U.S.A.S.M.A.

Sunday P.M. July 28, 1918
Dear Mother,

I haven’t much news to write this time but will write what I can think of. I got the “Standard” Friday noon and yours and Ethells and Vira’s letters Friday afternoon. I was glad to hear all the news. I guess Vira must think I am going crazy to buy naphtha soap to wash my hands. I didn’t remember what it was like when I bought it but when I opened it up I saw that it was different than I thought. However, I found good use for it. Since we only have one pair of leggins we have to wash them ourselves and dry them over night. I used the naphtha soap for that and it cleaned them so clean that it took out the color was well as the dirt. They always fade a little when washed. I bought a bar of ivory soap yesterday.

During our sports period yesterday morning we did skirmish work and then marched to the swimming hole sending a patrol and advance guard ahead to keep a look out for the “Enemy.” We arrived all “safe” at the swimming hole and the fellows who had bathing suits had a good time. I had to set on the bank and watch them. I made up my mind that I would go down town and buy me a bathing suit that very afternoon. So I went down to Rothschild’s big store and it happened that they were having a sale on bathing suits at 20% off. So I says here’s my chance. I walked up to look them over ant the clerk showed me some wool ones. But there were marked $4.50 and that meant $3.60 yesterday. That fairly took my breath away. I asked if he had any cheaper ones and he showed me some cotton ones marked $2.50 which was $2.00 yesterday. Since I only had a dollar and a few cents in my pocket I decided that I didn’t want a bathing suit. The fellows say a cotton bathing suit isn’t much good. But it still remains awful hot here and the more I think about it the more I think I will get me a bathing suit if it costs me ten dollars, for then I would have it whenever I wanted, either to go to Hedges or anywhere else. We expect to get our pay a week from to-morrow and I guess I can get along until then. I have about given up hopes of trying to save any money while here. I have spent about $20.00 already and have bought very few things that I haven’t had to have. But of course there was $8.00 for a trunk and $1.00 for a razor which I ought not to have to buy every month, but even then there is a little something about all the time. They say we get a little more pay when we get to flying school and I may be able to save a little then if I ever get there. A good many of the fellows buy uniforms of their own for the ones that are issued to us aren’t very good looking things. I think they weill have to do me for at least a while yet.

I got thru another week and if I pass the coming week I will be half thru this school. Here are my marks:
In signaling or wireless we only had two receiving examinations and I didn’t have any sending so I got 100.

In Theory of Flight 85
Meteorology 90
Engines 90
Gunnery 74
Military: Scholarship 90; conduct 87; Efficiency 80

There Hasn’t been any new squadron in yet this week and the general talk seems to be that there isn’t going to be any. It looks a little as though they weren’t going to train any more at present. They may, however, send in some more men next week. Their flying schools seem to be too crowded and that is the reason so many men are sent to concentration camp after they leave here. One fellow here had a brother in a flying school and he says they are kicking them out fast for any little excuse that they can find. A big brunch were discharged from here last week. There weren’t very many turned back from our squadron this week.

As I was going down to church to-day a fellow says hellow there! And I didn’t know him at first but soon recognized him as Bill McKierney from Buskirk. You know he lives over across the river and is the fellow that worked for Charlie Skiff this spring. He is in the mechanics that are training here but I didn’t think to ask him just what kind of work he is doing. You remember I told you about the mechanics going to Mrs. Hale’s lecture. There are quite a bunch of them. He said he has been out here six weeks and hasn’t got his uniform yet. He expects to stay here a couple of weeks yet and then go some where else. I am gong to try to see him again and find out more about it.

The minister to-day was quite an old man and was a pretty good talker. A man has got to go some to do much talking to-day, it is so awfully hot. I think we are due for another thunder shower if this keeps up.

The thing which interested me mostly in yours and Vira’s letters was your talk about coming out here. You have just got to come. I know Pa is busy and so is everybody else but you have got to take a vacation once in a while. There ought to be some time between oats and corn in which you could get away. It would be just a nice trip out here. I don’t see any reason whey old “Vance” couldn’t make the trip, since it is all good roads and not much hills. It seems as though someone else around there would like to take a trip out here too. How about Uncle Burt. Vira seemed to think it would be impossible to come during August and she didn’t know whether or not I would be here in September. You know that it is a twelve weeks course here and that there are seven or the twelve weeks left. However, I might get turned back one or more weeks. Several men expect to graduate right up to the last minutes and then get nervous in their wireless exam and have to stay another week. That was the way with Skinner. Providing I did get thru in twelve weeks, I could get a pass leaving here at 4 o’clock Friday afternoon Sept. 14 and good until 8 o’clock Tuesday morning Sept. 17. Now I expect to come home then and so it would be better if you could arrange to come out before then if you could so my visit wouldn’t be so close to yours. However, if you couldn’t arrange to come out during August you might come ought and bring me home on Sept. 14. But you couldn’t tell for sure whether or not I was going to get thru then. I haven’t heard when the State Fair is going to be but you might be able to come out here and take the Fair in on your way. Remember that any week you want to come I can get a pass so I wouldn’t have to be here from Saturday noon until Monday morning at 8 o’clock. Only I would have to know about the beginning of the week, so I could apply for the pass.

