Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-01-30

you'll want to know all about where
we've been and our impressions, etc
We can tell where we've been, but
guess I'd better save my impressions
until they can be impaired without pass
ing under the eye of censor Other
wise | might get in bad.
| We left New York on the Lapland on
the morning of September 10th. All
the twistings and lodging that ship did
could never be put down on chart.
They sailed in circles and did squads
right and left obique all the time. 1t
took us twelve days to make the trip
across the little puddle. We went
around the north coast of Ireland and
down to Liverpool. was walking post
when we stole into the harbor. The
stars were just beginning to pale in the
east as we dropped anchor. Then
went below to break fast and a nap af-
forwards.
We went ashore in tug about noon
and marched about four miles under
full pack to a wet rest camp called
Knotty Ash. We were there two days
and half and saw quite little of the
slums Of Liverpool in our hikes
/ think III reserve most of my inn
pressions of England until get home
England is just as I've always pictured
it about 100 years behind the u. s. A.
She's certainly has an awful bunch of
kids between 2, 8 and A years of'age,
more kids than I've ever seen before.
about except soldiers and most of them
were limping along on crutches. You
can give them their just dues. They've
certainly done their bit and they have
over six million men in France right
now.
England is very beautiful with its walls
of red stone and houses built of the
same material and its old trees and
hedges. Some of the houses have
matching on them about two feet thick.
Everything has the appearance of be-
ing hundreds Of years old. The air is
very damp aad sSass 4 s,aws oas''y or
the trees and houses. That too adds to
the appearance of age.
From Knotty Ash we went to Ram
sey, to a rest camp called Woodley.
We were there 36 hours and then we
liked, under full pack, to Southampton
to take the boat to France. That's
a twelve mile hike. We reached there
about p. m. and were glad to get
there, My pack weighed 376ie pounds
when | took it off my back at the
wharf. We boarded the boat about
1880 p. m and made the trip across the
channel in the dark with not light
showing. We were at the wharf at
Cherbourg when | woke up next morn
ing. Boats that can go rs knots an
hour have no fear Of submarines, so
they're not conveyed. That boat was
a snorting racer.
After landing at Cherbourg, we
marched about two miles to another
rest camp, where we rested for 36 hours.
Then we marched back TO the wharf
and took the train that brought us here.
We were loaded into tiny box cars that
have on them the inscription "Hommes
36-40. Cheveaux 8, !" meaning SO to 40
men or horses. That trip was night
mare. We left Cherbourg about $3.50
Sunday evening and landed here at 8
a. m. Wednesday. You can imagine
how crowded we were. There were
thrty-six men with their full packs in
our car and we couldn't all lie down at
once unless we piled up.
This camp is fairly comfortable, but
it hasen't single one of the modern
conveniences Of our barracks at Camp
Grant. We were put into the collar
after three days rest and from then
on we went some. After the armistiee
was signed they were little easier on
US and about three weeks ago we re-
ceiyed word to turn in our ordnance
equipment and get ready to move TO a
port Of embarkation for the u. S. So
we made haste TO get all ready and
we've been waiting for the word 20
move ever since. We expected TO be
on our way before this 80 we could
reach home for Christmas, but we've
changed our minds now and it will be
Jack" with us If we see the u S.
shores some time in January, 1919.
Roman and are in good health and
spirits and have resisted the flu up-to-
date. We're powerful anxious to get
back to Gods Country" where they
speak plain United States. We can
jabber French a little and we've both
had passes to town Of about 10. 900 y
Arachon. We generally get our passes
together and they are certainly grea,
DAYS for us. Arachon il on the west
coast Of France and our camp is at lie
Courneau, about mfes southeast Of
there. It's also about 40 miles from
| PnrdeauY There vou have nnr lnca