The Mankato free press., 1918-06-28

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so / will have to 60 there. Columbia,
the capital of South Carolina is only
five miles from here and cars running
only couple blocks away. | am In
Battery A, 1st Co. but we don't put
on our addresses. The bunch here
now are playing poker and having
good time. l don't think we are very
far from the coast. / suppose lts
pretty hot up in the SHOP now. can
see you in your undershirt with water
running down your back. You've got
it on me anyhow. Has Kechne gone
vet? Greet all the boys and send
them my best regards. Will close
now and hope to hear from you soon.
/ am your friend, Walter E. Ecklund.
Camp Jackson, Columbia, South Caro-
lima. Motor School. F. A. R. d.
Camp Wadsworth. S. c., June 15,
|191S.-Mr o. M. Hatcher, Mankato,
MINI. Dear Sir: Have been want
ing to write you few lines for a
long time, but it seems there is
something to do every minute of the.
day, from the time we get up at
$3.50 a. m. till 8 p. m. We are drill
ing every day from $50 a. m. till
11:3O a. m. and from 1:3U p. m. to
$3.50 %. M, with the exception OF
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
After | left Mankato on May 2 for
Columbus Barracks, and had been CIV
en- my examination by the army doc
! tors, was sent down here among
| the chocolate drops (colored people,.
| The climate down here is too hot to
suit me, AS the days are unbearably
hot, but there is one nice thing after
all about the evenings, for as soon
as the sun goes down it cools off
| and person can get good nights
rest with no flies to mOlest one.
| ! suppose by this time your serv-.
ice flag has quite few more stars
on it, for l note by the Mankato pa
pers that quite a few of the boys are
being called for the draft since
| left The training they will receive
while in the army will do them all
world of good and they will be
| healthier and feshier when they re-
turn as the doctors are always on
| the alert to see that we are kept
| in the best of health and our food
lis good, and plenty of it. I have
already gained about eight pounds in
weight in spite of the hot weather.
/ Last Wednesday we returned from
the rifle range, which is 80 miles
from here and is located at the foot
of mountain. We walked the dis
tance in two days carrying our pack
with all our extra clothing and toilet
| Iarticlcs, and also one shelter tent
and rifle on our back. 1t certainly is
4 long hike when one is not used to
marching that far.
/ Our company was given their final
examination before going overseas
and we are getting ready to leave
Ipretty soon, SO could get the names
of some of your agents for the Little
lGiant overseas, / may get chance
to call on them if l am able to get a
few days furlough on the ptherside.
As there is no other news of in
terest / will close with best regards
to yourself and all the rest of the
employees and hoping to receive a
few lines from you telling me how
the lighting system has planned out
| remain as ever, Your Friend, Priv
ate Lewis j. Walser, Company K
Fifty Third Infantry, U. S. Regulars
camp WadSWOrth, >. Z.
The following letter was received
by Phillis and Helen Harvey from
their brother Clifford Anderson VIII,
: is somewhere i'll France.
Somewhere in France, May 27, 1918
:, -,l-Dear Phyllis and Helen: Receives
u both of yours and mothers letter
written on the 25th of April yester
; day. They came with the first batche
y of mail that we received from tn
Estates so you can imagine how goo,
> it seemed to us to have letter from
D home among them. Of course thi
mail was somewhat delayed in be
ling forwarded was somewhat dis
pleased on you saying that had no
written for sometime for l am sur
. wrote to all of you folks befor
leaving the states. Mother must {
by this time received my first lette
NJ wrote since coming across.
,r was glad to hear that Frances ha
mi at last heard news of Fay, and ! sur
would like to read the letters b
wrote. l will write him as soon a
=, find out his right address.
in We arc gradually becoming accus
II toned to France and the French pee
=, pie and their WAYS with the exceptio
y, of the language md that is all jal
. gov of soft sounding letters and al
. rupt endings for me to control an
-. train my tongue to produce And {
~ a whole / think it is beyond me.
Frenchman was to lose his arm
Sc would be speecnless, at least / thin
- he would be.
wv Every chance we get we gath,
80 around some of the small scho
children and learn with their a
- some of the simple words and phras
~ es. They seem very willing to teat
:. us but of course we furnish them
:, lgood deal of amusement in our a
- tempts to master some of the
10 phrases. wish Helen and Phyll
- you could see some of these lit
10 children. 1t is funny sight to s.
- a group of them on their way
~ school. Both boys and girls wear
oe oe kind of dress or apron of some kin
:. of black cloth being girded aroul
=. the waist by a wide leather be
80 : stockings that only come half way
IA the knees and big wooden shoes
~ their feet. Round black caps a
-. worn on the head. Some of the bo
'hh also mooY. tho hl1o military cap n