The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1918-10-24
LETTER FROM OVER THERE.
Thos. B. Irby, Now on the Firing
Line, Writes His Mother.

sept. 3U, 19l6.-Dear Mother:
have just received your letter
written August goth. / got it this
afternoon, and can't say how glad
was to hear from you all again.
l have been looking for letter
from you for several days.
guess | get most all the letters
you write me, but they are real
Did when | get them.
am about as we'll as usual, ex-
cepting bad cold. The weather
is getting to be real cool here
aow, SO ! have begin to take cold.
We are not where we were the
last time wrote to you. We have
moved several miles to another
town. We are located in small
town down in a valley and on a
railroad.
There is a beautiful stream
winding it's way through the
valley. We call it river, but
really it is but large creek. On
either side of this stream is moth
ing much but level grassy plains.
Small towns and some times a
city are located all along through
this valley. In most cases these
towns are located on river or
creek.
The French people believe in
having a good supply of water,
and having it convenient, too. In
the mountain districts all of their
water comes from the mountains,
and | tell you it is fine water. I
have drunk some fine water in
France, especially, in Alsace-Lor-
raine, where we have been most
of the time since we have been on
this side Of the "deep blue.''
But speaking of water in this
country, as the water supply
comes from the high lands in.
most cases it comes on its own
accord. It runs freely out of
pipes into concrete troughs or
basins of other kinds. There is
no pumping of any kind to do.
We have been in this town two
days but do not know how much
longer we will stay here before
going to the front. We begin
drilling this morning. Our drill
ground is about one and a half
miles away. But when we start
out we have to march up, up, up,
to get there. When we get up
here we are at an altitude so high
that we can see most everything
below. Up here, one may see OBJ
jects fifty miles away. Here we
are overlooking the beautiful
grassy plains below with their
rivers, brooks, roads and towns.
One may stand on the summit of
this hill and count most dozen
towns and cities which are in
plain view. | counted ten and we
were not to the top. All this is
beautiful-still I have seen pref
tier scenery in other sections
since being over here. l have
learned of late that we can tell
certain things Of the past. AS you
have time and again insisted on
me telling something Of our trip
across the sea, and some other
things, will tell you few things
that have happened in the past.
| must not tell anything that
would be Of military value to the
enemy. We sailed from New
York on the morning Of April 9,
and arrived at Breast, France, in
the evening Of the 22nd, being on
the water 13 days and nights. It
was q long, lonesome journey.
Not a tree or flower or spot Of
earth to be seen; no sound from
land, not even the whisper Of a
bird. Just 13 days Of reeling and
rocking. Nothing to be seen only
on the ship, or probably two or
three other vessels on the waters
which were in sight only at
times. No noise Of any kind to
be heard, except that made by the
4,500 men that were on the ship,
and the rippling sound Of the un-
easy waters Of the ocean.
Some ships that come over have
500 or 1000 Red Cross nurses on
them. but our ship did not have q
single woman aboard, which
made it more unpleasant than
otherwise. I can't express how
happy we were when we first got
sight Of land ct Breast, France.<
I will tell You more about the
trip IN my next letter.
Best wishes and lots Of love to-