The Delta independent., 1918-08-23
EPISTLE RECEIVED
FROM ED JACOBS BY HIS FOLKS

the same time. | have received one
letter already since my arrival in
France about two weeks ago, so con-
slider that very good.
Since l last wrote you | have made
a trip nearly to an opposite side of
France and a very interesting trip
it was, too We took three days to
make the trip, stopping in a number
of cities on the way. In this way we
got chance to see something more
Iof the country and people. Unlike
most troops, we rode in first class
coaches, and though the trains were
not as fast as those in the states,
they beat the d. & r. c.. and though
the coaches we're the old French style,
three compartments to coach, eight
to a compartment they were COM
fortably, and at one time elegantly
upholstered. Some of the up-to-date
express trains now operating in this
country are similar to our Pullman
trains, and make good time, l am told.
TIL country itself is beautiful. In
the three days l think | saw less than
500 acres of barren land. Everywhere
are green pastures, fields and hedges.
The roads, though narrow, seemed to
be well kept Some of the land is
rolling, some hilly and heavily wooded
much like our own mountains, while
much of it is flat, but always cut up
in small tracts by hedges of small
shrubbery, or even tall trees.
The country surrounding our camp
is especially picturesque and / am
planning some good tramps for Sun
days and Saturday afternoons to come
We are glad to be in camp
again where we have good mess, COM
Portable beds and some real work to
do other than drill that we will prob
ably never use.
We go 10 school from to >. with
an hour and quarter out for dinner.
We are studying weather bureau work
similar TO our work in the states, ex
cept that we have a little different
type of instrument to become familiar
with, and a new code to learn. In
addition we are sending up rubber
balloons about three feet in diameter
and observing them with a theodolite
which is similar to surveyors
transit, in order to get wind velocities
at different elevations. This data in
actual field service is valuable to the
aviator and the artilleryman. We do
it here only to learn the method, but
expect to be of real service soon
One disappointing thing is that
many very capable men in this branch
OF the service have been in the serv-
ice a long while and are still buck
privates. I understand there will be
no promotions until the school is
over, and maybe not then, for a great
many. Since the outlook is for few
arm decorations. and many of the
men in the meteorological service are
those with degrees tackled to their
names, and men of successful practical
experience. your son and brother may
come back a buck private after all.
We are getting the best treatment
possible though, and pleasant and in
teresting work to do. so most Of us
are not kicking.
We had one very interesting day In
the gas school where we got our gas
masks and instructions In how to use
them We put in the whole day at
1t, trying them out In different gasses
and having some races In the putting
on OF the masks. They are uncom-
Portable, as anyone who has worn one
will tell you. but few hours discom-
fort with the mask ON is nothing to
the discomfort OF being gassed.
A motto in the lecture room reads:
Two Classes-The Quick and the
Dead" For my part. as far as gas is
concerned. I resolved to be quick get
ting into the gas mask so as to be
quick in the other sense OF the word
after attack.
One Sunday six OF us took hike
out into the country. We took our
lunch and walked out about three
miles. The whole trip was fine. While
eating our dinner we discovered that
we sat under a cherry tree which ND
ON closer examination was found to
have a number of big black, ripe cher.
ries on It. Well you know me and
what happened to the fruit.
| There are also places around here
where one can swim / had a good
swim In one Of the tributaries OF q
big river in France when he stopped
off for about twelve hours at a town
ON our way here. Oh. yes and while
on the coast I had my first swim in
the ocean. I had to come to- foreign
waters to get my first experience in
that line after all.
BY the way. 1t might be interesting
know that the big ship Covington that
brought us over was torpedoed and
sunk about day out from land on
Us return trip Someone must read all
this in order to censor II so I guess
hetter not nnntiniIe IL Enr tI,In Linn,