The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1919-06-05
R. L. Anstine On Finish Work In
France.

CAduCc.
! Corporal Anstine Of the Head
Iquarters Department, First Re
placement Depot, Of the Ameri
can Army in France, gives some
interesting data in the following
letter to his old friend, Attorney
p. w. Mitchell:
st. Aignau, France, 5-12-19
Dear Mitchell:
Your letter of April 21st re.
ceived this morning and was most
happy to know that everything
goes well and that the prairie is
right there on crops.
The Herald keeps me we'll in
formed on the local happenings,
| note with eagerness the return
of various boys (whom | knew
from the A. E. F. The 91st Divis-
ion is all with you now, / sup
pose. / also notice local base
ball spirit which speaks well.
We are told by speakers from
various places in the states, men
who have come recently to our
midst to enlighten us, that its
hard to get work in the U. s.
Then on the other hand | got
letters from various persons, say,
ing there is a great scarcity Of
labor, especially ON farms. Who
am | to believer 1t just leads me
to say that / am for the farm all
the time-you couldn't get me to
live in a city. just now / am not
worth great deal physically for
this inside work, much Of which
has been on a long hour scale, has
lessened my usual amount of exer-
else. doubt if Senator Chas.
Booth would give me Is cents a
day to pitch bundles now, for my
muscle is mostly missing But
just the same count me in on har-
vest for the fall of 1919, during
and September. We are
told officially that we will be re-
turned to the U. S. in July. Hence
my spirits are higher than usual
when / see a chance Of getting in
to civies again. Today makes sew
enteen months in France, and if
| stay two more months, which
will be nineteen. that will be suf-
ficient.
My experience in the army has
my vision in a great
many ways, and | feel sure that
when / get those desired "honor-
ably discharged" papers, | will
be able to come back in civil life
without going stale.
This little depot Of st. Aignau
has handled nearly IA of the men
of the A. E. F. You can imagine
what a tremendous amount of
paper work that would be. We
on war basis day and
hight, Sunday and weekdays, and
1ow we have finally caught up"
and are having Sundays and one
week off. During a
period of one year | had just
me whole Sunday off. Our files
Ire considered the best in the A.
E. F. and still much in use, for
Of inquiries come as to |
he welfare and whereabouts of
soldiers.
Comradship in the army cannot
)e beat. Several Of us have been |
;ogether for considerably over a |
year. One fellow was in the same |
as / at Camp Levi. |
We crossed the continent togeth-
er, were transferred to Co. c.,
L62nd Infantry, crossed the water
o St. Nazaire, France, moved TO
he interior with our company, |
md then transferred to our pres
mt organization some 13 months
ago, and we still sleep side by |
side.
An office force of some 300 mer |
S a great thing to study at close
'ange. We have representatives
rom all sections and naturally |
many brogues and dialects. We
llso have what is called "femi-
line men talk so nice and
sweet, all powder and perfume. ]
I'm in charge Of a department OF
some 80 men and we have just |
.bout all professions, and relig-
ons-there are bank clerks, in
agents, travdling sales
men, musicians, a bar tender Che
will be out Of luck when he goes
lome), surveyor, hotel keeper,
,ookkeepers, typists, farmers,
,tc.. etc.
Your soldier boy,
Bob.