The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-10-04

Suppose o. +. Dormeyer will have
to go, but he can get in at office work
| should think. | have not received
your last letter Mother. Don't sup
/ pose you sent registered letter or /
would have gotten the notice. The
mail service in the camp in the u. S.
is not as good as the overseas. If
had remained at Camp Luce, Great
Lakes few days longer, | would
probably gotten back letters from you,
but now they will most likely be re-
turned, although | asked for mail the
last morning at the post office there.
However, write to me here, and it will
be forwarded to wherever / go.
Rather strange it may seem that
was just put on a foreign draft just
this morning with hundreds of
in few days. But our mail will
follow US wherever we go. The
rumor is that we go to Italy, but 1
think that we go to a naval base in
France or Russia. Wherever it is, we
are ready and well taken care Of. As
Mr.. Hutchins in Chicago said, the
officers in the Navy are far superior
to army or land officers. Almost
everything is done to make things
comfortable, although of course. you
can imagine how things go, as you
saw the National Guard camp at
Sparta, Wisconsin. Our routine is
about as follows, although a little
different in some ways at every camp.
Revile at $3.50 A. NJ, Cold bath
Chow (breakfast), Muster and Colors
at 500 A. NJ, Drill or Detail until
HOO A. NJ, Chow (dinner) 1900
noon, Muster or Quarters 1915 p. M.
Drill or Detail to $3.50 or 400 p. M.
The rest of the day to wash our
clothes, go on liberty, etc. Taps at
900 p. M. Liberty is granted at this
camp every night, that is, one can go
ashore" or to Philadelphia every
night if they wish. | only went once,
the first night. have not taken adj
vantage of my liberty as much as
some, because I've been busy doing
other things, but there sure is a great
deal to see here. But I've been doing
some extra things on the side so far,
but will look around the city little
more before we leave.
There is big Naval Aircraft
factory near here and | was detailed
over there one day. 1t sure is won
der, and most of the workers are
women. They are building flying
boats to cross the Atlantic with.
Papa would like the East, it is cer-
tainly more civilized than the West.
Every farm / have seen is like a well
taken care of park. Then the noun
tains are great. All the natural feat
ures are toned down and softened so
as to remind one of European land
scapes. Everything is neat and well
kept. / think the East has the West
beat in many ways. / suppose you
will think it rather strange that we
sailors are on terra firma all the time.
It just happened that our company
was not assigned to transport or
battleship or other vessel. think we
go to relieve the marines in foreign
ports so that they can be sent in the
trenches, for which their training
qualities them. | was detailed on a
transport the other day. We go on
cutter drill down the Chesapeake Bay
Imagine, in LOADING a transport
thev have a band playing for US
Jackies to make the work easier. A
seaplane lust landed on the river in
front of us here and the battalion
band is now playing "Where do we 90
from here -, so | will close for this
time with love to all, and especially
to you Mother.
P.S. I don't get really homesick,
but | often think of shady Paw Paw
and the time | spent there and do
sometimes wish | were again fishing
at the cottage.