TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEWPORT DAILY INDEPENDENT NOVEMBER 23, 1918 P. 2
U. S. N. Air Station,
Pauillac
Cr. P. M. of N. Y. City
Dear Frances:
If I think back to the time when I first got acquainted with the people around Beedeville it seems like I am writing to a small child. I remember going to your house to a party one time and I think you must have been sleeping in a cradle. Ha! Ha! But that has been some few years ago. The few letters you wrote me were as newsy as any letter I have received, so I am glad to get it a letter from you if you care to write.
Everytime we get new mail everybody is glad to get a letter from home and friends. They have a flag they raise up over the postoffice everytime they get new mail and all of us keep our eyes on the flag to see when it is up. You can see the flag from any place in the camp. That is a novel way to let us know, but it certainly works.
I think they should have called this country gloomy France instead of Sunny France for it has been cloudy most of the time lately. I guss this is not the worst place in the world and I know it is not the best.
If a fellow wants to sow wild oats this a pretty good way and place to sow them, but as i had mine already sowed and they didn’t profit me anything. i am not interested in this business.
It seems so strange to me that this country is so much older than the states and is so far behind the times. The trains are worse that the “slow train through Arkansas.” Guess you have heard about it and have probably seen one of them. The cars here are divided into what they call apartments that are just large enough for ten people, or as they say places. One time I went to Soulac and when I got on the train to come back I got into a first-class apartment and as it against the laws of the French government for American soldiers or sailors to ride first-class I had to get out. So by that time all the other seats were full, so I had to ride the top of the cars to get back to the camp. If I had been bumming my way it wouldnt have seemed so bad, but the worst of it was I had to pay my fare and bum too. I sure thought of our “slow train through Arkansas.” Soulac is a beautiful little summer resort on the sea coast and has a fine bathing beech. I never had been in bathing in the ocean, so I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity, which I did, and it was certainly fine, if you ever get the chance take advantage of it. I am sure you would enjoy it. The day I was there big, little, old and young seemed to be having the time of their lives. The waves were coming in three and four feet high and it was a hard matter to stay on your feet.
Bordeaux has some beautiful parks and monuments and also some artistic buildings. Several old churches are located in town, but the largest is an old Catholic Cathedral that they say was built back in the 12th century.
The other day I was working along the road and counted five ways of conveyances. First, the auto, oxen, donkey, horse, and even saw a man going along with two dogs hitched to a little wagon. I also saw a little girl pushing a milk wagon into town. One day when I was in Bordeaux I saw an old man and two women drawing a little wagon loaded with wood into town. Sometimes when they hitch more than one horse to a wagon they put one horse in ahead of the other. I have seen three horses strung out that way.
These girls over here are nothing to compare with the girls in the states. Three American girls gave us an entertainment and I thought the boys would break their necks trying to get a look at them, but of course I didn’t.
Well, how does Waiter Huff like France by this time. I know there are many of the boys over here by his time.
Do you ever hear from Hoyl any more? I was surprised to hear that Howard, Homer and King were still in the states, as they all enlisted before I did. I saw in the casualty list where Verlin Prince had been killed in battle, also two boys from Newport, but I didn’t know them.
All the boys are somewhat excited over the peace proposition. Lots of them think the war is about over, but I think it is too good to be true.
Hope this will find you well and enjoying life, I am well, but not having much enjoyment
Au revoir
Omar
NOTES: This letter was written by Omar Hamilton to his sister, Mrs. Margarett Frances Beede of Beedeville, Arkansas. He was born on June 2, 1888 in Cortland, indiana and died on August 13, 1980. He is buried in the eight Mile Cemetery in Beedeville, Arkansas He enlisted on December 12, 1917 and was discharged on March 10, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY JORDAN HOLYFIELD
U. S. N. Air Station,
Pauillac
Cr. P. M. of N. Y. City
Dear Frances:
If I think back to the time when I first got acquainted with the people around Beedeville it seems like I am writing to a small child. I remember going to your house to a party one time and I think you must have been sleeping in a cradle. Ha! Ha! But that has been some few years ago. The few letters you wrote me were as newsy as any letter I have received, so I am glad to get it a letter from you if you care to write.
Everytime we get new mail everybody is glad to get a letter from home and friends. They have a flag they raise up over the postoffice everytime they get new mail and all of us keep our eyes on the flag to see when it is up. You can see the flag from any place in the camp. That is a novel way to let us know, but it certainly works.
I think they should have called this country gloomy France instead of Sunny France for it has been cloudy most of the time lately. I guss this is not the worst place in the world and I know it is not the best.
If a fellow wants to sow wild oats this a pretty good way and place to sow them, but as i had mine already sowed and they didn’t profit me anything. i am not interested in this business.
It seems so strange to me that this country is so much older than the states and is so far behind the times. The trains are worse that the “slow train through Arkansas.” Guess you have heard about it and have probably seen one of them. The cars here are divided into what they call apartments that are just large enough for ten people, or as they say places. One time I went to Soulac and when I got on the train to come back I got into a first-class apartment and as it against the laws of the French government for American soldiers or sailors to ride first-class I had to get out. So by that time all the other seats were full, so I had to ride the top of the cars to get back to the camp. If I had been bumming my way it wouldnt have seemed so bad, but the worst of it was I had to pay my fare and bum too. I sure thought of our “slow train through Arkansas.” Soulac is a beautiful little summer resort on the sea coast and has a fine bathing beech. I never had been in bathing in the ocean, so I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity, which I did, and it was certainly fine, if you ever get the chance take advantage of it. I am sure you would enjoy it. The day I was there big, little, old and young seemed to be having the time of their lives. The waves were coming in three and four feet high and it was a hard matter to stay on your feet.
Bordeaux has some beautiful parks and monuments and also some artistic buildings. Several old churches are located in town, but the largest is an old Catholic Cathedral that they say was built back in the 12th century.
The other day I was working along the road and counted five ways of conveyances. First, the auto, oxen, donkey, horse, and even saw a man going along with two dogs hitched to a little wagon. I also saw a little girl pushing a milk wagon into town. One day when I was in Bordeaux I saw an old man and two women drawing a little wagon loaded with wood into town. Sometimes when they hitch more than one horse to a wagon they put one horse in ahead of the other. I have seen three horses strung out that way.
These girls over here are nothing to compare with the girls in the states. Three American girls gave us an entertainment and I thought the boys would break their necks trying to get a look at them, but of course I didn’t.
Well, how does Waiter Huff like France by this time. I know there are many of the boys over here by his time.
Do you ever hear from Hoyl any more? I was surprised to hear that Howard, Homer and King were still in the states, as they all enlisted before I did. I saw in the casualty list where Verlin Prince had been killed in battle, also two boys from Newport, but I didn’t know them.
All the boys are somewhat excited over the peace proposition. Lots of them think the war is about over, but I think it is too good to be true.
Hope this will find you well and enjoying life, I am well, but not having much enjoyment
Au revoir
Omar
NOTES: This letter was written by Omar Hamilton to his sister, Mrs. Margarett Frances Beede of Beedeville, Arkansas. He was born on June 2, 1888 in Cortland, indiana and died on August 13, 1980. He is buried in the eight Mile Cemetery in Beedeville, Arkansas He enlisted on December 12, 1917 and was discharged on March 10, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY JORDAN HOLYFIELD