The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-29


different kinds Of water there and in
season the people here drink these to
cure different kinds Of sickness. /
tried to drink some, most all Of II is
hot water and can't say a. like il.
One of the springs is called the Sing
ing Waters as great singers use it
and they claim it is very healpful to
them They claim Carouso used to
drink this. The baths are all of
this hot water and they have threo
kinds, 1st and End and the Roman.
The first two are tub and different
from the Roman so of course had
| to try something new 50 went and
| took q Roman bath. You crawl into
a pool of water about five feet long
and four feet wide and by the color /
believe it was the same one Caesar
used. 1t is made out Of cement or
stone and looked older than the noun
tains themselves. The water comes
in at the bottom and it is sort of
| yellowish green color and pretty
blamed hot. 1t is a pretty good
bath though even if they don't let you
use any soap. haven't climbed any
of the mountains yet but may be
will if / can get up ambition enough.
Pm going to send you some views of
the burg in a day Or SO. They have
there ae' IS something a going on all the
time. This place is about $500
feet above sea level and the air is very
pure, so is the water, and about ev-
cry building in town is a hotel and
some of them are fine. Well this~is
my fourth day here and I've got three
more to stay. Wish it was longer
myself. Well, / guess I'll quite; will
write later. Excuse this bum writ
ing. Your affectionate son,
Sergt. Geo. Menkee.
Leonard Irish brought in the fol-
lowing letter from his brother, John,
well known here also. John is with
the 310th Engineers and writes as
follows regarding the activities of his
division:
Ehrang, Germany, Dec. IL, 1918.
Dear Brother Ike:
Your letter of sometime in October
received and also wish to thank you
for the thread as / was very nearly
out of thread. tn
| Well, old boy, am in the army of
occupation and can't tell when I'll
be back home again though I hope it
will be soon as your mention of get
ting rabbit made me just the least
bit homesick.
The German country is sure beau
tiful one. If anything like it bet
ter here than in France at least / like
the scenery better. / am at present
billetted in an old schoolhouse and
we have big class room with large
nomical as we have used only about
bushel of coal in "a hours.
There is a crap game on in the
room and about every two minutes
someone wants me to give them some
thread or sharpen their razor or some
thing or other so you will have to ex-
cuse me if / make mistakes.
l just finished my last trick at
guard and corporal of the guard has
it all over walking post.
i / just sold my souvenir watch for
125 francs which is about $21 or $22
and with what / drew last pay day
minus what have spent amounts to
about $50 in ALL Am going to hang
on to my francs from now on as
can use them when ! get back to
Michigan.
The people here don't seem to be
very hostile but little Jackie is not
taking any chances.
Don't let anyone talk you into be-
lieving that you've got the flu. You
and have both had the grip so many
times to let it scare US any.
If it is allowable to do 50 shall
bring you home Deutcher helmet
but can't say for sure whether / can
or not. At present my souvenir
collection is strictly limited as have
to carry it and every pound is ton
after hiking about 10 kilos.
Well, kiddo, this letter will not be
. taken tonight 50 ! will try to write
some more later but / wont to go to
town tonight so goct nacht for this
time.
Well, Ike went town and the next
morning we moved and / am now in
the town of Pfalal, Germany, doing
my trick at guard duty. Am off now
till IL noon so / will finish this let
ter Now, there is one thing / want
you to do and that is this. Take this
J letter and show it or this portion of ii
to Ed. Engemann. The fellows got
. hold of Battle Creek paper and in
it was a piece stating that the 310th
: Engineers were being held in reserve
, somewhere in France. On Sept. Is
we started work over in the San Mi
hiel sector out of Moully where we
had the delightful experience Of hav-
, ing a Boche open up on us from an
] airplane with machine gun.
u From there we struck into Reel
court Woods and were Corps Eng'rs
, attached to the Fifth army corps and
worked and hiked our way through
, France across the small end of Bel
! gium. At Steenay in Belgium we
were transferred to the 7th army
, corps on the recommendation of Ma.
jor General Dickman, former com
, mander of Camp Custer who picked
! US because of our showing as road
builders. If we have been in reserve
J then / don't know what the phrase
. "active service" means. That much
, for the End battalion of the 310th
. Engrs. The First battalion as every
, one in Ionia county knows has seer
! active service in Russia and have nc
reason to believe anything but that
thew ira ne oood q hsry,cb oo The Ord