The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-01-31
LETTER FROM SOLDIER.
Gives Interesting Information Regard.
ing Life i'm Navy.

lear MOtntr ana All:
| wrote You Il letter couple of DAYS
ago but will write another as | have
received letter from YOU since I
wrote Everything is going fine around
mere but Ii would be hester if the war
was over The workmen are working
on our boat and we may leave for the
other side before many weeks, the
sooner the better. for the more that
goes over to help in the war the quick.
er it viii end
am CHAD you had good time New
Years wish I could have been there,
but | had good time Just the same.
When come home will have to learn
to hunt and ride all over as 1t has
been so long | will forget how. There
Is a lot of things that / am learning
that | would not have learned at home
that | can tell YOU about when I get
home
There is about two hundred men
working on this ship, repairing it, and
tonight just after they went off duty
the sentries found three different fires
on the ship that had been started by
someone just before going off think
ing II they started them i'm three or
Tour places the ship would burn down
before we would know 1t, but us Blue
tackles are too wide awake for any,
thing like that to happen.
Yes, mother, | heard about that ex-
plosion at Halifax, for there is a shin
anchored along side our ship that was
there at the time, we can step from
our deck over on to 1t, and Ii is in
some shape, there Is not hardly piece
OK steel on 1t that is not out of shape:
there Is an officer on it that was blown
for half mile and he is still living
He was walking around on the deck
today but the fellows said he had lost
his mind, or part of it, but lust think
ne was actually blown by the explosion
one-half mile.
III L can get out of the navy when
the war Is over / am coming home to
help make the living. don't know
whether | can get out or not when the
war is over for l have signed nm for
-FOUR years. They say IL a fellow is in
the navy and wants to buy his wav
out, 1t Is easy If he has been in lots
or trouble and been in the (brig) that
Is the navy's jail but If he has a clear
record 1t Is not so easy, and IL might
De nard for me unless they have more
men than they need. When thew get
good man In the navy they don't
want TO let him go. have never been
on report for anything and | am 90.
Ing to stay that way If 1 possibly can
am glad you are having such mild
weather back there. There has been
so much Ice at Long Island and around
there that the coal barges can hardly
get through so the city of N. Y. and
brooklyn have suffered great deal for
the want of fuel Here in BROOKLYN
you can see wagon foad of coal stop
IN the street and people line up with
baskets sacks, baby buggies, sleds or
anything else In which to haul away
what little they can buy. You see well
dressed as well as poor people buying
coal this way. The police go around
to the buildings and If any one place
mas more than they need they make
them sell it to other people.
by spring there will be great many
shlps ready to do their best fighting
ana then Germany win see that thew
haven't done any fighting vet. This
snip that am on is going to Law mines
III the north sea, and we might get
more than one sub for all YOU can
Tell we are going to the coast OF
scotland. The mines weigh from 1OOO
TO 1000 pounds. We have one of the
most dangerous jobs Of all. but 1--WE
should worry" we will have something
10 tell ABOUT when we come home
wen. mother, it is about nv bed
Time so VIII close for this time. but 7
VIII write you often, no matter where
am.
:, U. s. LESTER,
u =. =. Quinnebaugh Robins DRY
pock' Erie Basin, Brooklyn, N. z.