The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-22
LETTERS FROM BOYS. y
IN the ARMY CAMPS
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
I Miss Mary Franz received the fol-
lowing letter from Sergeant George II.
Bradley, Somewhere in France.
January %, 1918. Dear Friend:
Just line to let you know that the
carton of cigarets you sent me arrived
safely and can't begin to tell you how
much l appreciate your thoughtful
ness of me. Taylor made cigarets
are Injuries over here and tobacco is
hard enough to secure. We have had
very mild weather this winter if such
it may be called. We have had lots
of rain and plenty of mud. 1t only
showed twice but it melted right
away. We haven't had any mail be-
fore today for about three weeks so
you can imagine how much we appre-
ciate it when it does come. You will
have to make allowance if you don't
receive letters from me as often as
you want to receive them. Circum-
stances are very different here than
in the u. S., when we do have time
to write we are tired. hope however,
to hear from you often and / shall
write just as often as possible in re-
turn. Will stop now hoping to hear
from you soon and thanking you once
again for the Christmas present.
Yours truly, Serg. George H. Bradley,
Battalion E, 151st U. S. Y, A. E. F.,
Via N. Y.
Mrs. D. E. Crane received the fol-
lowing letter from her son Archie who
is with Company X. 162nd United
States infantry, A. E. F., Somewhere
in France:
Somewhere in France. January %,
191S.-Dear Mother: Will send you
a few lines to pass away the evening
and the only spare time we get just
now. / guess the army food agrees
with me for am getting fat and ugly.
Ha! Ha! The worst thing that we
have to look out for is sickness Sew
eral of the boys have got pneumonia
and when they once get it there is
very little chance for them as the
doctors don't seem to be able to help
them much. They say it is different
than what the people have in Ameri-
ca. Yesterday was happy day in
camp as We got our first bunch of
mail since we landed here. l got a
fine letter from Agnes and a box
from the. Red Cross at Maiden and it
certainly was fine, lots of good things
to eat and box of candy from Ag-
mes. They were all sent to Camp
Mills, N. Y, and were forwarded here.
Certainly is wonder that we got
them as thought that some one would
get all the Christmas boxes anyway.
The weather is fine now and just a
little rain but not bad to work in.
hear that We are going to get paid
before long and think that it is time
too as l haven't been paid since have
been in the army and didn't bring much
money out with me so you see / am
about broke. A fellow don't need much
money here just to buy a few little
things and feed one in while. A
couple of us went down town Sunday
night and had a, fine supper for three
francs which is a little more than
fifty cents in our money, so according
to that things amt so high here as
in the United States that is around New
York anyway. The French people are
great wine and beer drinkers. They
have it on the table for every meal
and a person can buy it at every
grocery store. I don't like the wine
as it is SO sour, and then a soldier
amt supposed to get any thing to
drink anyway. We hear very little
| about the war at all as the newspapers
are all old except the Paris edition of
The New York Herald which don't
amount to much as it is only two
sheets and very little news at that
We are quite ways from the front
| now but it takes only few hours
ride if we once get started, but I
don't think we will be going very soon,
as we amt doing any training all good
hard work but only eight hours a day,
and the way can eat l weigh over
$50 which is going some for me. I
| see by the paper that after the Ameri-
can soldiers have been in France four
! months they are given seven days va
| cation and if they do it will be me
| for Paris, to the city we were within
| twelve miles from the one night but
didn't stop. Well, think that / will
close for this time With love to all,
Archie.