The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-09
HERE'S A LETTER
FROM C. c. BONAR
FORMER WE'LL KNOWN AND CON
GENIAL WRITER ON THE IN
TELLIGENCER TELLS
OF TRIP.
Relates Sadness In Leaving Friends and
Incidents of Return to Camp
Lee.

The following letter has been recelV-
cd by a member Of the Wheeling In
iclligrnccr's writing staff. from Claude
g. l.nuar the we'll known. popular con-
genial and fluent writer on tho staff or
tho same publication for some time, and
previously OF the Wheeling News. now
mcmncr Of Battery c, 314 +. A. Camp
/ I.ca Virginia.
-! Mr. I3onar recently spent e bTtct FUR
, lough with his parents and. relatives IN
/ MuuudSvillo and as much time ms ne
possibly could with his best OF friends
in Wheeling. He tells OF the sorrow
, Of leaving hts friends hero and also
+ haprily describes the trip TO camp and
! incidentally tho good things he had TO
! eat whIlo cnroutc.
! ANY ono who knows Claude Bonar
/ would know he wrote the following let
ter, for It Is just like he talks when
he's relating something OF interest and
! from. the heart.
! lust a quarter Of an hour OF leisure
; time this morning so II you will pardon
. the poor selection OF stationery, viii
mako an attempt at a letter. You know,
il isn't good form to typo personal lot-
. ,ers but II waited for an opportunity
10 write with a pen. never would get
through with one-half OF my correspon-
/; cicnce.
| 7 am hard at work again after that
short sweet trip home. We loft wheel
Ing Mt $50 on Friday evening, on the
Il. &: Q. Took sleeper and enjoyed
GOOD nights rest. At MartinsburE, a
diner was attached. believe the cgSs
we're laid ouly the day before; the snu-
sage must have been Of ia recent date
and the buckwheat calics--well you
know what kind Of real buchThcat
grows over about MartinsburS where the
dining car supplies were secured. In
short. ] was never so surprised at a
genuine good meal. just about tho best
| have eaten in many months Arrived
ut Washington In good time, and spent
about four hours going through tho cap
irnl. The capital city is wide open to
8 ,l," soldier boys and our uniform Is our
: .rkrt emitting us to the best there is.
| bearded tho three o'clock train at
; Washington Saturday, (Seaboard Air
l.inri il ample tIme to reach Camp Lee
/ by cigE, o'clock In the evening. Rnt
, lust about the timo the train was pull
, ing ont, H. blizzard hit this section or
: the cnuntry. You know how billiards.
! play tho devil with the railruads--nir
lines frozen. brakes stuck. couplcrs
: ruIlrd out and various other troubles
! Instead nt mnking the trip in four or
/ five hours II required nearly eleven, H!io
we checked IN at the guard house three
| hours late. Delay reports, however
signed by tho train crews prevented us
! from having any trouble.
Went tu work Mt nine o'clock Sunday
! morning rs assistant clerk In tho bat
! tory commanders office and have been
hard at IL oYor since. Good thing I'm
busy | guess. ar might got downright
| blue II it WAS hard To leave the first
! time IL WAS worse tho SECOND when VIC
! knew that that would bn our last trip
|. home until the war is overland We
| nrc cyprcllnE five years Of it. But not
! q ono Of tho Wheeling follows Will com
rlain. VIC are hero tn learn to fight
! AMI when we got into tho game VIC VIII
| rirl1t till ncarn has resulted only from
III" complies annhiIiali"n Of the kaiser
, and his government. Ffut don't under
! stand me t. mean that that hue feeling
lasts lunE--;hc thing has To be done. VIZ
rrr h"r,. To do Il. and it's q dozen times
easier to do it. with tn" corners OF the
I mouth turned mp than down.
! II IS nearing mess time. and with this
annette ! can't afford To miss dinner
! say, you should sec war punk. boiled
= Srnda. beef hash. beef stew. steak
gravy. chIck,r,. turkey and lots &C "th"t
roIS fail before the attnrk uf tho 3l4th
: field artillery. The whole buErh look
| iua, MS hearty rs l do. a:IH their ar-
! DntiicS are just aS good.
| Hoping for n letter soon I am.
! Sincerely yours,
! CLAUDE G. BONAR.