Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-01-04
R. A. RICHARDSON WRITES A LETTER
 FROM LONDON

The following letter of December
 5, was received from R. A. Richard
 son who is now stationed in London
 MT. Richardson enlisted this spring in the engineers. He was formerly connected with some mines near Ger bat.
 q am glad the war is over but you people probably known as much about 1t as we do through the papers. There are no news papers to compare with the Mohave County Miner on this side. l don't think the editors have the same brilliant imagination. The German navy has been handed over and every one has celebrated the end of the war. Some with drunkinness and some with prayer. The church bells and the
 drums both work together here, it would not be considered music in Ar izona unless it was in an Indian vil- lage.
 The weather here is very damp and foggy, and it is often so foggy that they have to light the lamps inside the houses in the day time. I miss the bright sunshine of the s. w. so much. This weather makes you feel as if you had lost all your friends, and called the turn wrong, fallen out with your best girl, and gotten drunk on Port wine the night before. I am sure the American army has suffered more from it than from anything else.
 "We shipped from Halifax, N. S., on the 4th of August. There were German subs off the coast and that made it rather interesting, as they had sunk some ships just before we started. We were attacked once but the sub was driven off by the destroy CTS and as it was night we couldn't see it.
 'The transport was dreadfully crowded and men began to die of that disease called the influenza, as soon as we were out in the open water. We buried lot a sea. I don't know how many died as they would slide them over at night as we'll as day. It attacked me but threw it off.
 "We landed in Liverpool and were sent to London, there we were split up and l was sent back here and be- gan my training in an anti air craft battery
 "I heard of the Kaiser weakening soon after l came over, of course I don't think my coming over here had anything to do with it, still it happen ed at that time, so you can form your own conclusions.
 Have seen little action but it was more like bird shooting on a large scale and I was deaf the next day.
 "The people here take the terrible loss they have suffered in the war very quietly, they don't say much, but they fell it deeply. You can't meet anyone who has not lost some loved one or some friend in the war. There are thousands of broken homes, i'm many all the men gone. I know a Welsh girl who lost her father and seven brothers, followed by the man she was engaged to, but her smile is just as sweet to see as I imagine it ever was. These English women are made of real stuff all right. They do most of the heavy mans work here from handling freight to sweeping the streets. They also have taken mems places in every line and make splendid car conductors. They are not as good looking as the American girls, but are strongly built and have fine fresh natural complexions, and are all very good on their feet. They are not afraid of men and will get their vote this year.
 "The city here is crowded with re- turning Sammies and it makes me homesick. I am so bad could kiss a coyote if he came from Mohave county. I only wish I could return with them and get square meal again. The rations here are very scarce.
 "The stories we hear of the barbar- ities committed by the German Mili- tary Staff on the prisoners of war are all true, and even worse than anything we hear of. Some have returned here with their damned eagles brand ed on their faces. One had his eyes put out and the buttons on his coat inserted to take their place. guess the world knows where such orders came from"