Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-08-08
INTERESTING LETTERS
FROM BOYS OVER THERE
William Ostrout and Otto j.
Sabin Tell of Their
Activities


AS / am not so very busy this
morning will try and answer the
letter / received from you written
June 10. That was some quicker
than most of them.
/ guess from what you say about
the State Guard you are getting
more drill than we are. All we get is
reveille and mess kit drill as they
call our dinner line.
You were asking about my work.
We have a plenty of it at times, and
times like now we get caught up and
have it little easy. We have five
men in the shop, shoeing and doing
other odd jobs. Our shop consists
of portable forge and anvil and just
enough tools to work with. We
don't do any wagon work such as
setting tire, only little repair jobs.
There are over $50 horses and mules
we take care of. One man fits, one
pares the feet, one nails and the
others clinch and work around. We
have fine mechanic with us that
can do any kind of blacksmith work
He and came from Hancock togeth-
err. He is a fine lad and we have been
lucky enough to stay together so far
We have one cow puncher in the
shop that knows how to handle the
bad ones. Some of them are pretty
bad. They have to be thrown on the
ground and have their four feet tied
together to get shoes on them. l see
couple of horses in so will have to
stop for while.
P. M. We have shod 6 horses,
eaten dinner and have done my wash
inging since 1 stopped.
We got good food today. We had
roast beef, spuds, gravy and bread
pudding. We also have hot cakes,
steak and all kinds of vegetables in
season.
We live out in tents now most of
the time. 1t must be healthy as
am feeling fine. The tents are shell
ter halves, it takes two of them to
make shelter for 2 men.
A soldier in the. field looks different
than the ones you see around home.
We all have helmets or tin hats as
you call them, gas masks, ammuni-
tSon, belts, rife and peck. .---'
Give the Red Cross an extra boost
for me as we sure appreciate what
they are doing for us.
Be sure and take good care of the
potatoes and garden as may possibly
get home in time to help eat some
of the spuds, anyway. l hope so.
July. In looking over your letter
L see you ask me about smokes. We
get all we want at the Y. M. C. A.
for about the price we had to pay
when we left the states. Then the
government is issuing some tobacco
now. The Y. M. C. A. have Tuxedo,
Durham, Lucky Strike cigarettes,
mostly in the line of tobacco. They
also have milk chocolate, jam, can
goods of most kinds, cookies and such
like. 1 pint can of fruit costs about
II to 2 francs, Is cents to a franc.
when we get paid we get all French
money. We are expecting pay day
now and ] am ready for it.
We have been working most of the
day, even if it is July 4th. There is
plenty of noise around today but not
fire crackers.
Here is little poem that is about
true. l saw it in the paper.
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How l wonder what you are
Bang!!! Down on your belly, boys.
That is the way when they strike
close by. They don't have so much
room to hit when you are LAYING
down. would like to tell you some
more of my experiences but it would
not do. Write when you have time
as am always glad to hear from
you.
Otto