The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-04-02
Life in a Trench

Ii is not so bad, after all.
That's our conclusion about trench
life after reading a letter receiv-
ed here from Arthur MCGEE, Ia
coma lad, in the trenches of
France.
Some rats, it's true, but little
ones, and--well-we have heard
OF the little pets right here in TIA
coma. Now don't get huffy,
folks, course never meant at
your house.
Dear Folks: The last time |
heard from you people was Jan.
uary 4, so haven't any letters TO
answer now, but | guess | can
say something anyway. Since the
last time l wrote | have seen all
kinds OF things.
Just now ! am in. little dug
out just behind front trenches.
Have been playing cards all even
ing, 1t is not bad up here; |
really like it. Ii is always in
teresting and now and thea ex-
citing. The work is not very
hard. 1t is more or less lmpor-
tant and also interesting. II
gives me a chance to study cleo
tricity. telephony, telegraph, wir-
ing and everything else. am
one of the three operators at this
stat on on a new instrument.
that is, new to me.
There are four other signal
men here, all operators. We
have a pretty nice place to eat,
sleep and work in, all in the same
dugout.
Il was down in the communi-
cation trenches this morning al
most to the front line. 1t was
pretty quiet, tho. have seen
several air fights, one about a
week ago was one of the pretti-
est | ever saw. The best part of
it was that the German came
down fms This morning four
German machines jumped out on
two French ships and, ] believe,
got one of them.
A few nights ago we pulled
off a barrage fire. / stood out
side and watched. Rockets were
going up ahead of us and the
flare from the big guns behind
us made it almost daylight and
just a continuous roar and crack
FOR an hour and a half--louder
than anything | have ever heard.
Then there have been a few
gas attacks and false alarms. air
raids, bombarding and just ord
nary artillery duels. Every now
and then big German shell
comes our way. Even now, while
| am writing, big shells are going
both ways. Only one that l don't
like, and that is gas. Not the
danger-we have plenty of warn
ing, but it's the idea of stopping
in the middle of a meal or when
we are shaving and putting on
gas mask in about six seconds
and then sucking it with orr
nose clamped, anywhere from 80
minutes to 10 or IL hours. Dur
ing the day, the mask always
hangs on our chest, ready for in
slant use. At night we take
two of them to bed.
1t is now about IL p. m. The
rest of the boys are in bed. II
am sitting up until 10 with the
and listening to the
rats and the guns. We are on
duty for eight hours each day.
II will go out OF the trenches
in about month. l have been
here two weeks and am not anx-
ious to go out. Would just as
soon stay here. This talk about
mud and water up to your waist
and nothing to eat and trench
rats two feet long is all wrong
at least in this dugout. 1t isl
bone dry and We have three hot
maens a day. A few little rats,
it is true (they will eat anything,
including my leather gloves).
saw a few Germans this
thru the field glasses.
Well, enough said. All we'll,
never felt better.
Say hello to everybody. WillI
see you later.
ARTHUR "M'GEE."