.
and his is a very poor psychologist.
Went over to Company X a couple
Of days ago to see the old boys used
to be with. Saw Jack Grant among
others, and we swappcd news from
Seneca q while.
There is little air fighting going
on now. 1t seems to be unsuccessful.
though, for both sides. | have seen
two planes come down in flames since
| have been here. and two big obser-
vati0n balloons go up, too. The for
mcr is Il pretty ghastly sight and |
am glad neither one fell very close
to me-
People arc just finishing harvest
ing over here. They have raised
me crops Of wheat and oats. They
harvest very slowly, though cut
grain with scythe with the ri"ht
hand and rake it together at the
same time with a stick that has a
steel hook on the end, with the left
hand. Women tie it in bundles and
shock it. 1t is tied and shocked Just
like it is at home and packed in
wagons the way we do.
The only way ! have seen corn
growing over here was sOwn broad
cast. or course it only makes feed.
Maybe the seasons are too short to
raise corn. don't know Of any
other reason why it shouldn't be a
good crop here, for this country has
the most fertile soil | ever saw. No
commercial fertilizers are used and
the soil has been tended a couple Of
centuries at least.
| sure would like once more to see
a town with clean streets and all lit
up by electric lights. But I believe
I'd rather see the Blue Ridge noun
tains from the knoll back of our
barn than any other piece Of scenery
right now.
Anywhere you go over here it's
just the same-dirt, filth and pow
erty-and soldiers, soldiers, soldiers
observation-disclosures, Englishmen,
ScOtchmen, Frenchmen and Ameri-
cans. l believe the Scotch, with
their kits and bagpipes, are the most
picturesque troops here They are
a splendid, clean-looking body of
mon, too, and fine fighters. Fritz"
calls them "The Ladies' from He'll"
A bunch Of them passed not long ago
with their band Of bagpipes playing.
They played aulne piece nave heard
you play on the violin. Cant think
of the name Of 1t. though. They will
play these bagpipes on the way up
to the front. Believe me, they have
got the old pep"
Things look pretty good to us over
here now, and there Is a good spirit
among the troops. 1t has sure gone
up in the last month, too. We ali
know now that we will get Bills
goat some day.
I had to stop of writing a little
while for little prayer meeting we
had In the chapel of the Y.M.C.A., at
which we prayed for the folks at
home and for the success Of our
armies. Just 80 or 40 English and
American soldiers gathered for about
five minutes with the "Y' secretary
in dingy hut, but | think the Lord
thought as much Of 1t as a two-hour
service in a big church
It's too dark to see the paper,
so | will have to quit for this time
Love to all. o. II. Doyle.