The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-12-26
GOOD news FROM
BOYS IN FRANCE
SPLENDID LETTERS COME BACK
TO THE HOME FOLKS FROM
OUR FIGHTERS
GLAD WAR EMOEj BUT HARD At WORK
These Letters Tell The Story OF The
Way Our Boys Live And Work
As Well As Fight

Mr.. and Mrs. j. E. Rudolph are in
receipt of the following interesting
letter from their son, Ira. who was
wounded and is in a hospital in
France:
Toul, France, Nov. %, 1918.-Dear
Folks: Well l am still here in this
hospital. l am well and enjoying nv
self as well as possible. We had a
good dinner today, my first chicken
since / left home. Had candy and
nuts, pumpkin and mince pie, vino,
cigars and cigarettes, rice pudding
and coffee. 1t is now $50. l sup.
pose you are all about ready to eat
your dinner, and l suppose you are
all there but me, but I'm satisfied and
thankful that Pm where l am today.
l go walking most every day down
town. This is quite a large town,
the only place l have ever been that
you could buy anything but it takes
money. One little bunch of grapes
cost 20 cents, and l get along with
as few as possible. l don't want to
take nothing from France but a boat
and leave that at New York, but I'll
try and bring some souvenirs.
Well, | can tell you a little more
now as the war is over. | was only
five days in New York. We were
thirteen days coming owe seventeen
boats in the convoy including battle
ships. We came down by Scotland
and landed in Liverpool the 2Sth OF
August. We then took the train 10
Waking, Eng, and stayed about q
week at Stony Castle, then went to
Southampton and crossed the channel
to Cherbourge. We then marched
about six miles to a starvation camp
and in a day or two came back and
took the train (freight) to Flavigny.
This town is up on a hill and it took
t~hirty-five minutes steady walking to
ge, to the ton. We were there ten
days, and there had not been soldiers
in this town since 1870. 1t was here
on top of this hill that Caesar made
his last stand 81 B. c. Was up on
ONE of the stone defenses made by
him. There was a church there over
1000 years old. l went into it and
it was still in use and in good shape.
l got my watch fixed there, and it has
run good ever since but lately, guess
it must be dirty. We went from here
to Herricourd TO finish training. The
people are very filthy, and the streets
you would think to be a black alley
in these small towns, larger ones of
course are some better. When I left
the Company they had about 100 left
out of $50, sickness and transferring
being the cause They all had the
FLU" but I was picked with twenty
four others to go to the front and
l didn't get 1t then. I feel good now
except a weak back which is getting
better. / think l will be home by
spring, hope so any way. dread
the ride across the water back worse
than coming over, as it will be so
guess. 1t was getting pretty cool
when we came over, with several fog
gy and rainy nights, and some Of the
ships were separated by morning. No
lights al night of course. We thought
a good deal of the battle ships on
each side Of us. They came until
the English sub chasers met us, about
two days before landing.
1t is not as cold here now as it is
yer there, just had cold rains lately
and the ground frosted two or three
nights. Well, it is supper time nov
so I must close, hoping you are all
we'll and that l will see you with
in a short time. Goodbye and love
to all. Pvt. Ira n. Rudolph.
Base Hospital 50
Il Il u q HQ