Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-01-24

much, but you have undoubtedly
heard more by the papers than
could tell you (by permission, so
will close. Hoping to hear
again from you, am, your friend,
| BRENNAN DOUGLASS.
LETTERS FROM ARTHUR poTY.
Monday, Dec. 8, 1917.
Dear Folks:
received your letters O. X
the ones written the goth. They
got here the list of December. 1
am having some pictures taken
for Xmas and surely hope they
will be- good. Mae asked me to
send her one. so sure will.
am still on the range and we
will probably begin shooting the
first of next week.
am feeling we'll and strong
pany said had been made cor
and the climate here agrees with
me mighty we'll. Lots of the boys
get malaria and other fevers, but
they pass me by. | haven't had
single days illness since left
Paris Island.
am sorry it is so unhandy
about mail here. Also it is hard
for US to get writing paper. L
borrowed this. | am also out OF
ink. so you must pardon this pen
lcil. | thought that would be bet
ter than none at all.
Well, / went to town last night.
The first sergeant of the com
poral and that my warrant would
he here about the 9th of this
|month. Don't address me as cor
poral yet until all the red tape is
over.
If you send me an Xmas box,
make it pretty solid, cause some
OF the boxes the boys get are all
broken up, especially the card
board ones. ! want you to thank
all the ones who have been kind
enough to take an interest i'm nv
welfare.
Well, must close now and get
this ready for the mail boat, so
you folks will get it some time
soon. Love to all. Arthur.
Rifle Range, Dec. 90, 1917.
Dear Folks:
am writing this so as to get
it off before the next boat leaves
Tor the states. Well, have fired
for record again and missed max
ing expert by point. l needed
253 points, and made 252 out of
a possible 800. This leaves me
my first qualification as sharp
shooter. | am getting ready to
go to town for my mail as this is
the day it is supposed to arrive
from San Juan.
The American citizens and men
We're all invited to big Red
Cross rally here last Wednesday
evening. Three of the fellows
and myself framed up a sort of
quartet and sang couple of
songs as. a sort of curtain raiser.
They turned spotlight on us
and came near forgetting every
thing we had tried to sing. All
jokes aside, we are getting quite
a glce club here and intend to give
a little Christmas program. We
are going to have big dinner
and several days. rest during the
holidays. | expect the folks from
school are all home for Christ
mas by now. would like to be
myself, but as long as that isn't
possible, we must make the best
of things as they are.
Believe me, the climate here is
wonderful. One can work and
get wet with perspiration and yet
not feel the heat as we do at home
during the summer. At night it
is so chilly that we sleep under
Two blankets, but when the sun
gets up, you are comfortable with
as little clothes as the law allows.
l am getting fat, so the boys say.
| mean the ones who we're with
me at Paris Island. 1 have also
cut my hair pretty short accord
ing to rules and regulations.
There is a little Umbre here
now trying to sell me some
"dulce," their name for candy.
He can't sabe typewriter, but he
sure is some salesman. The ma
tive Dominicans think a marine
is made of money. Clothes, gaso-
line and those things are some
expensive.
Say, there are some beautiful