Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-04

Dear Mother:-Enclosed are two
pictures taken while we were at tar
get practice yesterday. We used
both machine guns and rifles, the
latter being Winchesters, and golly!
how they did kick! The one picture
shows me, along with the others,
watching the results of the rifle
hosts. The other picture is Spad
which turned upside down when
landing. Rather hard on the plane
but did not hurt the pilot any. Such
accidents are regarded more in an
amusing than anxious manner, as
they are quite a usual occurrence in
the school, This. however, hap
pened at the front.
Since the weather has been bad
for week there is nothing to write
about, and this loafing around is be-
magazines have been finished long
ago. To add to our miseries. the
cello or bass fiddler has acquired
violin, and he is a most consistent
practitioner. If practice made a
musician he should be a world-beater
only he isn't. 1 believe he has
learned to play "Oh, Johnny, OH"
and For Me and My Gal'' so we can
recognize = but not enjoy - them.
Hearing them on. our petite pho
nograph was what started his ambl-
tions.
Seeing me stretched out on my
| L ali, = =. nna
of my American comrades asked me
what would be required to cheer me
up. knowing it was not in his power
to give, L only grunted in reply.
He still insisting, l remarked that
either a pretty girl or clear weather
would revive me, with emphasis on
the former And then he surprised
me by saying that the former was
not at all impossible, as he knew
one down in Chalons.
Tastes Differ
Inside of the next ten minutes the
Frenchmen in the office were treat
ed to some American speed, for we
wanted two permissions tout de
suite" There being no truck, we
walked-five miles. But it was worth
it, for that girl sure was pretty, but
business was too brisk to enjoy talk
wished.
Tastes differ as we'll as people.
! This was brought home to me wnen
we walked into town to see that
pretty girl, for my comrade tried
every store in town for "snails, he
being very fond of them; but since
the town has been bombarded lux
urieS" are hard TO get. and there
were no snails. These slow insects
or animals-are actually eaten in
France, the reason, l presume, being
economic, for they are very plenti-
full Why, 1 could go right outside
the barracks and gather bushel.
It's really sad how numerous they
are, for even if there were girls here,
they would knock all the romance
out of the beautiful pine woods. For
every time one sat down hundred
snails would be crushed, making one
feel like a German.
Not to His Taste
Dad sure does have some wild,
wild dreams, and the last one you
spoke of the widest of all-my
coming home in an airplane and
landing on the dam Like most
dreams, it sure was inconsistent, for
1 fly a land plane now and landing
in the water would surely be fatal.
Glad to hear that Typographical
Union No. IA appreciated my letter.
That chocolate which called it forth
is only memory now, but a mighty
sweet one, and in these days of
'ennui" l sure would like to have
it happen again. Yesterday we had
quite a little exhibition and excite
ment. 1t occurred after l had fin
| ished a letter to you, and being late
in the afternoon and having nothing
to do naturally / felt hungry, so l
was trying to make fudge with
water, cocoa and condensed milk as
ingredients. Considering my knowl-
edge of cooking and missing things
needed, I was making a pretty fair
stab at it, and then we heard a mo-
rane motor start it's song; something
not to be mistaken once heard, as
the noise is terrific, and since we had
not heard this song for over a week
I'VE were naturally curious. The day
being dark with low-hanging clouds,
no one expected to see any flying,
but Mr. Morane being here himself
it seems he was going to be enter
tanned by seeing his fast chic" Zing
in action.
He did, too, and TIL hand it to
that pilot. he sure had his nerve
with him, the way he threw that
plane around close to the ground.
Going full speed all the time, too
! and that. believe me, is some speed!
A crowd soon collected, naturally,
what with the mechanics, pilots, Of
| fcials and soldiers happening past
| Even an American ambulance man
was among the crowd. | honestly
believe a crowd could be drawn on
desert island If there was incentive
enough. Anyway, this pilot was sure
using that Zing rough, pumping 1t
up and down, diving straight down
rolling out on his back and side, and
| last, but not least, coming right at
the crowd while going full speed
and just skimming the ground. And
this was the stunt that nearly proved
his undoing, for going at such ter
rifle speed takes quick and minute
calculation. for one cannot see his
wheels, and has to sort of feel how
close his wheels are to the ground.
] mean he has to calculate quickly,
and If the guess is six inches off
there is liable to be sweet flowers
and soft music.
Going Well
However he had done this several
times, and did it we'll too, for his
wheels barely SKINNED the ground
at times. This field is not noted for
it's smoothness in spots, and he hit
one of the spots after he had
Strengthened out from a steep dive
to the ground-and busted one
wheel clear off. No, 1t never faxed
the machine. ! even doubt If the
pilot knew he had only one wheel
left. for he kept flying around as
easily as before. But the officials