Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-10
FORMER MEXICO BOY.
Experience On Ship-Doesn't Like
French Wine-Nor Their Wealth
er, Either.


October 8, 1918.
Mr. John Beal, Mexico, Mo. Friend
Beal: Enclosed find check for
$1.50 for which please keep the
Mexico Message moving my way.
Here are some extracts from my
sons letters, who is an army boy
over the seas, born and partly rear
ed in Mexico, Mo-, vicinity:
Sometime, somewhere in Sunny
France. 1 don't know why they call
it sunny, tho, as 1 haven't seen
much of it. Heaps of rain, only it is
light and doesn't soak into one
much.
Had a great time on board ship
coming over The guards on board
kept us moving most all the time.
l started up to the deck but stop
ped to look back for a friend of
mine. A guard said, You cawn't
stop there" l moved on to the
stairs, started up the left side,
guard said, you cawn't walk there,
get over to the right" Finally got
to the deck, stepped to the rail.
"You cawn't stand there" l NOV
ed. Looked into a doorway. You
cawn't look down there"
Stepped over near a life boat,
"You cawn't stand there" | mean
dered up near a gun. Come out OF
that, now, you know better"
Started up a monkey ladder to the
deck above. Come down. now"
came. Walked over near small
tank and leaned on it. "You cawn'
lean there" l unleaned, moved for
ward, stopped to light smoke
"You cawn't smoke here" I start
ed to throw it overheard, "Yol
cawn't throw thingsover here" Hell
it in my hand, went to the lowe,
, deck, sat down against the cabil
wall. "You cawn't sit there"
, arose, moved to pile of life float
and climbed up on them, the
thought had committed murder, a
! least the way a guard hoped on me
Come down off there, where h
o do you think you are?" l cam
down from there. Then went to on
:, of the masts, loked up at it, an
:, was lost. 1t looked so enticing
, thought l would chance climb.
climbed the rigging and was jus
:. fixing to swing onto the cross-tre
~ when 1 felt the rigging under m
- shake. l looked down and saw on
of the sailors coming after me wit
blood in his eye. When he got
me he said, "Wot the bloody ell al
you a doin' up ere? Hamerican so
dier with the intelligence you al
:, supposed to ave just deliberate
climbing up ere when commc
" sense ought to tell you it is wrong
IL Oh, yes, l climbed down, you b
1 did.
Well, mother, l am feeling ju
bully (the result, l suppose, of ea
~ ing so much bully beef,) stand Z
~ hikes Just fine, and, as usual, wi
- me, have an enormous appetite.
" Had sip of French wine yestt
~ day. l will never cuss South
~ Louis beer again, never. Uh' u
:" they can keep my share hereafte
We are now in billets somewhe
90 in France, Am having the time
No my life, seeing new and fun
ne things every day. The village
~ are in reminds me of a perso
:, ideas "the morning after" I
a. houses are built with the floors eN
with the ground, Is to 20 II
walls, and a two-inch tile re
An' The heavy wooden shutters on
so' windows and the heavy doors
" mind one of prison more than a
thing 1 can think Of.
Saw a cart load of wood (h
never seen wagon, four whe
~ since have been here,) a good
-N load, in all to weigh at least a
A'' with a man and woman riding
top and drawn by little jack alb
the size of an ordinary flea.
Some of the big carts have
an as large as transfer wagon
flu and are drawn by three plugs
Iul- tandem. They pull an enorm
eu- load and it beats me how it's d,
We didn't spend much time
- England but enough to see tina
he is rather pretty. The fields are
'uld so exact, most of them square
die with hedge fences trimmed
ung gnat's eye.
the Nearly every window looks
Or l the next one TO it, in that
Ill