I was glad to hear about Ethel’s birthday. Vira said that some pictures were taken. You didn’t say anything about the picture I sent you. You found it didn’t you? It was so small I didn’t know but it might have dropped out without you noticing it.

Tell Perry that we had to time the valves and magnets on a Curtis 8 cylinder motor Friday. We are having a good deal of work on the Lewis Machine Gun. It is made in Utica by the same company that made Pa’s shot gun. We have to know what every little thing is for and know every possible thing that could happen to the gun and the remedy for it. It is just like what a doctor has to learn about a person. We have to know the different diseases of the gun and their symptoms and remedies. A lieutenant told us the other day that they are making the guns shoot slower than they did. They found that on the front they shot so fast that every time they hit a German they hit him three times before they could move the gun. That was a waste of bullets so they are going to make them shoot slower for ground work. (at least that is what he said). Today’s paper says they have the Germans on the run. It says that they are holding the twenty-seventh division, in which Company M is, right behind the front where they can call on them if needed. I cann’t think of anything more to write now only to advise you to make up your mind to come out here. You better begin thinking about it right away for my twelve weeks will soon be up if they keep going as fast as they have so far. Then I will probably go to Texas where you won’t have a chance to go. Tell Perry and Ethel to eat a couple of pieces of watermelon for me at the picnic. I am well and feeling fine and hope you are the same.

Yours lovingly

Earl

P.S. How is sugar now? We have had lots of it until tonight we had bitter chocolate suddenly and bitter cocoa with no sugar. We have had all white bread lately. It may have substitute in it but it doesn’t seem so.

U.S.A.S.M.A., Ithaca, N.Y.
Tuesday noon, July 23, 1918

Dear Mother,

I have a few minutes now and will start a letter though I will wait till I hear from you before I sent it. We had a taste of read raspberries for dinner. I guess I never told you about the toast we have once in awhile for breakfast. It is certainly fine tasting stuff but I never knew what it was until I asked a fellow this morning and he said it was “French toast.” They put on potatoes dishes full of maple syrup to eat on it and it is great. Maybe you know what it is or probably have got receipts for it. If you wanted to bother with it I’ll bet there isn’t anybody that wouldn’t like it. I ate two pieces this morning the size of a slice of bread 1½ inches thick. We always have so many good things for breakfast that it is almost my biggest meal. Corn flakes, milk, cocoa and prunes.

I expect to have to go on guard to-night & will tell you about it before I finish this letter. We had a little quiz in wireless yesterday in receiving and I got 100. I think I must be improving if I can only keep it up. We had exam in meteorology yesterday and one in theory of flight today and I think I passed them but the hardest exams are yet to come this week.

Yesterday afternoon we had a sports period and went trap shooting. You know what that is shooting clay pigeons. We had little Winchester repeating shot guns but only used them as single shooters. It was some awful hot yesterday and is today. We nearly melted. Last night at retreat they let us drill with just our coats without any shirt. You know we usually have to wear a thick shirt and coat too during parade. Well I started to tell you about trap shooting. You know I never shot off a shot gun before and never shot any gun except Pa’s little rifle about half a dozen times. So I didn’t think I could hit the broad side of a barn. They divided the company up into two bunches which shot at different traps. I think there were 20 men in our bunch. I watched the others shoot until it came my turn. Then I took the gun and tried to hold it the way they told me to. When I was ready I told them to let the bird go and I shot. The gun kicked me pretty good but to my surprise the pigeon blew to pieces and the instructor said it was a good shot but that I should lean forward more so it wouldn’t kick me so. Each one of us fired 10 shots and the first ones I killed the bird nearly every time until someone told me I was going to break the record and I never hit a bird after that. I hit 5 out of the 10. One man in our bunch of 20 men hit 6, three of us hit 5 and all the rest of the 20 didn’t do as well, so I felt pretty good but probably next time I won’t be able to get any. Some of the men in the other bunch got 8 out of the tem. The instructor took 25 shots and got 23 birds. We have trap shooting again next Tuesday and each of us will shoot 25 times then. It certainly must cost the government something for cartridges. There were several barrels filled with empty shells around there and each loaded shell costs, I heard, about 6 cents. They figure that it is good practice for us in helping us to be able to shoot Germans in the air with machine guns.

