Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-05-07
Letters From
Local Soldiers
FROM ALLEN NORTHEY JONES
Somewhere in France,
Crn6au I-ah

Sunday, Feb. 8, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Today has been a wonderful one,
something different and exceptional.
To start out at A NJ we were
awakened by a shout outside the
window "All out B. dining hall on
fire." 1 pulled on sweater and my
rubber boots over my pajamas and
was out in a hurry, ran up the road
to see our dining shack burning mer-
rily. l turned around and ran for
some pals. Everybody was after
them and then the fellows who were
there started running to the fountain
and back with pals, buckets, etc, of
water. Soon, however. enough had
arrived to form line from the foun-
tain to the shack In the meantime
the guard, the old top sergeant and
some of the early ones had rescued
the pots and pans, a couple of quar-
ters of beef and some other supplies
that were in the storeroom. The
tables and benches were all saved too.
The fire started in the kitchen.
The shack was dry wood and burn
ed like tinder. When the partitions
were burning there was a terrific
heat and danger Of neighboring
efficient work the thing was checked.
Lieut.. Wainwright, who was made
lieutenant a few days ago and who
had previously been top sergeant, or
ganiZed things well. 1t was funny to
see the utensils in the water line. Big
pals, little pals, tubs, heavy kettles
such as the natives use in the open
fireplaces, pitchers, canvas buckets
pans, etc. 1t sure was a conglomera-
ton of stuff. Some of the fellows
were on top of the engineering shack
next door pouring water on the roof,
some throwing water on the flames,
and others tearing down the dining
room. The reason that one part "a
small parD of the dining room did
not burn was that we pulled down
big section of the sides, roof and floor
so that the flames could not pass. 1t
certainly was good sport and a little
excitement after the monotony Of
army life.
AS a result of the fire there was no
reveille this morning and so I lay in
bed until II o'clock, the first time
I've done anything of that kind for
ages. Then got up and went out for
breakfast. Had some French people
cook me some eggs. They fry them
in butter and put salt, pepper, cream
and vinegar on them and they are
wonderful that way. We also had
bread and milk. 1t was a fine break
full today, too. This afternoon I took
| a swim or rather a bath in the foun-
| tain and so feel like a king now. 1t
certainly has been a wonderful day
and something very much out of the
ordinary for We have had all day to
ourselves and then there was the ex-
element of the fire.
This past week we have been
working q lot. For days over to the
! big divisional range and that means
leaving here at 7:40 in the morning
and not getting back until between 5
and o'clock. We go in fine big To-
comobile trucks. AS n result of our
work 1 didn't send a mid-week letter.
1t is and probably will be hard for
me to get time to write. 1 have been
working on signaling some this week
when we have not been over to the
divisional range. I am glad to have
the chance to learn the runner job
permanently. I would rather be in
something more alive.
One of the fellows in G Company
was down in town in the hospital and
wrote his "bunkie" on December 20
The letter arrived January %, a day
less than a month to travel two miles
and half. Some service.
ALLEN NORTHEY JONES.