Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1918-02-08
J 0 II N L Al R
Writes His Mother
From Washington,
D.
Dear Mother:

LIZ Nt
Dear Mother:
We are still confined to oul
barracks. but things have be
gun to liven up a bit today
One of the Y. M. c. A. meT
managed to get by the guards
with a load of books, boxing
gloves and stationery for us
this morning.
Am afraid, however, we
won't get much benefit from
the books for awhile, as we
got to the gloves first. and
there's not much pleasure in
trying to read through a puffy
black eye. There's one fellow
in the crowd who's eyes are
still in good condition, but he
doesn't go around Boosting
about it. for the very simple
reason that he finds converse
ton of any sort rather difficult
having lost three of his from
teeth at the very beginning OF
hostilities.
Since the quarantine has
been on, paper has been SC
-carce in our barracks that il
has taken the place of money
in our business transactions
one sheet of paper being val
ued at from three to seven
cents. One guy shot craps
nearly all day last Sunday to
get paper enough to write
home and tell his mother how
much he was enjoying Billy
Sundays sermons.
Sunday has finished a four
weeks revival, and is starting
in for four weeks more of the
same.
You asked in your last let
ter what the local Red Gross
Workers have been doing fol-
us, and I'll begin by saying
that they've done enough fol
us boys to entitle everyone OF
them to a pair of wings. Dur.
ing the two weeks we spent in
the open, near Fl. Myer, Va.
the Red Cross workers erected
! a tent on the grounds, in which
they served hot drinks, ham
sandwiches and buttered toast
at all hours of the day and
night. Every few minutes OF
the time between two O'Clock
and daylight you could hear
some rookie roll out of his
blankets, knock his shoes loose
from the frozen ground, turn
them upside down to get rid Of
the snow accumulated in them
climb into them and go sour.
rying off through the dark fol-
the Red Gross tent, where he
was always sure of a warm
meal and a warm welcome. i
was the Red Cross that started
the Congressional Investiga-
ton that resulted in the elm.
ination of a lot of "red tape
and placed us in comfortable
quarters. Since coming here
we have received excellent
treatment at all times. The
Government is certainly doing
its part by us and the Rec
Cross looks after our social in
terests and makes it possible
for the man in uniform to be
welcomed into the best home!
of the city. Only a few days
ago we were all provided with
Sweaters and wristlets furnish
ed by the local chapter. One
day out of each week we senC
our clothing to the Y. M. C. A
building and Red Cross mem
bers attend to our patchin,
md mending. l notice consid
cradle criticism of the Rel
Cross methods in some of tn,
dailies. 1 don't know how out
siders view their work, but
do know that the Red Cros
and the Y. M. c. A. meal
more to the members of tn
Service than any other organi
cations in existence.
The last time / heard from
George Payne he was one hun
dred twenty-five miles out a
sea.
Don't. know at what momen
We'll be shipped out, or wher
| We'll go.
j. M. Humble, a fellow VIII
came from Kentucky with me
and one of my best pals, wa
! transferred to a training cam
at Newport News. Don't know
! just what line of work he take
up, but am sure he will max
; good. His wife lives at Brod
head. You may know her.
Don't have time to writ
MORA snI %l;c 70 ~r@LoI l.