Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-05-13
WELL KNOWN OIL
MAN LOVER THERE"
George Pickell Writes Interesting
Account of Experiences of
Voyage Across.
NAMED BOAT "RUBY DARBY"
Mess Kits Were OF No Use 20 Some
of Boys: Tells Rcason for
Sharks Dnd ScaguIls.

An unusually interesting letter is
the one appended from George
Ptckeu. who has luBt arrived in
France Iickel is well known TO
oil men and operators throughout
the mid-conrlnont field. Since
January !, 1917. he mad charge of
the production for the Gem on com
pany, and prior 10 thar time had
beon for a number uf years In charge
OF the production of the McMan oil
company. He enlisted in the en-
gineerinE corps IN September. 1914
The following is his first letter
homo 10 anyone except immediate
relatives.
Somewhere In France, April 1918.
Il. X. McFarlin. Tulsa. Okla.
Dear Ed -- Promised would
write, didn't | ? and now ! have time
for line.
Wisn you could be here in our
camp for an hour or two. / could
show you moro and tell you more
than ] could write In week. and
then could ask you moro questions
about the oil bushes than you could
ever answer, You know i cant tell
you much, II wouldn't get by the
censor Put ] can say a few words,
After six months preliminary
work at Denver, I,eavenworth and
San Antonio, We were sent across.
Talk about happy bunch--Oh Boy,
They slipped us out onto our trans
port and started us across quicker
than you can drive out TO the couh-
try and stake out @ location But
when we left the harbor no one was
there to wave goodbye, however. that
didn't matter very much because
all OF the boys were asleep and
didn't know we we're under way un-
III next morning when we were out
Of sight OF land. Everyone OF the
soldiers had certain duties to per
fCrm and mine kept me on the stern
OF the ship one-fourth OF the time
day ana night all the way across.
Now Comes the Storm.
Second day out q storm came
along. Before that our ship rode
along as steady ns Hotel Tulsa
stands. After the storm struck us
that ship went through more mo
tons than ono of the girls IN the
40" show down at Drumright. In
fact. we named our ship the Ruby
Darby" because II could certainly
hall the lack" You know there
are lots Of men here who knew Ruby
when she WAS still a blonde.
A couple OF hours after the storm
came that load OF brave soldiers
boys was load of scasick invalids.
Even the thought OF food made
things worse and when the bugler
blew the mess cali all but a very
few ran for the side OF the ship. One
boy heaved his ness-kit out into the
ocean, saying;
I'm never need you any more. -
and another pleaded for someone To
call this sea to attention..
read once that Americans have weak
stomaehs. but those boys on our
boat set record for distance and
speed. You know now why seagulls
follow q boat all the way across and
why sharks come to the surface near
ship. ! took my blanket out on
the deck and slept In the fresh air
and by doing no ! got by without
minutes sickness.
After four or five days the appe.
tites came back and the men made
up for loss time. They ate NOR,
than a tool dresser can, That's In,
reason vou have meatless and wheat
less days in u. &. A., 40 tim. the sold
iers will have enough to fill up OF
during the last half Ct the trlI
across.
Ocean Is Wonderful.
Seriously. Ed. the ocean made a
tremendous impression on me. j
Is SO immense. so powerful ant
evsrlastingly changing. In tn
harbor our boat was as big as
A.. tNN
And the colors OF the water varie
from the deepest ultramarine to tn
lightest violet. And In the wake q
the ship at night there was alway
luminous streak like tho tail OF
comet But you know all about III
ocean and you know that no on
can describe II successfully. II
man wants to know how really sma
and insignificant he Is. just let hir
be on the ocean in storm
As we neared this side and tn
submarine danger increased, the me
didn't seem to care. In fact, | thin
that most of them wanted to see
sub. We did see one, or at leas
thought we did. The orders wer
10 destroy any suspicious lookin
object and investigate aftorward.
would like to tell you what hap
pened, but II wouldn't get by.
So here we are In France. q
course. we do not have the oppor
tunity to mingle with the people I
any large extent, and II wouldn't d
much good, because we can't 'parle
Fransay" much yet However, | ca
order ham and eggs and cup o
coffee in French, and also can max
them understand when | want bot
tie OF wine, All the French drin
wine, but are not drunkards.
seems 10 he n national trait, SO IA
as | have seen, and about ever
third store in town is wine shor
Instead of going In and nuttlnp on