The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1918-01-31
NEWS OF OUR SOLDIER
BOYS
Raymond Fowler Fears He Will
Weigh $50 Pounds When He
Comes Marching Home
From Raymond Fowler.


The following letter has been re
ceived by John MCGOWAN from Ray
mond Fowler, who is in the nava
training camp at Goat Island, Sar
Francisco:
Jan. 20.-Today is a holiday and
am glad of it, for the last two weeks
have been busy ones, but with the
fine weather we are having l don't
mind it much. 1t seems to be SC
funny to be wearing B. V. DIS in jan
uary, and I've worn my coat twice. If
this old island had some of Payette
valleys fine soil, I'll bet peaches
would grow larger than pumpkins
1t is mighty pretty to go out on the
high east cliff at night time and see
the lights from Frisco, Oakland,
Berkeley and lighted ships going and
coming through the Golden Gate. 1t
is even more beautiful than coming
over Freezeout and looking into the
valley on spring day.
Yesterday was wash day, and I
caught fierce cold. We go down
to the beach, take off our shoes and
go after it. am poor washwoman,
but today was inspection, and it pays
to be clean or else you sure get some
bawling out.
You ask what kind of work we do.
Well, here is our bill of fare for yes
terday: At $3.50 the bugle blows and
about the same time the sweet melo-
dious noise of gold braid yells, "Hit
the deck" and we sure begin rolling
out. We have Is minutes to dress,
wash and store our hammocks in a
rack. We are mustered and each COM
pany is detailed to some clean up job.
Ours is to sweep half the parade
ground. Then we fall in for chow
and at 7:45 are called for drill. Most
of the morning drill is with rifles and
swords. The afternoons are devoted
to Swedish drill, lectures on different
riggings for ships, ETC., and drill with
cannons. 1t takes "a men to move,
set and operate one of them. 'Tis lots
of fun chasing around with them.
After chow at night we can go to
show, but at o'clock every one must |
fall in and we are marched to our |
beds. No one is allowed to talk and |
we must string our hammocks and |
fall in. There are about 600 sleeping
in this building, which is built on the
plan of ship, and a rack and hook
for beds on all four sides. l like to
sleep in the hammocks, but they are
easy things to fall out Of The least
move and out you go, and six feet to
the hard floor is no pleasant bump
either. Abe Hit fell out the other
night and 1 think he said something
awful.
The people in Frisco are certainly
fine to the sailors. We have been to
three swell dances at Palace, Fair
mount and st. Frances hotels. The
girls must have pedigree mile long
to get an invitation and only sailors
and soldiers are invited; but there are
oceans of girls to dance with. A cou- !
pie of college girls invited Abe and l !
to their home tomorrow for dinner,
and you bet we are going. Abe is :
looking bad; he has had bad cold,
but after tomorrow l think he will be d
better. l have never felt better in t
my life. Have gained Is pounds in =
five weeks. How is that? If l con- :
5inue at that rate, at the end of four I
years when l come back 1 will weigh C
$50 pounds. You want to look out \
,r I'll take your girl by force then. n
Did Uncle Sam is certainly a good X
eeder. s
We don't know how long we will be Q
lere. People are leaving every day. +
\ company left yesterday for Vir- "
,inia. We may leave any day, for T
hey don't give you much notice. Some
% to the Eastern coast and some to II
he Asiatic sea. l don't care where, q,
ut wish we could be moving. l eat
n extra meal whenever l get W
hance, because l know l will lose 81
everal when we go on the salty wa nc
er. a. a.