Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-11-21
Planes Numerous in Washington

Mr. and Mrs. II! benCLL nave I6Cc1F'
ed the following letter from their
nephew, Ernest Savage, in Washing
ton:
Dear Uncle, Aunt and All:
Well, Myrtle, l was some surprised
to learn that you were sick. Your
postcard was the first | knew about
it. That flu is a pretty bad thing.
The death toll here in one day was SO.
1t has been down as low as % but this
mornings paper said that As died in
the last "a hours. 1t must have been
pretty had on you folks. Uncle Har-
ley sick for long time and then you
be sick for that length of time. Hard
luck all right.
Yesterday another fellow here by
the name of Dick, his wife, Lula and
| went out to Great Falls. We took
frying pan and coffee pot along. When
we got there we found good place
and built a fire. Then preparations
for the meal was started. We had
bacon and eggs, potato salad, olives,
pickles, jelly, bread and butter, ap-
pies, cake and coffee. So you see we
had some feed We then took some
pictures. [ am on charge OF quarters
tonight again. 1t is now 4:3O, but the
rest of the bunch is having short
arm inspection at the intirmary so L
am here alone. Married men do not
have to undergo this inspection. L
cannot leave here until 500 to go
get my supper so am taking this
chance to write. After | get back l
will print a lot of pictures. Last time
| was on charge of quarters l made
over a hundred prints. A lot OF them
were some films that Lula had for a
long time but never had any prints
off them. What | will print tonight
will be the ones we took yesterday. |
will take this letter home tomorrow
night and let Lula see it and will en-
close some of the pictures.
Do not know as you remember OF
me telling of one of my roOmmates in
Minneapolis by the name Of Don Ohm
sted. Well, he is on farm in Nebr-
aska now He has two brothers in
France. and had one at Camp Grant.
The one at Grant caught the flu and
died. He had very little attention as
they did not have enough doctors or
nurses. Then when the body was
shipped home one Of his hands was
smashed in the transportation. That
is an awful state Of affairs. Don said
that his father was thinking very
strong of taking action against the
government for not giving his boy
better care 1t sure is too bad.
Things are pretty well shaken up
here Of course we hear a lot or
rumors, but get no official dope
straight. One thing for sure we have
to move out of this building. There
is some talk of moving our laboratory
to some other building, then we are
told we go back to Columbia and a
wait orders forever seas and then,
too. we hear that we are to go to the
new laboratory at New York. That
is now certain a mans life is in the
army. Well, all a fellow can do is to
wait and see what turns up.
We have had several real interest
ing letters from friends of ours who
are over in France. They are having
some time over there, | guess, from
the letters They were not in action
as yet when they wrote but according
to the papers they have gone into the
real stuff since we heard from them.
| got it into my head that | wanted to
be an aerial observer but for some
reason or other, Lula could not see 1t
that way, so I gave it up. That would
sure be the life for excitement,
ing in the aerobubles, etc, etc.
i Saturday night we witnessed a
night attack on the city. An aeroplane
all lit up with electric lights flew over
the city Then the search lights here
at the post were flashed over the city
and the plane flew in the rays. 1t was
very pretty when the plane dropped
flares. Planes are very numerous
here An aviation field is just across
the river from where | work so you
can imagine | see some planes.
Love to all
ERNEST.