The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-08

day, the same pOple who took me to
Oakland in their big car which /
drove at Christmas time. They in
vited one of the other boys and out
there. We went to church with
them, a great big First Presbyterian
church, wonderful place and beauti-
full music, then back to their home
and had fine dinner and believe
me, some feed Then / had to
come and get TO work again on my
studies. l was very sorry to leave
for they are such fine family, a boy
of seventeen and girl of fourteen,
and the mother is just great. She is
a fine musician and they have a
beautiful big home.
saw Mr.. and Mrs. Schippel and
Mayme the other day when we were
drilling at retreat but just had a
chance to say hello then. Had to go
to mess as we don't have a minute
off, | haven't seen Mrs. Wilcox or
Ethel yet
Everything is. going fine with me
and | expect to be through in four
weeks more then we will have our
last examination. But don't dread
II l1hC ulO IIC OtdCl anu hoPC "
get my commission as lieutenant and
then to flying. / don't know where
they will send me, maybe to San
Diego or Texas. Lam anxious to get
to it, though I hate to leave here.
Berkley is a fine little city, so clean
and it's dry town, too. | haven't
seen drunken man since / came
here and that seems good to me. I
got long letter from Ralph yester-
day. Am glad he finished his course
in the university. Had two good
hours of trap shooting with shot
guns yesterday and it was great
sport, also had two hours target
practise with the Lewis machine gun
and that was fun too. 1t sure is
wicked weapon. You ask what l
think of all this peace talk?
don't know much about it, am too
busy studying. Only hope they
won't quit till | get over there with
my little plane and drop few bombs
Would like to get Kaiser Bill' if I
could. Well l must get to the bar
racks for mess and we do have good
feed, tables to eat on, and benches to
sit on, and plenty of good food-no
HooveriZing here. Uncle Sam is GER
tainly good to us aviators anyway.
Guess you will have to put Pug in
the army if he wants to fight so bad
Write again soon, must go now.
From your son, Irve.
This letter was received by Will
liam Clark, manager of the Elk's
club:
Kelly Field, January %, 1915
Dear Bills: Am still held at the field
due to the fact that our records were
lost. There were about 5000 men in
the same fix. Have taken second
trade test which was much more
rigid than the first and got through
in fine shape. Hope to get on a
special detachment for Dayton, Ohio.
be sent directly to France to work
in the factories there on airplane
construction and repairing. Receiv-
ed very good recommendation from
the examining officer and hope to
get a very good thing out of it. Re-
ceived your letter about ten days ago
and it certainly was welcome one
Hope the boys enjoyed the show and
was very sorry that l COULD not be
there to occupy my usual place at a
performance like that. Also sorry
that l am not there to do my bit for
the play you fellows are putting on.
/ certainly wish you the best of luck
with it. 1t will be good I'm sure of
that for it takes the Bills to do
things right when they start.
;,,rr eros -
this camp. They are now preparing
it for the first draft army, mess halls,
bath houses, kitchens etc. Our mess
hall at present is the outside world
our bath house in the same place (if
it rains. but it never does) and our
kitchens are in tents with stoves
built in the ground. But we are used
to it and everyone gets all they want
to eat. The pick and shovel are the
machines we all have so far, digging
drainage bitches so the drafted boys
won't get their feet muddy.
Weather has been fine lately Last
Saturday it was eighty-fiv above,
in fact all of the last week was per-
feet. They are expecting rain any
time now though which will make
this camp a sea of mud as sticky as
glue and heavy as lead. Hope to be
out of here by that time. The mail
service is still very poor here there
being several packages that I have
not received but my letters come
through in about eight days. When
I get a definite location, if have
such luck, l want to hear from some
of the boys. also send me the address
of all the Bills in the service. But
don't write until you hear from me
again. Two men were killed on
Field No. l last Monday. Their
collided 300 feet in the air,
both coming down a tangled mass of
wire, cloth and wood / was near
the machines one half hour after the
accident and it certainly was hor-