The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-18

CEdIlC0 W udlo Io OuC HUN "HNu oAu
Bonapart took a drink" writes w. l..
Parsons, former wire chief for the
North Dakota Independent Telephone
Co. here, and now in the signal service
in France. Mr.. Parsons has written
a number of unusually interesting let
tiers to his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. l..
NJ Parsons, Of Bismarck. Recently he
said: continental travellers may
boost all they please for the roads
that Caesar built. When Caesar built
his roads he didn't know anything
about five ton Packard trucks" Mr..
Parsons graduated from the, Bis
1narck high school five years ago. He
enlisted from Omaha, where he was
employed as wire chief by the local
telephone company
On Active Service with the American
: Expeditionary Force, Feb. Z, 1918.
Dear Mother: B. -. ..,-. ..-
We'll, am still in the same place,
somewhere in France. The, wealth.
er grub, and everything are still very
much in our favor. We have had a
few days of rain, but it did not amount
to much. The grass is green, the farm.
ers are out with their oven blowing,
etc. Europe is small continent, but
the attitudes and seas make several
kinds of climate within hundred
miles. .> ...' '* '''''.'.1.'
The other morning woke up and
found that our outfit was changed to
the 4S9th construction squadron. 1t
does not make any difference to U.S.,
but the seventy.seventh sounds bet.
ter. In this mans army you never
ask the reason why, but just take it
for granted that it is so. We used
to think that the Bell was fierce for
sudden orders, but they have nothing
on the army. Here they send you
away without notice, you don't know
where you are going, or where you are
when you get there.
The last letter received from you
was of Dec %. 1t takes about five
weeks for the mail to be received here.
There is no set rule. Sometimes get
letter dated the 18th, and the next
is apt to be of the 5th. Parcels are
received in good condition.
| ran into Tordorff. He used to be
assistant to- Daenher at jamestown
when was in bismarck. He is also
an, M. S. f: in --th squadron. He is
the third M. S. e. from North Dakota.
The other one used to be in Minot.
lfe was superintendent of the light
plant. He was acquainted with Fan
cier He name was Damenson or
something like it. "..
:! had to laugh to myself today. I'm
agine dad in France, and have to put
up with the things we do, when a TO-
minute German sermon gets on his
nerves: Z ," - \ ~,
Y The Americans can do more with
d few big Packards than the French
can do with one of their freight trains.
Yesterday they put French carload
of lumber on truck, and were look
ihg for more. The. FRENCH. say the
Americans do things too "queek."
That is what they are doing over
here. -,
! Those continental travellers" rave
around home about the roads that
Caesar built. The only reason
that they have lasted so long is that
there has been nothing to wear them
out. Some Of the roads around here
have begun to show signs of wear,
,..r:e ,nuse big trucks nave put IN
their appearance. Why, the people
here still go around leading their two
wheeled, one-horse outfits, just as they
did when Napoleon raved around in
these parts. BY the way, that Ola
man Napoleon must have been some
guy. why, you cannot step up to q
: we'll and get a drink without someone
telling you that his lordship drank
there in the year so and SO. K
Y We have no movies to go to, but we
nut in our time we'll. We have one
sergeant In the outfit who Is a real
card. He Is an lrishman with Ger
man name and looks like Jew. He
is all music. He can play mar.
monica to perfection. His range OF
pieces is from "Humoresque' to
They're wild Over Me-" AS q come.
dian he Is better than Keith ever sent
out on the road. SO In our spare
time we have considerable fun. II
am in this bunch very much longer
Twill be able to carry tune across
platyx,n'e,e ssshs s'srs'af u MT a'.
su1g shan aKsM@yS here, but,