TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 14, 1917 P. 2
Newport, R.I.
Sept. 2, 1917
Mr. Tom Shiras
Mountain Home, Ark.
Dear Tom:
It is Sunday and we are out here on the beach watching the boys wash their clothes, swimming, eating raw oysters, etc. We had a regular Arkansas time on our way here. We were on the road four days and a half. The big tobacco fields of Va. And Ky. stretched out for miles on both sides of the R. R. We came through Cumberland Gap. The Alleghany Mt. and Blue Ridge are something worth seeing. We came through 13 states, But the most exciting was the elevated R.R. of N.Y. and the Subway under the Hudson 2 ½ miles long, made us guess what was going to happen next. At ever place we stopped we’d try to get a mascot, we’d chase down a little negro boy and put him in car, he would squeal as if his time had come.
We like the Navy better every day. Drill 3 hours daily, the rest of the time is put in tying knots, attending lectures and lastly washing our clothes.
There is all kinds of amusement, free movies, vaudeville, all kinds of games from base ball on down to checkers. The Y.M.C.A. is open to the enlisted men, and it’s the best place of all, paper and writing materials are furnished free, and all kinds of good reading matter. Lecture every night.
Fred knows more about the mess hall than the rest, but Sneed will know this time next week, for he goes on tomorrow. We line up two squads deep and og thru get our dishes off one table and pass on to another table and get our chaw. It is good too. They feed us well. If a fellow don’t get all he wants he can go the second time. Of all the noise we make it in the mess hall. We stand up to eat.
There is something over 15,000 rookies here and of all the times in the world we have them. See a fight every day, have a regular fighting ground, a refree. The boys are made to shake hands and be friends after they fight.
We are more than anxious to hear from any body. Fred and Sneed are in Co. 3. Hill and Leffel Co. 4, all in Reg. 6(?).
Fred is here talking to a Jap officer and wont tell us what to write.
We don’t want all the Arkansas girls to marry for they look best to us. We are all anxious to show the Kaiser what Arkansas can do.
Your Baxter County boys in arms. Fred Naval Training Station, Sneed 6 Reg. 4 Co. Leffel 6 Reg. 4 Co. Newport, R. I.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY DAVID COLLINS
Newport, R.I.
Sept. 2, 1917
Mr. Tom Shiras
Mountain Home, Ark.
Dear Tom:
It is Sunday and we are out here on the beach watching the boys wash their clothes, swimming, eating raw oysters, etc. We had a regular Arkansas time on our way here. We were on the road four days and a half. The big tobacco fields of Va. And Ky. stretched out for miles on both sides of the R. R. We came through Cumberland Gap. The Alleghany Mt. and Blue Ridge are something worth seeing. We came through 13 states, But the most exciting was the elevated R.R. of N.Y. and the Subway under the Hudson 2 ½ miles long, made us guess what was going to happen next. At ever place we stopped we’d try to get a mascot, we’d chase down a little negro boy and put him in car, he would squeal as if his time had come.
We like the Navy better every day. Drill 3 hours daily, the rest of the time is put in tying knots, attending lectures and lastly washing our clothes.
There is all kinds of amusement, free movies, vaudeville, all kinds of games from base ball on down to checkers. The Y.M.C.A. is open to the enlisted men, and it’s the best place of all, paper and writing materials are furnished free, and all kinds of good reading matter. Lecture every night.
Fred knows more about the mess hall than the rest, but Sneed will know this time next week, for he goes on tomorrow. We line up two squads deep and og thru get our dishes off one table and pass on to another table and get our chaw. It is good too. They feed us well. If a fellow don’t get all he wants he can go the second time. Of all the noise we make it in the mess hall. We stand up to eat.
There is something over 15,000 rookies here and of all the times in the world we have them. See a fight every day, have a regular fighting ground, a refree. The boys are made to shake hands and be friends after they fight.
We are more than anxious to hear from any body. Fred and Sneed are in Co. 3. Hill and Leffel Co. 4, all in Reg. 6(?).
Fred is here talking to a Jap officer and wont tell us what to write.
We don’t want all the Arkansas girls to marry for they look best to us. We are all anxious to show the Kaiser what Arkansas can do.
Your Baxter County boys in arms. Fred Naval Training Station, Sneed 6 Reg. 4 Co. Leffel 6 Reg. 4 Co. Newport, R. I.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY DAVID COLLINS