The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-06-05

and nights for them TO make the jour
ney from Douglas, Arizona to Camp
Merritt, New Jersey, and they had
the best of accommodations, Pullman
sleepers, their own cooks and field
kitchen aboard also. Oh, he says,
mother, when Battery b of the 10th
Field gets over there the kaiser will
sit up and take notice. couldn't
help but smile at his enthusiasm SO
he replied, well, If he don't we will
make him and Of coure we all hope
that they will make him; but you can
see self-confdence pictured on all the
faces of our men and determination
as well and it is a splendid sight to
see troops marching along with the
bound-to-win air about them; then it
seems that victory must most assur-
edly be ours. Well my son was lucky
US over to New York city, seeking
years; a long time and couldn't help
but notice the changes everywhere.
Oh you were scarcely aware Of it; we
were on Broadway, that wonderful
thoroughfare; here certainly spring
was budding in all it's glory; now
those chic damsels of Broadway GER
tainly know how to dress and also
how to wear their dress to the best
of advantage and 1t seemed az IL the
whole Of Broadway had budded out
in purple; this spring that lovely col
or was worn in all its alluring shades
from the most delicate and dainty
lavender down to the deep rich royal
shades of purple and the most Won
derful knitting bags that the ladies
carried; really they have become a
general acquisition to my ladies toilet
some were leading a pet poodle by
little silver chain or a dainty rib
bon with one hand and holding a
knitting bag in the other and / won
dered which was taking the airing,
the poodle or the knitting bag, per-
haps both. The shop keepers also
knew how to arrange their windows
to make them so attractive that you
can't help but gaze at everything.
We also saw the famous Wolworth
building "a stories high and it really
looks as if the science OF architecture
had reached its zenith when it erected
that.
/ met my sister in the afternoon
and of course words would be made
quate in describing the joy of that
meeting. Her young son fell in love
with my soldier son and he repeated
ly old his mothery now mamma,
don't you let that soldier boy go away,
we will keep him here, but of course
all the children love the soldiers;
but it was truly astonishing to see
the service flags displayed in New
York city; there we scarcely can
pass house but what was displaying
service flags and some of the tall
L. he q,
vast army gone from New York city.
That evening we went over to the
Bronx to see brother; we travelled
by elevated, The Bronx is consid-
cred to be about the best apartment
district in New York. We spent a
pleasant evening; returned to my sis
ter's for the night at IL p. m. but it
really seems as if New Workers new
er sleep; the cars were about as
crowded going as they were coming
and when we awakened in the morn
ing the elevated, the street cars and
taxis were all running so it just look
ed to me as if they had not time to
sleep in this place and / told my
sister that you must certainly have
signs up here that say we never
sleep and then we both laughed at
the joke. On Sunday we visited
another sister who resides at All
wood. N. j. On our return from
there we saw another troop tain filed
with soldiers, soldiers everywhere YOU
go; soldiers in abundance, always
courteous and chivalrous to the la
dies, especially to the aged and in
firm, Just as we would want our own
boys to be. / couldn't help but
think that this great New York with
its millions of lights cleaning at
night would certainly be great tar
get for the Boche airplains; thank
goodness there lies vast ocean be-
tween. My heart also thrilled with
pride at the thought that / had two
sons who had volunteered to help
defend this beautiful land of my
adoption and so the time passed
swiftly; my 2on often asking me
questions about the folks at home. /
told him of the good work the Red
Cross had been doing and is still do
ing; told him of one patriotic old soul
that / thought was doing her bit at
knitting and had then knit 81 pairs
of socks. He gave guess and miss
ed the name so / told him it was Aunt
Jane Showers who has up to date knit
80 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of wristlets
anu IL UOW cWNahCi Nooe.
Well he says, good Aunt Jane is sure
some soldier. He also wanted me
to tell his kind friend, Mrs. M. E:
Parney that he thanked her very much
for the soldiers bible she sent him,
that he and his good chum, Mike, had
spent many hours reading the same
so truly our soldier boys remember
the many kind acts done them and
the dear gifts from home far out
weigh everything else of value. The
water supply for Camp Merritt
comes from the mountains and they
discovered thSt poison enough had
been placed in these springs to have
killed the whole population, soldiers
and civilians; so now, Mrs. Beveridge
informed me, these springs are
guarded night and day by the mill
tary police.
We left Camp Merritt at daybreak
Monday morning, April 8. Our boy
accompanied us to the station. His
father and his lady friend. Miss Ham,