The Springdale news., 1919-01-10
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 rpoN ANOTHER STAFFORD

+ba Stafford boys of Springdaie, who
 ;r IncIe Sam's army in different aanacities, and we offer one this week frnn another Stafford-Corporal Ce- aa stafford of Fort Smith, who is cousin of the springdale tribe of that name. He is son of Evan Stafford. deceased. who for many sors resided near Chester, Craw- for5 County. and who will be remem- ho,aa by some of the older residents of +bis yieinite. Prior to enlisting in tbe army Cecil Stafford was for seven years fireman on the Frisco, uo has two brothers also in the ser vice one of whom is in France. The ,a+ter was written to his sister, Mrs. Ran Noyinsky of Fort Smith, and we holieve will be interesting to News roaders. IL is as follows:
 France, Oct. 26, 1918.
 naar Sister:-Your letter received a few days ago, and you wanted me to tell you some of my experience s;oee left the States. can't tell vaa very much about our trip across inc pond as the censor would cut it mt but Wil tell you about all of our evnerienee since we left our camp
 We get tEe news seven days be- fore we left, that we were going to leave for France, and just what time We could leave Right away, every body began to settle up with the u. s. and what they didn't want to de- stroy they sent home.
 The day we left everyone showed that they were real soldiers. Their temper certainly did get away with them when they had to take their clean pressed clothes out of their lockers and roll them up in their pack. where there was tent poles, pins. cans. rations, hob-nail shoes and several other articles. And every thing happened except riot when we unrolled our packs and saw how they were wrinkled.
 This WAS only small part of eur trip. We travelled about 1000 miles overland in the U. s. and had swell trip, but didn't realize 1t at the time
 When We were back in camp we would go on hikes occasionally. Ev erybody would grewl about his pack being so heavy, and We never knew what a full pack was until we got our full pack at the port of embarka- ton
 We had some little distance to walk, but l never heard anyone growl except the drum major ill the band, and t was we'll, that he was a 200 pounder and in the very best of health. l don't believe anyone else in the company would have gotten along near so we'll with both pack and drums.
 As We got on the boat some Red Cross ladies gave us cakes and cof- lee, and l never heard one say: "No thank you And right there the Red Cross made "a hit" with me. mat was my first actual experience With the Red Cross. l also had a little more experience there. l gave flat-footed D. S. o. 40 cents to get me some cigarettes, and he never came back. If I ever see that guy am gong to collect big interest off that money
 It was very hot the first three days out' and We must have sailed farth- 1T north, as the rest of the trip was peasant enough, and the wind was in ouf iaVor, There was about two days '''aI the water was very rough.
 The first day on the boat we thought We would starve to des th. 0u' alter that there was plenty to ea'' some of the boys had six meals uay-three down and three up.
 mere was about 5000 on the boat @Hu every place l would go, some Se"'ry would say, "You can't stay A.'e soldier In fact never saw a , p-",e on the boat where soldier could stay.
 we all got here but l don't know now We did it, or where we rode. w q' at that We all fared very we'll. "ad the l53rd band with us. They abss9 ess9' us concerts and the navy s"a apiaih was sport. He would come lss se ana tell us jokes and had all the an,.s, comedians to perform for us. has it. ee'' 'i'e i'''" mo. q 'aik about your disorganized ,0o' ,a, We was it' when we first saw saa .a4ded' It didn't do the sentry or ssl,0f sta any good to say. You can't ''aS ", here soldier"
 cro,.. ea'ae over with an American er ana American convoy, and nev- foo, saw any subs. The subs don't tber "''n an American convoy unless ca. want to get mustered out of the oerman navy. "
 want landed, got off our boat and baoa V, .9 a rest camp. We have never calIaa aoie to figure out why it was about rest camp. We stayed there land i've days, then started over Iso., s agaln. From that time on the once. ~ been together but ,.,,ds The train we rode on. or what they mas ,;,s ii' reminded me of Christ my soos' e When used to hang up 1t. w. ana woke to find a train in IE4aa-t