Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-15
COMPANY N WELL
LOCATED N FRANCE
Fred LOckley Tells Of Meet
ing Many Salem Boys On
Western Front


Fred Loekley writes from France to
the Oregon journal as fOlOlws:
Somewhere in Franee:-I sat at my
desk at headquarters. Jim Elvin, Of Sa-
lem, dropped in for a chat. As we talk
ed about mutual friends in Salem-my
sister, Mrs. Louise Arthur, Joe Albert
and others-the mail from a newly ar
rived steamer was brought. We looked
it over and were fortunate in having
several letters each. The first / opened
was from Joe Albert. VS. exclaimed at
the coincidence. He opened a letter from
his wife, and after he had read q page
he looked up and said, "Here is ONE
thing that breaks your coincidence a
mile. Listen to what my wife says" He
read: Erred Jockeys sister, Mrs. Ar
thur, was in to see me the other day. We
were talking about how strange it was
that you and he had met"
The next letter I opened was from
Gertrude Purvine Remington, whose
husband is a mail carrier at Salem. She
asked me how her son Roy was doing.
l had known her before her marriage
and 1 had known her husband, more
than 20 years ago. l read the letter to
Jim Elvin and he said; Company NJ is
about 100 miles from here. ! spent last
Saturday and Sunday with them. Roy is
doing fine, and making a good soldier.
They gave me a letter when | left Salem
to hand to Roy, but / had to destroy it,
as no letters are allowed to be brought
ashore by any passenger to France"
y
1 told Jim to stick around for a few
minutes and we would 60 to lunch to.
gether. We went down to a quaint lit
tie restaurant, not much on style but
long on the excellence of its cooking. On
the way there | bought half o pint of
snails. Snails and roasted cfestnuts are
sold at little wayside stands, just as
peanuts are sold in our country. I hand
ed Jim a pin and a handful of snails
and told him to get busy. He looked
doubtful for a second, and then said, 81
have been eating horse steak and stew
ed horse. | guess / can stand for snails.
| initiated him into the mystery of eat
ing them politely, and we went on down
the street, munching snails and strew
ing the cobblestone walk with theil
shells.
When we arrived at the restaurant
the waitress liked either Jim 8 French
or his looks better than mine; at all
events they became so Interested in each
other that I could hardly get her atten'
ton long enough to get her to bring
me my order. Presently she was called
away by Other customers; 30 Jim told
me all about his visit to the Salem boys
"The, boys are in the old stamping
ground of Henry of Navarre.'' said Ell
vim. cit is a beautiful country, very
much like the Willamette valley excep'
for the fact that in the Willamette val
ley we have no churches nearly a theus
and years old. The country was finished
hundreds of years ago, and little hal
been done to it sinie; 50 it has a rathcl
ancient and established look.
"The first man i met was Captain
Neer, who, in his surprise and pleasure
said: WELL, where in hell did you come
froms 1t surely looks good to see you
One of the next men ! met was Hergeani
Paul Hendricks. whose dad runs the Sa
lem Statesman. / met six Of the boys o.
my church-Theron Hoover, Frank Dur
bin, Ed Rauch, Rodney Alden, Olive
Mathews and Bill Sherwood. Theron
Hoover is getting over the effects of al
operation at the hospital. ] hardly rec
ognized Corporal Frank Durbin. He wal
thin when | saw him last at Salem; nov
he weighs 1870 pounds and looks every
inch II soldier. Lieutenant Paul Wallace
Lieutenant Allen and Lieutenant Banti
are all away at a school of instruction
for Officers. Glen Alderman is on spec
ial duty in southern France. Herber
Boyce is with Lieutenant Allen IN spec
ial duty. Sunday afternoon at 4 %o'cloel
l held a meeting for the boys and NOR,
than 40 from Salem were there. Sat
urday evening | attended IN entertain
ment given by local soldier talent. /
was a corking good show. The boys o
Company M are certainly lucky. The.
are located in a picturesque region. The,
have a Y. M. C. A. hut that cost owe
100000 francs, or about $4,000. 1t vii
seat we a thousand. The c~amouflag
artists painted q curtain and scenery TO
the stage that are swell. Jones, VIII
worked for the Price Shoe store at Sa
lem, wanted me to remember him to hi
friends when ! write. Sergeant Malcolr
Gilbert is making an excellent record
and so is Haywood FOwle. In fact,
could go right down the list, but ! ca
indorse Colonel Mays opinion that So
lem has good cause to be proud Of Com
pany M. The boys are making good.
went out to see Paul Rich Is grave. |
is in a beautiful spot. He was buried o
January % The doctor never left hi
bedside for the last three nights. IL
died Of pneumonia"
There are a bunch Of Portland boys a
the hut where Jim Elvin is. lie board
with a French family. He works hard al
day, and with the French family h
puts in an hours study in French eac