TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 27, 1918. P. 1
This is Saturday afternoon and raining. I am located in one of the most beautiful places you ever looked at and it is alive with American men. I haven’t seen any women in this country that I could talk to and understand but they are friendly toward we boys. I had some washing done and had quite a time finding out how much I had to pay for it, but I think I will learn their language as it is very necessary to use some of it. Well the cars in this country are small to what we are used to, and made so differently with capacity for only ten tons. Only the American cars are O.K. The American engines can pull 5000 tons, but on account of drawbars and other equipment being weak, 1200 tons is the limit, and that is a lot of cars as many of them are only 15 to 18 feet long. There is lots of railroad work in this country but I do know just how long I will be here or what I will do. I had a ride on the train the other day for about 18 hours, and the coach reminded me of our small street cars with two seats facing each other all the way across the car, with a petitions every little way which divided the car into compartments. There is room for eight or ten people in each compartment. The ride was quite a treat. I made most of it in the daytime. W. A. Kelley is O. K. He has gone to town tonight. Write me all the town gossip, also all the railroad news. Give all the boys my best regards.
Sgt. Geo. Pinkley
NOTES: This letter was written to Jim Marshall, a freight conductor running out of Cotter, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD
This is Saturday afternoon and raining. I am located in one of the most beautiful places you ever looked at and it is alive with American men. I haven’t seen any women in this country that I could talk to and understand but they are friendly toward we boys. I had some washing done and had quite a time finding out how much I had to pay for it, but I think I will learn their language as it is very necessary to use some of it. Well the cars in this country are small to what we are used to, and made so differently with capacity for only ten tons. Only the American cars are O.K. The American engines can pull 5000 tons, but on account of drawbars and other equipment being weak, 1200 tons is the limit, and that is a lot of cars as many of them are only 15 to 18 feet long. There is lots of railroad work in this country but I do know just how long I will be here or what I will do. I had a ride on the train the other day for about 18 hours, and the coach reminded me of our small street cars with two seats facing each other all the way across the car, with a petitions every little way which divided the car into compartments. There is room for eight or ten people in each compartment. The ride was quite a treat. I made most of it in the daytime. W. A. Kelley is O. K. He has gone to town tonight. Write me all the town gossip, also all the railroad news. Give all the boys my best regards.
Sgt. Geo. Pinkley
NOTES: This letter was written to Jim Marshall, a freight conductor running out of Cotter, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD