Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-12-24
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
FROM LIEUT.. l.. ID. MOWAT

Dear FOLKS at Home:
CHEEKY Oh" I'm jolly we'll you
know" A most lovable and human
Irish chaplain who is one of the
bunch of officers with which | am
travelling says, "The whole dom
bunch of you are Anglicized and
you've only been here three days -
But England, or the part of 1t we
have seen, is just like piece out of
story. Yves and went for. a
long walk out into the edge of the
country yesterday, and / don't know
when have enjoyed day more. The
quaint, eaveless houses, built Of
weathered old brick, with their slate
roofs, queer chimneys and Ivy, each
set in its little park, If large at all,
or behind an immaculate little lawn
enclosed by the inevitable hedge or
iron fence, are about the most Eng
lish" thing one could dream Of. And
the chief charm, here in this old sea-
port, to me, is the cleanliness. The
winding brick paved streets are clean
swept and the houses, no matter how
old, somehow present trim clean
appearance that is most surprising
Due perhaps to the fact that no mat
ter how humble the home the win
dows are hung with snowy curtains,
the hedges and plants are trimmed
and everything that can be scrubbed
is scrubbed either by hand or by the
rather frequent rains. The unvary-
ing quiet behavior of the people Is
another thing which stands out to
our noise accustomed American sens
es. The children playing in the
street, and there are children every
where. are quiet never scream like
the American kids at play. The
gromn-ups always talk in well-modu-
lated, pleasant voices. | don't won
der that the Americans are regarded
as a little loud-it seems almost des-
ecration to hear a bunch of young
lieutenants wearing U. S. on their
collars, burst in on the quiet CONVEX
sations of the groups of Englishmen
at the hotels.
The Defense of the Realm" regu-
lations are enforced to the letter
both here and at the other famous
port on the other side of England at
which we landed and spent few
hours. 1t is impossible to get white
bread, sugar, or sweetened cakes
downtown-nearly everything is is
sued on ration cards. The shops
open and close at set hours. All
curtains are drawn and a very few
shaded gas streetlights relieve the
darkness but little at night. Yet the
streets are crowded and the theatres
sold out every night. Everything
stops along toward 10 p. m. however.
Trains stop running and streets are
deserted. Restaurants close at nine
and hotels lock doors at ten. Theatres
start at Gas, the vaudeville and
movies running two shows. They say
that London is even darker than
this place. We have been obliged to
remain at camp most of the time
awaiting orders as we may have to
leave on short notice and have been
unable to go up to London.
There were bunch of nurses and
Y. M. c. A. workers aboard the trans
port and times were pretty lively all
the way. Wish hadn't been laid
up the first part Of the trip. or
course the trip provided some ex-
element toward the end but will
save that to tell you after the war
| imagine everybody that comes over
has an exciting experience: the
ships crews are willing to provide
them from imagination If nothing ,
really happens.
Getting next to the English money ,
system has provided lots of amuse-
nent but we are all pretty proficient