The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1919-03-01
LETTER FROM ]. 0. COLO
Former Furekan Now In the Navy
Service Writes Of His Where
abouts and Some Expert
ences in France


Saint Nazaire. France, under date of
January Is. ]. D. Gold, formerly vice
principal of the Eureka County High
and now an ensign in the U. S. Navy.
at present on the u. s. S. Cape Hen
ry in the Overseas Transportation
Service, tells interestingly of some of
his experiences and views of lover
there" The SENTINEL has been per-
mitted to take the following from
the letter:
Everybody is terribly excited-they
came and woke me up this morning to
tell me about i'll didn't believe it
but jumped up to see-sure enough
Il dressed Immediately and went
into the wardroom to congratulate
the other oficers-found them in a
terrible state of hilarity-some were
standing on chairs and some on the
tables-the Captain was awakened
and informed and came running out
in his bath robe-the crew aft had a
celebration. and the niger steve
dores took an hour off in honor of
the event-bells rang. whistles blew.
hats went up in the air, and even the
German prisoners working on the
dock momentarily forgot their stupid
lethargy and gave vent to the first
feelings they had had for several
months-there was no doubt about
it-THE SUN WAS ACTUALLY SHINING.
When | had composed myself suffi-
GENTLY / ate my meagre breakfast
and Immediately took typewriter in
lap to tell you about it. This after
noon | am going out for a promenade
on the boulevarde and see how these
French girls look in the daylight.
Don't know how long we shall be
here. Spent Christmas and New
Years lying off the coast of Brittany
that is the ship was lying off. we
went ashore-had a very large time
too, Knight say. l can speak very
highly of French wine as a laugh
producer. We attended the annual
Christmas ball in a little town where
the girls all wore fancy head dresses.
stomachers, and wooden shoes. If
there is one thing | adore it is dane
ing on a concrete floor with a girl
adorned in wooden shoes-its great.
The music was a la accordion and the
orchestra favored US with several
American tunes among which, Fare
well My Bluebell," vas prominent.
Have not done much chasing
around here as'the place is terribly
American and undressing. You
see a Frenchman on the street oc-
casionally but not often. The stores
all have two prices. one for Natives
and one for Americans. The latter
is usually kept down as much as pos
sible-never going over five times
the former, except in are cases. My
finances too. as usual, have been a
serious impediment to my doing the
town in any serious degree, and the
mud has been awful. Everybody
wades around in it though as though
it made no difference. 1t is no ex-
aggeration to say that it is away
over the shoe tops in most places.
When the sailors go ashore to see
the girls they dress up in their Sun
day best above decks. but veal their
old rubber hip boots. At that they
occasionally get their jumpers muddy
1t reminds me of the Irishman who
ran into the bar and said. Come
quick. Pat has fallen into the mud
clear up over his ankles" ''Over his
ankles. well can't he walk out?" mo,
he's in the other way"
These niggers who are unloading
us have been on a strike ever since
the armistice was signed. We have
been here at this dock a week and
have not one hold unloaded yet.
We are supposed to sail the 22d of
January, but think they mean Wash
ington's birthday instead. We are all
very anxious to get back to the States
as it is impossible to get any sure
news here as to what is to become
of US; whether they are going to let