Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-12-06


his brother had been killed in the
last drive on the western front.
Mrs G. e. Hazen returned Monday
from Chicago where she had been for
hospital treatment for an infection
Of the hand.
A flag with four stripes and s'ar
is now hanging in the Company store.
This denotes that Phelps went over
the top in the Fourth Liberty Loan.
Peter Hansen left Monday for his
home in Green Bay after spending
the hunting season in this section
3ttsPete'' was a former Was county
boy and naturally got his game
Milton Gaughan, who enlisted in
the Tank Corps. a short time before
peace was declared, returned home
Thursday. Since early in II, Mer-
ton Dad been imbued with the spirit
of "76'', but was kept out of the
ranks on account of age. After be-
coming is he enlisted and his regret
now is that he was unable to get
oyerthere.
The following letter received by
Del McGregor from a chum while
on the Receiving Ship at Great Lakes
gives an interesting account of the
life of an armed guard on merchant
ships, and the varied experiences of
navy life as our own boys are finding
it in Uncle Sans fleet.
New York, n. Y,
Dec. lst, 1918.
Dear Dell suppose you are quite
surprised to hear from your old pal
of the Great Lakes P. O. / am
ashamed of myself for not writing
sooner but I've been travelling some
Since that time. Hope you, are we'll
and that your feet do not bother you
any more.
After you left and we had that re-
serve postmaster in charge things
got pretty bad and they told us regu-
lars in the p. O. that we wouldn't be
rated but would be sent to sea as sec
lend class seamen in the fleet. Seven
teen of us were transferred to the
Armed Guard school April End and
we fred the Bin. CUR at submarine
targets down by the boathouse. We
also studied the machine gun and
had practice on the North Chicago
rifle range for one month and then
were sent on the B. & O. road to the
armed guard barracks at Brooklyli.
certainly did admire the scenery
in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The apple trees were all in bloom
and there were many pretty log
cabins and canals through that coun-
try. Harper's Ferry is fine place.
We had two hours leave to walk
around Washington, d. G. The City
Park Barracks where the armed
guards are located in Brooklyn feeds
fine. We get cake and ice cream
three times a week, pie every day and
CJIlhCiI CNCI4
After staying there two months we
were transferred to <the U. S. S.
Seattle, irst class cruiser and admir-
Ial's flagship. Were on the Seattle six
weeks and made trip across with a
convoy. We had to turn to from
morning til night washing the paint
work, shining brasswork and holy
stoning the decks when not on the
bridge as lookouts A destroyer
pulled sub target and we fired the
Sin. gun at it and made eight shots
one minute and every one a hit. We
coal ship at Norfolk on the way back
After getting back to Brooklyn we
were, Transferred back TO the barracks
and STAYED there for four months.
Now we are on the merchant ship
Metanzas and have just returned
from Cuba with $4,000 sacks of unre-
fined sugar. We armed guards have
our own mess room, quarters, lockers,
etc., separate from the civilian crew.
All we do is to clean our own quar-
tiers and take care of the guns, 3
and Ain. complement. We have
two colored mess attendants and have
it mighty soft.
The tropical scenery is wonderful
pretty harbors, purple mountains and
cocoanut groves. We stopped at sew
eral ports but our shore liberty was
brief because of the influenza.
Now that peace is declared suppose
we will be transferred to the fleet.
Sincerely,