TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SPRINGDALE NEWS MAY 9, 1919 P. 6
Coblenz, Germany, April 18, 1919
Mr. Bern Carlock, Springdale, Ark.,
Dear Sir:
I will write you to-night. I am getting along fine, only I have the army of occupation blues. I am afraid I will have to stay another winter over here and if we do it will be awful on us fellows. Haven't anything to study about but our girls back home.
You may tell Bill Reaves that we received his hound dog last week. I knew al lthe citizens of Springdale were patriotic but I never thought Bill would give up his favorite hound. Say, I'm not kidding, a piece of dog would taste good to me. I knew I was awful particular what I ate when I was at home but I can eat anything now. You would have laughed to see me eating breakfast on Christmas morning. You have read what a time we had Christmas feasting. Well, my meal consisted of cold tomatoes with sour bread, dinner, tomatoes and corn wooley, supper, we had a change it was tomatoes. Believe me, if you don't want your head knocked off when I get back don't mention tomatoes, and yet I have had worse. There is lots of wine over here, but it isn't worth drinking. I told one German that we threw away better vinegar than their wine was.
I was out in the valley of the Rhine and saw a German plowing. Made him understand how we done in the states, he seemed to catch the idea how we farmed. Their turning plows only have one handle. I plowed one furrow with him and was glad to get to the end of the field. He drove, I couldn't make the steers understand Gee and Haw in the U.S. One man only cultivates two or three acres here. There are so many they all can't have big acreage. They sure do know how to fertilize. I believe I will learn something yet if I keep on butting into these Germans. We are not allowed to talk to them slow but I talk all I know how to and try to learn more when there are no M.P.'s around. These Germans sure do know how to farm, if they didn't they would have been whipped long before they were.
Say, there are a few pretty girls over here but a man that compares an American girl with a French or any other of the European race is a disgrace to his neighborhood.
I will close hoping to hear from you soon.
Jas. L. Lewis,
M.T.C.V., 310, A.P.O. 927, 3d Army
NOTES: This letter was written to Bern Carlock.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Coblenz, Germany, April 18, 1919
Mr. Bern Carlock, Springdale, Ark.,
Dear Sir:
I will write you to-night. I am getting along fine, only I have the army of occupation blues. I am afraid I will have to stay another winter over here and if we do it will be awful on us fellows. Haven't anything to study about but our girls back home.
You may tell Bill Reaves that we received his hound dog last week. I knew al lthe citizens of Springdale were patriotic but I never thought Bill would give up his favorite hound. Say, I'm not kidding, a piece of dog would taste good to me. I knew I was awful particular what I ate when I was at home but I can eat anything now. You would have laughed to see me eating breakfast on Christmas morning. You have read what a time we had Christmas feasting. Well, my meal consisted of cold tomatoes with sour bread, dinner, tomatoes and corn wooley, supper, we had a change it was tomatoes. Believe me, if you don't want your head knocked off when I get back don't mention tomatoes, and yet I have had worse. There is lots of wine over here, but it isn't worth drinking. I told one German that we threw away better vinegar than their wine was.
I was out in the valley of the Rhine and saw a German plowing. Made him understand how we done in the states, he seemed to catch the idea how we farmed. Their turning plows only have one handle. I plowed one furrow with him and was glad to get to the end of the field. He drove, I couldn't make the steers understand Gee and Haw in the U.S. One man only cultivates two or three acres here. There are so many they all can't have big acreage. They sure do know how to fertilize. I believe I will learn something yet if I keep on butting into these Germans. We are not allowed to talk to them slow but I talk all I know how to and try to learn more when there are no M.P.'s around. These Germans sure do know how to farm, if they didn't they would have been whipped long before they were.
Say, there are a few pretty girls over here but a man that compares an American girl with a French or any other of the European race is a disgrace to his neighborhood.
I will close hoping to hear from you soon.
Jas. L. Lewis,
M.T.C.V., 310, A.P.O. 927, 3d Army
NOTES: This letter was written to Bern Carlock.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD