The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-04-19
FROM BOYS WITH THE COLORS

Mr.. and Mrs. A. S. Pratt recently
received a letter from their son, AL
ford, who is sailor lad on the U. 8. s.
Marblehead, and the letter is dated
somewhere" March 16. The letter
conveys little news of general interest,".
as that is barred, but the boy speaks
OF having been out at sea for quite
while. Mail is uncertain in reachring
him, as he is not long in one place.
and his letters are posted as the
chance arises. Like all soldiers aud
sailors he advises his parents not to
worry about me if you do not hear
from me very often, because l am 80
old and tough nothing can hurt me-.
He speaks of relative probably be-
ing sore at him because he asked his
cousin to join the navy, and says, the
last time l saw them they were wor-
ried almost to death from fear their
son was going to be drafted. l guess
they don't think much of their country.
But should worry. l am doing all
can and could not stand 1t to wait
and be drafted" Again he says:
"Once while l was in San Diago l
was standing on the corner and an
old man came along and asked me
why it was that all the soldiers that
were there had girls with them and
the sailors did not / said they were
drafted and we enlisted. He said he
did not see why that made any dif-
ference and ! told him that they had
their names in the big papers, hence
everybody knew them and they did
not know us"
The following is a letter from Raipn
wilkins, who is member OF the 9Sth
Co., Marines, now stationed at Marine
Barracks, Rose Island, Newport,
Rhode Island:
Your letter and also the ever well
come Gazettes received in due time
and ] must say that the name Of Okan-
ogan still sounds good to me.
We were given the impression that
we would have chance to go right
across as soon as We had finished our
training at Mare Island, and l, not
wishing to be behind the times, devot-
ed much Of my spare time to the
French language, as We had class
organized and a very good instructor
from the University of California. but
here l am stranded upon desert
island.
We now have hopes of leaving here
before the Fourth of July. OF course
that is long way off. but good things
always come after patient waiting
When Newport was mentioned as
our destination we being soldiers OF
the sea naturally thought 1t meant
Newport News, Va, and we were a
happy lot. The thoughts of going
across made cheerful bunch of boys
but to our sorrow it was Newport,
Rhode Island.
We have a number OF historical
places right within our reach. A little
island laying off east is where James,
town is located, where Precilla had
to propose to sour old John Alden.
The island which We hold is old Fort
Hamilton, which was built back In
1898. And over in Newport there still
stands the headquarters Of number
of the brave French generals who
fought for us in the war of 1775, also
Washington's headquarters while In
the north. We can look out OF our
barracks windows on to the estate OF
the late w. j. Vanderbilt with their
beautiful gardens and fine structures,
and the shores Of Narragansett bay
are lined with beautiful summer
homes as this Is one Of the most popu-
lar summer resorts in the north.
Many of the boys are planning on a
most pleasant summer here. New
port streets are lined with boys from
the different branches OF the service
Saturday nights. We have nearly
10000 men in navy stationed just a
quarter of a mile from here"
Mr.. and Mrs. M. L. Reed have let
ters regular from their son Roger.
who is attached to the U. S. s. Mer-
auke, at present stationed at New
York City. In his letter he says:
81 suppose you have been saying all
kinds of things about me for not writ
ing, but it was not my fault that /
nave HOJ WTlttcH' lucy HuSC oOOh
cracking us around until we hardly
know which end we are standing on.
was transferred from Ellis Island a
week ago Wednesday. Some fifteen
of us came aboard and started stand
ing watches that afternoon. The ves-
sci is one of the Dutch boats that he
United States took over from Holland.
There is a Chinese crew aboard. Be-
lieve me those Dutchmen sure hated
to leave her. One of the fellows on
the ship laying along side Of us would
not leave. He went crazy the next
day, and the day after he jumped over
board and drowned. The boys tried
to save him, but every time We got
a line on him he would pull them off.
Finally he went to the bottom. We
have been working nine days clean
ing up the ship and have not got her
clean yet. The painters are putting
on the second coat of paint today. l
guess as soon as they get through we
will get a cargo aboard and beat it
for somewhere in France"
ATTENTION. HOME GUARDS