Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-01-30
ELEVEN Mirror Jan. "a
FROM IL. NJ. THOMAS.
EGALL

Camp Raritan. n. j., Jan. lb,l9l9.
Dearest Sukey:-Was kind Of sur
prised but glad TO hear from you.
Do you think il inquisitiye for me
to ask you your real name? Oh, no.
don't aim to flirt with you. but
I'd rather you wouldn't tell my wife
that | took the pains to write You.
You asked me about camp life. Well.
Il it's great, il !. Fellow don't weaken.
There's lots of us getting pretty
l weak, though. We'll. some of the
= boys have gathered around. Judg-
ing from the way they talk, they
so will have to postpone my chat
until later. Well, the mess call
broke up the gathering. and as it's
fresh on my mind, I'll relate the
menu. We had good old beans-I
guess every soldier likes beans-
II he doesn't he ought to. They are
OH the bill OF fare enough, anyway.
We had beans, tomatoes, potatoes
. boiled with the jackets OH, kind OF
a mixture OF fruit sauce. bread, and
tea. Sometimes we have better than
that, ard sometimes worse. The
commanding officer gave us q little
heart-to-heart tax today. He saiI
that We might be dischaTs ed within
90 days. 50 everybody was well pleas.
ed | guess they didn't contradict
@him. guess they thought OF this
I guard house. Well, | wouldn't take
anything for my experience, but l
wouldn't give a dime to 90 through
with it again. | suppose you Won
der what we do over here to pass
the time away, but we don't. We so
down and call on Miss Maggie mos
every day. Do you wonder who h
is? Well, that's Just a short name;
magazines; in O,hor words, store
houses for ammunition, and there IL
everything in the explosive line. o
a 40 cal. to Il 16-inch cannon shell
in them all k nds OF g%renades, hand
and rifle, trench. mortar. etc. l
couldn't begin to explain n de-
scribe them now. Well, We didn't
get over there, and d.dnt realize
lust how much Of a part we were
playing in the war until you have
heard some of the soldiers talk that
has come back. They sure were
thankful to us fellows for giving
them the goods, which includes about
everything that they used. so 20"
see we feel somewhat better now.
l don't believe there was a man here
but what was anxious TO get over
there, until the armistice was signed,
and, of course since then were any
ious to get discharged, which seems
to be awfully slow. | got a 5-day
pass New Years and went up to N.
Y, City and took in the sights--lots
OF things Of interest, although moth
ing very eXciting:was upon the Wool
worth building, which is t92 rect
high. Could see as far as eyes
would permit. The people rou
this part Of the country seem to be
very hospitable and generous. which
IS certainly appreciated by the SOL
diers and sailors. | guess couia
lust keep writing and not say any
thing. either. Oh. yes. | saw a Sill
yer dollar today, the first one I've
seen since | spent the one happened
10 have when ] landed here-all dol
lars are bills. Well, I'm such a
poor hand to cxpain anything on
D | trust to meet you some
time, when | get back, so hoping 10
get a reflection of you in a real MIS-
ror sometime-of course, Sukey. !
don't mean to say anything against
the paper for which you're a cores
pondent but that Just came in HANDY
I'm always anxious to get the Mirror
and I always look for Sukey's items
first-iust a habit | guess. Now
be sure t o keep this correspondence
n secret. as you know my wife migh'
not be very well pleased to know II
With best wishes for your health
wealth and happiness, I'm your loV
ing friend.
Pvt. H. NJ. Thomas,
Bird Ord. Supply Co..
Camp Raritan. N. J