The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1918-10-03
NEWS OF OUR SOLDIER
BOYS
Interesting Letters from Our
Boys at Home Camps
and Abroad.
From Rein Jackson


Aix-les-Bains, Sept. Dear Home
Folks: Pm here at Aix-les-Bains OF
my seven day leave of absence anc
having the time of my live, too. I'm
staying at one of the best hotels ir
town and doing nothing else hardly
but eat and sleep-mostly eat. There
are about two thousand Americans
on leave here and rooms and meals
are furnished for them by the gov
ernment at about so different hotels
in the town. Really, Uncle Sam is
treating his men right over here. A
leave of a week can be had once ev-
cry four months (this is the first one
I've taken advantage of at 20 odd
various leave areas. Maybe you
think it isn't great to feel absolutely
free once more, where you eat like a
white man at white tables, where you
don't have a mess kit to tend to and
the food isn't army "chow." And
then at night when you've spent a
happy care free day, you know
that a fine big white, clean bed is
waiting for you. l tell you it's great.
There's just one thing soldier does
not like about his stay here: as each
day goes by he gets up the next morn
ing knowing he has just one day less
to stay.
left Nevers on Sunday, Septem-
ber l, but | took my time in getting
here and my reservation didn't begin
until midnight of the third I'll have
to go about 80 on the 18th. I'll get
back to Nevers on the 18th or 18th,
so you see I'll have had quite vaca-
ton.
l hope that when l return to where
I'm stationed things will begin to look
toward a move to the front We have
spent almost nine months of guard
duty there and it is about time we
were getting a change. Of course,
we would have to spend a few weeks
at training camp first. We find lots
Of men who have come back from the
front and are spending week of real
life here before their return to the
lines" Men who have gone through
the fighting up there are men with an
experience dearly bought. They all
have their part to tell, but seldom in
a way of boasting. Always their
stories are thrilling and pride runs
high when they tell of the last big
drive near Chateau-T -Thierry. 1t was
wonderful the way Fritz was kicked
back and he is still going backward
and will be kept going from now on.
Day before yesterday l took trip
across Lake Bourget, lake near AK,
which is about II miles long and l
guess couple of miles across. Four
of US rowed across and we still have
blisters for souvenirs. | have three
big ones on each hand. We took sew
eral pictures of the trip, for the seen
cry is wonderful, but of course does
not compare with what we have in
the States. The finest piece of seem
cry I'll ever see will be when l stand
and look at old "Squaw Butte" again.
Yesterday afternoon I rode up Mt.
Reward on the cog wheel railroad
which makes an easy way of getting |
there. Having done practically no
work for so long, Pm not in as good |
shape physically as was when l used |
to stack hay, so l don't take on quite
as much hard walking and climbing
as l might if l was in better shape.
1t was about six miles to the top and
we spent about so minutes going up
and almost as long coming down.
Maybe you think that road wasn't
steep! I'll bet it was a 30 per cent
grade in many places. All the noun
ain side is heavily wooded with pines,
'aks and several kinds of trees en-
irely new to me. | counted at least
20 kinds of wild flowers l had never
'een before, but of course this was
'nly natural. On the summit l did
ind something had seen before and
hat was wild raspberries We had
wo hours to spend before the train
vent back and spent most of that
ime eating raspberries. l took a
ew pictures and looked through the
elescope they have up there, but yes
erday afternoon was too hazy to see
cry far. On clear days Mont Blanc ,
an be plainly seen. L
w SI@ii leu UdCh duOuI D clOch
nd the valley below looked so quiet
nd peaceful, one could hardly realize
hat not far from here terrible war ::
'as going on. !
| am undecided as to what / shall ,
o this afternoon, but think I'll take
steamboat ride and visit an old t
bbsy across the lake. l am not ex- I
city sure of it, but l think this old G
bbey belongs to the king of Italy I
nd is kept up by money that he sends
or that purpose every year. I'll
rite about this little trip as soon as
have taken it. 0
Certainly a soldier could ask for !
My one better place for leave and
lat could only be-home. But never =
L Al