TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE DECEMBER 30, 1917 P. 4
Dear Mills:
Just got a bunch of papers and happened to notice that you had gone into business on your own account. Want to congratulate you. Of course I’ll come in and see you one of these days in the near future (I hope). Can’t say much of barber shops over here; can get plenty of Pinaud’s tonic, however. Quite a few of your regular customers are in the army now, I suspect.
The old army game is a gay one. I see from the papers that the boys are anxious to come over here and clean up on the kaiser; hope they don’t lose all that pep and vinegar before they get here. A trip such as we had is calculated to take it all out of them, though I’ll tell you my temperature dropped ‘right considerable’ before I put my feet terra firma again. Boy, I was ‘plumb dissatisfied’ with all that water. Think I’ll come back by rail.
The first night near the front surely put that old stuff up my neck. We had to hike about two miles with all our equipment on and then pitch our ‘pup tents’ to sleep under. We hardly lay down before bang! zowie! Fritz started to cut ‘em lose. Both sides kept it up all night. I thought at once what Sherman said, only he didn’t half express it. When we got up the next morning we could see Fritz shelling a battery about a half of a mile away. Believe me I was a happy ‘young gentleman’ when they told us to get ready to move; we have become accustomed to that sort of thing though, now.
I hope they put the next guy that starts a war right in the front trenches and knock him off the first one. Did they get June Schare in the draft? I hope they did. There are a lot of ‘chinches’ over there that I want to see them get. Guess they will get Doc Willford before it’s over with. I want you to write me some time when you can spare the time. I’ll surely appreciate it. Address me 12th Engineers Ry., Co. “B.” American Expeditionary Force, France by New York. Every one has been mighty nice about writing me. Tell all my friends howdy for me.
Your friend,
Robert L. Ray.
NOTES: Robert Langston Ray was writing to A. K. Mills who had recently opened a barber shop in the Boyle Building in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ray was a clerk in the office of the Iron Mountain Rail Road in Little Rock before he joined the 12th Regiment Engineers Ry. The 12th Engineers consisted of men who had railroad experience and were recruited by railroads served out of St. Louis. Ray was born in Benton, Arkansas on September 26, 1887 and died on August 10, 1960. He is buried in the Fairhaven Cemetery in Santa Anna, California. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Pvt. serving in Co. B. 12th Engineers during World War I. He enlisted on June 9, 1917 and was discharged on May 19, 1919. he departed Bassens, France on April 14, 1919 onboard the Cape Mary and arrived in Brooklyn, NY on April 27, 1919. At one time before the war he was the bookkeeper for the Armour and Company in Hot Springs, Arkansas. At one time he was also a clerk for the Iron Mountain Railway office in Little Rock, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear Mills:
Just got a bunch of papers and happened to notice that you had gone into business on your own account. Want to congratulate you. Of course I’ll come in and see you one of these days in the near future (I hope). Can’t say much of barber shops over here; can get plenty of Pinaud’s tonic, however. Quite a few of your regular customers are in the army now, I suspect.
The old army game is a gay one. I see from the papers that the boys are anxious to come over here and clean up on the kaiser; hope they don’t lose all that pep and vinegar before they get here. A trip such as we had is calculated to take it all out of them, though I’ll tell you my temperature dropped ‘right considerable’ before I put my feet terra firma again. Boy, I was ‘plumb dissatisfied’ with all that water. Think I’ll come back by rail.
The first night near the front surely put that old stuff up my neck. We had to hike about two miles with all our equipment on and then pitch our ‘pup tents’ to sleep under. We hardly lay down before bang! zowie! Fritz started to cut ‘em lose. Both sides kept it up all night. I thought at once what Sherman said, only he didn’t half express it. When we got up the next morning we could see Fritz shelling a battery about a half of a mile away. Believe me I was a happy ‘young gentleman’ when they told us to get ready to move; we have become accustomed to that sort of thing though, now.
I hope they put the next guy that starts a war right in the front trenches and knock him off the first one. Did they get June Schare in the draft? I hope they did. There are a lot of ‘chinches’ over there that I want to see them get. Guess they will get Doc Willford before it’s over with. I want you to write me some time when you can spare the time. I’ll surely appreciate it. Address me 12th Engineers Ry., Co. “B.” American Expeditionary Force, France by New York. Every one has been mighty nice about writing me. Tell all my friends howdy for me.
Your friend,
Robert L. Ray.
NOTES: Robert Langston Ray was writing to A. K. Mills who had recently opened a barber shop in the Boyle Building in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ray was a clerk in the office of the Iron Mountain Rail Road in Little Rock before he joined the 12th Regiment Engineers Ry. The 12th Engineers consisted of men who had railroad experience and were recruited by railroads served out of St. Louis. Ray was born in Benton, Arkansas on September 26, 1887 and died on August 10, 1960. He is buried in the Fairhaven Cemetery in Santa Anna, California. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Pvt. serving in Co. B. 12th Engineers during World War I. He enlisted on June 9, 1917 and was discharged on May 19, 1919. he departed Bassens, France on April 14, 1919 onboard the Cape Mary and arrived in Brooklyn, NY on April 27, 1919. At one time before the war he was the bookkeeper for the Armour and Company in Hot Springs, Arkansas. At one time he was also a clerk for the Iron Mountain Railway office in Little Rock, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT