Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-04-06
BOY
WRITES Of LIFE
IN ROUMAN|A


to the service Of their country dur
ing the recent unpleasantness with
Germany, one of who's was not con-
tent with his part, so he re-enlisted
in Y. NJ. c. A. work in Roumania,
where he has been serving for the
past year or so. Saturday the It'd
ing received the following interest.
ing letter from this young man, c. F.
Fraley, written from that far-off
country after bout with nostagalia,
a bad disease that invariably inflicts
good Americans when they are in a
foreign country:
"Constanta, Roumania, March II
To the Editor fthe Ashland Tidings:
Today am in receipt Of two Of your
papers and will say they have been
coming regularly. enjoy reading
the news very much and read every
item whether am acquainted with
the persons mentioned or not. The
only thing is, 1t makes one little
lonesome to be back in Ashland again.
While l am reading the Ashland pa
per it seems for few moments
am in Ashland, and it isn't because
| have been drinking any of their
vim here, but because | can picture
in my mind just how beautiful Ash
land is; what my mother and father
are doing there; how the little home
looks down on Mountain avenue, etc.
Zone hasn't any idea what it Is
like to be so far away from such a
h0me-like city as Ashland until they
come to torn-up country like this.
My dream ends when l stop reading
your paper and walk out on the
streets here, for | sec sights so diff.
ferent even from the poorest OF our
American cities that there is no COM
parison whatever.
Il am located at seaport CITY.
namely, Roumania's largest seaport,
Constanta with Za) in English.
1t Is a city of some 10000 people,
consisting of Turks, Serbs, Bulgar.
jams, Armenlans, Jews, Cracks, Rus
SLAMS and six other nationalities. of
which the most are Germans. Prac-
tically all the business houses are
owned by others than Roumanians.
The reason for so many Turks here
is because at one period this section
belonged to. Turkey then another
time to Bulgaria.
The war did lot of damage toI
this section, and many buildings and
homes are destroyed. My work here
is with the American Y. NJ. c. A..
and | am doing athletic work. The
garrison consists of some 5000 SOL
diers and marines. We are trying
to give the Roumanian soldier a III.
tie recreation, for even at the best
his life is a hard one, his nay being
VI cents a day at the present rate
OF exchange. Before the war It was
8 cents day.
For breakfast the soldier gets
tea without sugar or milk. OF course
and black or dark brown bread. For
dinner he has a meat or vegetable
soup and bread, and for supper he
gets what is left over from dinner.
providing there is anything left over.
In the summer time they 20 to the
beach of the Black sea quite often
10 take swim. but during the other
Time OF the year his body does not
come IN contact with any water
Tor fresh water is scarce. as the wells
were destroyed by the Germans. The
other evening ] walked quarter
Of mile to get a drink before 90.
ing to bed.
only small percentage of the
people here are educated. Before
the war rs Sar cent could not read
nor write. but now II is G5 per cent
because the country includes Transl.
va lia, and there the people are more
sdI ,ated.
"rhis country Is very rich in soil.
md oil wells are being established as
rapidly as they can get machinery.
We see boats from all countries In
he port. but the American destroy
BIS look the best to me.
II shall be in Ashland this spring
Z nothing happens.
Sincerely. Il
"CApTFc EpATry" Il