Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-23
SOLDIERS AND SAIL ORS What Eastern Connecticut Boys Are Doing In Various Branches of the Service.
CHRISTMAS DAY ON {.
 U. S. S. NEW. YORK


 Two very interesting letters have been received by Mrs. A. Wilson of Otis street, this city. from her son, F. s. Wilson, who is in foreign ser- vice with the U. S. s. New York. Both letters were written on Christmas day, one in the morning telling of the preparations for the dinner given a hundred poor children on board ship, and the other in the afternoon telling of the success of the dinner and She delight of the little ones. The letters follow:
 Dear Family:
 We'll, today is our first Christmas day apart. Even last year I was on eight days leave. I wonder what you are doing now? It is about 5.30 in Norwich, Ct, but nearly noon here We are decorated up, almost as cheerful as ever. The fifth div. (that | is aft) have signal flags all over com pertinent and quite large tree, dee orated, colored lights and lots of irni- tation snow. In the foreground three rifles are stacked, with sbayonet fixed. Under rifles isla wreath and holly and snow. A sign says For Our Com rades in France" Inside are two five 1 inch shells with a sign For the Kai- ser" The signal force has a very prettily decorated casenaate All divisions have something. The fourth went ashore and bought $15S VictroIa.
 l poor children lover here" a Christmas dinner, and guess the king will have ] no better himself. Some say each ki6 is to get four pounds of sugar to take home. Ashore it is just about impos- slble to get sugar and butter.
 The amount you buy in restaurant
 is issued, but the gobs go from one t another. Sweetmeats Cor candy) art 1 way over a dollar pound and you may get fined for buying it.
 l On Christmas afternoon MT. Wilson
 wrote his mother as follows:
 Dear Mother:
 As I wrote this morning, will jus
 drop a few lines to tell you of tn,
 poor children's Christmas dime. l aboard the mightiest dreadnought eas
 of "Lip OF New York;
 It was about o'clock when the boa carrying them was sighted As the, came alongside they were all chatter
 ing at once. They sure were poor, 1 guess. Most of them were in prett, lpoor clothing. Their cheeks were al red and they wore no hats. Some ( or years old) began crying on ac count of the crowds on deck It i practically the first clear day we hay had since we arrived.
 The scenery on the hills is wonder l ful. As they all got aboard they wer lifted down the ladders. They ha three women and about five men wit , them. They were met at the gangwa, by several officers and the commando l wished them all Happy New Yea1 As they went down below to table
 set for them the band Gin the barbe shop) played the Second Connecticu Regiment March and they all wer yelling in their funny dialect. Turke, pie, cake, potatoes, gravy, asparagu. candy and punch were served Il All the things given them it woul
 be impossible for the upper classes t : buy over here. As for butter, mos i; did not know what 1t was for. Fl Games, toys, books and candy wer
 given to them after an inspection ( < the ship. After this movies were hel / on the berth deck.
 Il At o'clock we were given ot Christmas presents. A comfort kls fe
 every one. My kit was packed b
 Emma Marcher, St. Marks avenu
 Brooklyn, N. Y., contained one pour
 box (tin) candy, one steel 1oolsin glass, two Hershey, two Hyler's, tw : khaki handkerchiefs. two pads and CT velopes, six pencils. playing card . prayer book, six packs of gum, sever; Ipuzzles. Very few contained more l, none less.