Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-01-22
THE IARIiINS BOYS WRITE.
Rntorcsting Letters Received by
Their Parents in Recent Past.

Mr. and Mrs. J. d. Harkins, who
1.-Two in the Picket Post section, have
received two very interesting letters
from Europe, from their sons, Ar
chile d. and Paul IIarkins. The
many friends of these two stalwart
young patriots will be glad to hear
from them. Their letters follow:
a. DIS Trip Across.
Camp No. /, Base Section No. |.
ST. Nazire, France, Nov. "a. 1918.
Dear Father:
We have been asked to write you
a victory letter to-day. The. keen
eyed censor has even promised to
10, MS write almost anything we
wish. | am mighty glad OF it. for
have wanted to write YOU real
hitter ever since came over.
/ suppose | may as well begin by
saying that am well and have en-
jOycd the best OF health ever since
my arrival in France. | have not
had chance to weigh myself but
believe | would come near 10
pounds. My chest sticks out like
hig Eaton's stomach, and, just to
bc War-likc, | am growing Il French
moustachc and smoking Il big
French pipe. Yes. | had to contract
the habit: ! smoke nearly as much
as You or Paul now.
Now Just a little about my trip
over that ! was not allowed to tel.
you before. We left Quontico. Va.
on September l3tll---that unluck V
l3th-and anchored ship at lIo-
boken, \. j., the same day. We
had the Won Stubor, one Of Uncle
Sans captured cruSiers. II is rated
an a third-class crusier on account
tf the large number Of guns it car
rios (eighteen). What added Zcst
to our trip was the fact that the Ger
mans were especially anxious to
Sink this ship. They had used it as
raider before the United States
seized it, and it had never failed to
he attacked on its seven trips across
before
We anchored OF tho Statue of
Liberty the night Of the 18th and
pulled ont to sea early on the morn
Ing Of the 1ith. Strange to say, |
did not get the least bit sea-sick,
hut sure had my fun watching
lois OF the other fellows feed the
hshes. We were conveyed for two
days out by sub chasers and hydro
planes. After the third day we were
loft all by our lonesome. We had
two other transports with us, over
which we acted as convoy Every
thing went we'll until about the
seventh day out, when we sighted
sub away off on the port side. And
then, bclive me, Hell broke loose
in Georgia." No. there was no ex-
aftement among the Marines, but
the guns began to pepper at that
sub something fierce. and, needless
TO say. the sub soon disappeared
end never showed up again. That
VAS the only one we actually saw
en- our way over, but the alarm was
given several times.
About the most exciting thing
was when we ran into a storm about
the eighth day out. That was when
tho fellows grew sca-sick had
tho time OF my life Watching the
RnEc waves and slipping and sliding
over the decks. The waves we're so
large that they broke over the boat
dock, which was about forty fee:
from the water line. The storm
lasted for two days, and there was
not much sleeping done, nor eating,
'n the time Of it.
We landed at Brcst ON the 25th
Hrcst is about the size Of Baltimore
situated at the northern end Of the
Bay OF Biscay, and just off the be
ginning of the English Channel. W,
stayed there a MONTH and then oul
regiment was split up for guar(
duty all along the coast cities. NJ!
Company came to st. NaZirc. where
we are now, doing camp guard. chas
pG prisoners and doing miitar,
police duty. ! have done all three
We were very much disappointed
a not getting chance on the front
Y y" tho best trained outfit eve
sent across the pond and were read,