TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT AUGUST 29, 1918 P. 2
It does me good to hear of the good things our community is doing to help the cause along. If I only could get the chance I could give my life freely with such noble backing at home. I tell you it is a pretty sorry young man that wouldn’t give his life to preserve for civilization such communities as ours. I don’t know when the authorities here are going to send me out to sea but I am ready to go any time. I get so restless sometimes that I can hardly stay here. I just feel like I could face anything for the cause we represent.
If I can make the go I am going to try to get home for a few days during the meeting. I don’t know how it will be for just now there is nobody here to do my work. Of course, it is not such a big job, but then a fellow must have an average intelligence, some experience and quite a little patience to do what I am doing. There are 219 men in this company and it is my job to keep up with every one of them, show on daily reports just what each and every one is doing, under whom he is working, answer all their foolish questions, make out all their requests for higher ratings, special liberty and a thousand other things. But I really enjoy my work for I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am of some service to my country.
Trixie, I wish you could be here and take a trip on Lake Michigan with me. A pal of mine and I went from Chicago to Benton Harbor Mich., on an excursion boat last Sunday a week ago. We got out of sight of land as it is about four hours run (62 miles). The lake was nice and smooth on the way over, but on the return trip she got pretty rough. We liked it fine, though, and really wished for it to get rougher for we wanted to see what a rough sea would be like. I suppose we will find out some of these days, though.
This camp is certainly a great place and I know you would think it looked more like a summer outing party if you could just pass through, but if you were to stop for a little while you would soon find out different. There are about 700 men in this “tented city” in the grove. It is nice and cool here, in fact it is a bit too cool at times. When I got up this morning the thermometer read 51 degrees, and you can imagine that is pretty cool to be pulled out of bed. One of the fellows came in and pulled me out this morning and I threw my scrub brush at home and gave him a pate under the jaw.
Leonard
NOTES: This letter was written by Leonard Turner to Miss Trixie Hopkins of Reeves Schoolhouse.
TRANSCRIBED BY JULIETTE BRASHEARS
It does me good to hear of the good things our community is doing to help the cause along. If I only could get the chance I could give my life freely with such noble backing at home. I tell you it is a pretty sorry young man that wouldn’t give his life to preserve for civilization such communities as ours. I don’t know when the authorities here are going to send me out to sea but I am ready to go any time. I get so restless sometimes that I can hardly stay here. I just feel like I could face anything for the cause we represent.
If I can make the go I am going to try to get home for a few days during the meeting. I don’t know how it will be for just now there is nobody here to do my work. Of course, it is not such a big job, but then a fellow must have an average intelligence, some experience and quite a little patience to do what I am doing. There are 219 men in this company and it is my job to keep up with every one of them, show on daily reports just what each and every one is doing, under whom he is working, answer all their foolish questions, make out all their requests for higher ratings, special liberty and a thousand other things. But I really enjoy my work for I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am of some service to my country.
Trixie, I wish you could be here and take a trip on Lake Michigan with me. A pal of mine and I went from Chicago to Benton Harbor Mich., on an excursion boat last Sunday a week ago. We got out of sight of land as it is about four hours run (62 miles). The lake was nice and smooth on the way over, but on the return trip she got pretty rough. We liked it fine, though, and really wished for it to get rougher for we wanted to see what a rough sea would be like. I suppose we will find out some of these days, though.
This camp is certainly a great place and I know you would think it looked more like a summer outing party if you could just pass through, but if you were to stop for a little while you would soon find out different. There are about 700 men in this “tented city” in the grove. It is nice and cool here, in fact it is a bit too cool at times. When I got up this morning the thermometer read 51 degrees, and you can imagine that is pretty cool to be pulled out of bed. One of the fellows came in and pulled me out this morning and I threw my scrub brush at home and gave him a pate under the jaw.
Leonard
NOTES: This letter was written by Leonard Turner to Miss Trixie Hopkins of Reeves Schoolhouse.
TRANSCRIBED BY JULIETTE BRASHEARS