The copper era and Morenci leader., 1919-01-31
LETTER FROM
 OVER THERE"

The following letters were received 'by Pete Riley recently from friends who are now in France and Germany:
 A. E..F., Gindorf, Germany, Dec. 12, 1918.
 Dear Pete, Little Eldred and Mother
 Riley:
 Just have time for short note. Received your letter before we start ed on our long hike and enjoyed it very much. Am also receiving the Bras. Thanks very much. I read them from A to izzard
 Censorship has been lifted now so will give you little history of where I have been. We sailed from Brook lyn Friday, June 18th, layed over 9 day and night at Halifax waiting for cur convoy and landed at Liverpool, England, June 18th. We crossed England by rail, stopping at Camp Morn Hill at Winchester for three days rest and crossed the channel on a freighter with a regiment of Tom mics from South Ampton. Landed at Le Havre and spent another day there to clean up and rest as we crossed the channel over night and there was hardly standing room on the steamer. Was four days and three nights in box cars from Le Havre to Bordeaux and from there we went out to St. Helene on trucks where we were billeted for a month. From St. Helene we went to camp de Souge for six weeks intensive training on the French 75's. We left Souge in time to get in on the tail end of the St. Mihiel drive Spent two months on the hard cold front, with headquarters at Boullonville, Panes and Nationwide, all between Verdun and Metz. At :, our last station we could see Metz from Hatton Chatel, little town on the mountain over Nationwide. Had some mighty narrow escapes while under fire s;sti the line, but they couldn't shoot straight enough to get me. We left Nationwide the day after Thanks giving to be part of the Army of Oc- cupation in Germany. We are travel ing over land, riding one hour and walking the next. 'Tis awfully cold and rained a week before we started and has rained almost every day since. | of or1 at 500 o'clock and usually tie up for the night about 800 o'clock. It's pitch dark here little after four. We travelled nine days without rest, pass ing through northern France, a part of Lorraine, Belgium, Luxumburg, land are now three days in Germany. Stopped here. for few days rest and to clean up our equipment. This is a very small burg about three miles from Bitburg. We are leaving again tomorrow for parts unknown, hope to end up on the Rhine, are just four days from Coblentz. I have been fly. ing my colors all the way. The people in France, Belgium and Lux umbourg gave us an awfully warm reception-had their streets lined with small fir trees and had built many arches for us to pass under with 'placards bearing Tn homer of ou1 Liberators.'' Have passed through some wonderful country and have
 been in mountains most of the time
 Germany is beautiful, their roads are great, the land is farmed down to the
 very roadside and all reads and lanes
 are lined on both sides with apple
 trees-bet we have passed under ' million apple trees. The people arc , awful glad to see us and can't seen to do enough. Have been drinking schnapps and beer and have eater some mighty good meals here.
 What we are interested in now i: . when are we going home? Life has been terribly hard-sleeping on the | hillsides, in barns and anywhere elst r we happened to stop. Haven't changed clothing or had a bath since Hecto was a pup and washed my hands art face three times on the trip-twice il little streams and once at a towI , pump. When I get back to thu
 states Am going to rent a bath tul 1 and soak for a week. And eat-I lit awake nights thinking of somethin. to eat. We have breakfast at 7:15
 dinner at 12 and supper at 4:O0 Quite a break between supper ant breakfast. On the road we hay, ' breakfast at 5:45 and a sandwich fo lunch.
 :, It is about chow time so must quit Sincerely
 f J. N. FINLISS, 3 Capt 34O A. O.