The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS

UUIO IN HuiWt UhtvII "
From thursdays Daily.
o. M. Hatcher, manager of Mayer
Brothers company, is in receipt OF the
following letter:
Sergeant R. w. Fields, Seventh
Aviation Institute A. E. f. A. P. o.
No. 723.-Dear Friend Hatcher: / re-
ceived your nice big letter yesterday,
and was glad indeed to hear that
things are going along smoothly at
the shop.
| have had several letters from
Gluck since his arrival in France. but
it's just like a game OF hide and
seek We have no way of finding out
where the other is. In fact we hard
ly know where we are ourselves, and
neither does the paymaster.
| have taken out my full amount OF
insurance and made an allotment.
You know l must have little money
when l come back, and this is the
only way / can get it.
l see by your letter you had some
time at the banquet. Well / am glad
you people think so much of the boys
in service, because those are the
things that give the fellows the spirit
to put it over, and put it over it is
going to be.
A year ago last summer We all
thought we were working hard and
putting in long hours, but l for one
have changed my mind. The funny
part of it is you don't hear any
grumbling.
CO ,n1- T L. OUDll
I'll bet it was a grand sight for sore
eyes. | will probably have the chance
to see few soon, for as quick as
I can get away for day or so | am
| going to see Mr.-well | have lost
his name just now, but it's at d
guess you know who mean. wish
could only be allowed to open up
and tell few things. BUT.
! I am sending you one of our camp
newspapers, and / sent Bill Bohrer
the last issue. l hope you and the
| rest will see what our life is like.
It's great.
am glad that the shop can show
such good record in soldiers, but
what they want after the war is over,
| with is lots of tractors as these coun-
tries are sure going to need them.
All sizes and kinds, when we get
through eating up all Of the oxen.
Well news is very scarce SO think
I won't attempt any more tonight.
viii try again sometime soon, to tell
a little something, and if ever see
anything of interest to the firm / will
let you know.
Tell all the boys hello, also the girls
and / hope I will see them all again
! by next winter.-Always yours, Ralph
Fields.
| Mr. and Mrs Andrew Lynch of
Franklin, Minnesota, received the
following letter from R. F. Alworth
with the u. S. N. Aviation Forces,
Foreign Service, France. He is
son of Mrs. NJ W. Alworth, whose
funeral was held today: France, Feb
ruary 81, 1918.-Dear Lynches: Of
course you can't understand how nice
it is to get letters from the states
because you have never been ma
rooned over here but believe me when
, | say / was some glad to hear from
you I mean it. Mail has, been long
time in reaching me for some reason
but of course there is a flock of
others in the same boat. don't mean
to say that there is consolation in
i that fact however. / had one pretty
good week and drew about ten let
tiers but have been rather out of luck
lately and have only drawn two or
three in the last two weeks. Each
day to console myself by claiming that
| really should get one tomorrow.
Helen is about the only member of
the family that / haven't heard from
and l know she has written to me.
l knew that Marguerite Marsh was
in Paris because ] saw her name in
the list of arrivals in one of the
newspapers I'll have to write her
a note / guess. There is Y. NJ c..
A. man at our station now and he is
planning on opening a hut here. He
put on movie show the other night
and guess we will have one every
/ week from now on He 1Ns also
! brought some books and baseball
gear. We have had two basketball
! games this spring and they are to be
regular feature. The camp is just
outside of punk little town and we
have to make our own amusements.
! This has been Snowless winter but
: the weather has been rather rainy
and damp the last few days and its
not very agreeable. Thursday p. m.
didn't finish this spasm last night
! because the lights went out It's
hard for me to find time to write let
tiers because I'm busy all day and the
lights go out at 9 p. m. ] was re-
warded today-received eight letters
but they were pretty late having been
on the road since December Friday
p. m. The station was taken over by
the American Forces today and the
stars and stripes are flying from the
top of hangar. Sure looks good. The
Y. M. C. A. man has arrived with his
movie machine and understand he
is going to put on ten reel show
/ tonight. It's getting colder right
along and there has been a driving
rain all day. / surely would like to
see your youngsters. / intend to
make dash up to Franklin just as
soon as get home. Had good letter
from Mrs. De Bruler who wrote to