Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1918-02-07
ROOKIE WRITES A
LETTER TO MA
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


Dear Ma: Az l tole you in your
last letter | would write again
this week am goin to do so. al
/ though | don't know what | am
goin to write about. There aint
much news down here cause we
aint got much time to learn none
az they are workin us so dog gone
hard. Ma they shore do know
how to work a man down here.
Talk about bein dressed up Me-,
we'll that's me now. Mr.. Quarter
Master Sergeant called me out
give me one of them yeller suites
and some leggins, cept they was
mt no leather ones but cloth ones
an Ma he give me two shirts and
two suites of underclothes and ma
they didn't scratch a bit but was
just as soft inside and as warm as
they could be. Twarnt like them
that Hank Mason sells down to
the big store at-the cross roads.
And Ma he give me a pair of
shoes | wanted to know what
all of that stuff was goin to cost
and he tole me nothin at all and
Ma wanted to take more but he
wouldn't let me. Well Ma | went
to get into them things and Ma
you oughter see how they fit.
They was big enough at the top
all right but at the bottom they
Was too tight and they must not
have run out of cloth cause they
put strings in the bottom to make
them big er nuff. Well | finally
got into them and then some of
them made me lace them up like
they was shoes. Now what do
they want to lace them up for
when they wear leggins over
them. But the strings go above
the leggins so | guess that is the
reason. Well Ma | like never got
used to them tight things around
me knees but guess | will after |
have been in the army a while.
Ma wish you could see my coat.
1t fits me tighter than a corset
and | KANT hardly stoop over
without bein afraid the thing will
bust. Ma what | KANT under
stand about these clothes is what
they want to make the collier so
tight for. Ma the thing fits so
close that they have to put hooks
and eyes on it and Ma you know |
aint no girl and don't like them
things at all. Ma what do they
want US to wear a shirt for when
you got to wear that kind of a
coat? That coat was so tight that
| unbuttoned it a part of the way
and when | got out on the street,
Ma we got sho nutf streets down
here and they are buildt out of
bricks. Who ever heard of build
ing streets out of brick. One of
them officers with them pieces OF
tin on their shoulders hollered at
me and made me stop and saloot
him and then he made me button
up every button on the dog gone
thing and Ma | KANT hardly
breath. Ma they wouldn't give
me none of them little pieces OF
tin same as them fellers with the
leather wrapped about their legs
wear but they did give me a lit
tie button on which US is written.
| don't know who the other felier
is that is to wear these clothes but
1t sho does say us on them. Then
they give me. another button what
had wheel with a soard run
through it. They say that is the
sigma of the O.. M. c. Guess
will be working for Mr. @. M. G.
what owns all of the cars down
here next cause its, got his name
on that same as everything else.
Well Ma believe me- | shore do
wish that Cynthy Short could see
lie now for then she would be
sorry she throwed me for that
city feller. l had my picture
took in this suite and | am goin |
to send her one like the one at |
the top. of this letter. but you tell !