4:00 A.M., Wednesday. Well, I suppose you wonder how I come to be writing to you at four o’clock in the morning. Well, you know I told you I expected to go on guard to-night and so I did. I didn’t get picked for military police this time but got a job just as good if not better. There is just one post where the sentinel doesn’t have to walk and that is the one I have. It is at the telephone desk in the main office. I have to sit at the desk and take all messages and telegrams and see that no one enters the office without proper authority. My first turn came at 8:00 o’clock last night. I didn’t sit at the desk then but had to walk a post outside the door but I only had to stay an hour or until 9 o’clock. Since we expect two hard exams. Today, I took advantage of the opportunity and instead of going to bed I sat in the rear seat of a Ford which stood beside the guard room and studied until 11:30. Then we went down to the mess hall and got something to eat. We were told to tip the cook a dime and he would feed us good. I ate five bowls of corn flakes with milk that was poured off the top of the can, I think, for it seemed like cream. We then had a slice of watermelon and some ice cold lemon-aide. I came back and went to sleep. Of course you know that when on guard a man has to sleep with coat and all on. The only thing he can take off is his hat. Nevertheless I slept sound until 3 o’clock when it was my turn to some up here. I am to stay here three hours or until 6 o’clock. At this time of day there are no telephone calls and I am having a fine opportunity to study and write letters. I ought to be ready for the exams, if I can manage to stay awake during them. When we were going around to relieve the sentinels at 3 o’clock we found one man asleep in a chair. That fellow ought to be pretty thankful that an officer didn’t catch him asleep or he would be discharged from here, I think. It is pretty serious think to go to sleep while on guard, and a man should never sit down while walking a post.

I guess I told you that I hadn’t received any letter from you this week but I received 3 fine ones in one envelope yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. I am glad to hear that you are getting out once in a while. It must have been a fine trip to Pittsfield. That must have been a great circus from what you all say. Ethel was pretty good at naming the animals and Perry pretty good at telling what they did. I wished I could see a circus like that. Ringling Bros. Circus was in Ithaca June 28 but of course there was no chance for me to see it. You answered some of the questions that I asked in my last letter which I suppose you got Tuesday. Don’t forget, however, to tell me how much of the haying it done. I see by your letter that it has been hot there too. It certainly was some hot here yesterday. There is a copy of the weather forecast on my desk here and it says “fair during the remainder of the week with nearly normal temperatures.”

Ethel’s ducks must be queer looking things by this time. Ethel’s letter gave me lots of news. Tell her to never mind if Perry did laugh at her letter for I laughed too. And that is what I want; some things to make me laugh. I could read her letter all right if she did use simplified spelling on Pokeepsie. The spelling was all pretty good and I think better than mine. I was surprised to hear that you haven’t any teacher yet for I thought you hired Miss McGraw. I guess Ethel had better go to Hoosick Falls with Perry where she will have to learn. Those must have been great seals Perry tells about. He told about a Charlie Chapman being in the circus. I guess he means Charlie Chaplin for he is the great funny moving picture actor and a good many funny actors try to imitate him.

Perry says he wished I was there to help him kick Ethel. What is the matter, isn’t he big enough to do it alone.

I haven’t got my razor back and so guess I will have to buy a new one. Evidently somebody thought mine was a pretty good one for I have had it given out before the whole school that I lost it and the lost & found bureau takes all found articles but the razor doesn’t show up.

It is now ten minutes to five and I guess I had better study for the next hour. I am glad to get letters like I got from all three of you and don’t ever be afraid of making them too long. I didn’t tell you that there is an electric fan a buzzing behind me so ti makes a nice comfortable breeze over my desk.

1:30 o’clock P.M. Well I think I passed the examinations, I had this morning although not sure of it. The worst of them are over now for this week, I think. There is a possibility of getting another bad one to-morrow but we don’t know yet. I just do wish I had a bathing suit for our Lieutenant has become so good as to let us go swimming this afternoon. I think I will have to buy a bathing suit after pay day.

Well, we went swimming and got back. Of course I didn’t go in because I didn’t have a bathing suit, but it was a great place. A falls where you could stand under and a deep hole to dive in. We went across a foot suspension bridge that shook to make you dizzy. Only a few went across it at a time. I wish you could see the pretty scenery. It is 4 o’clock and I didn’t get any letter so will send this so you can answer it by Friday so I will get it Saturday.

Yours lovingly

Earl

I had this letter mailed at 4 o’clock and went down to be relieved from guard. It is now 4:45 and so much has happened that I went and asked the post-master for my letter, tore off the stamps and am writing some more. I forgot to tell you that while we were swimming we could hear an occasional thunder but the clouds didn’t appear to amount to much. When we were coming home there looked to be quite a shower in the East and a little one in the west. The one in the East appeared to be approaching but who ever heard of a shower coming from the East? However, at about 4 o’clock it began to rain a little with quite a little wind. It gradually increased until in a few minutes we were having a cloud burst. The thunder and lightning was terrific, this whole armory just roared. Once it crashed the same time it lightninged and maybe struck the armory. It has a steel frame and I don’t suppose lightning would hurt it. After a while the lights went out and have not been on since. It still continues to lightening at 5 o’clock. We cann’t see out here only thru the door. I looked out once and you could only see a very little ways and the ground seemed to be covered with water. The rain seemed to come from the East. When it came the hardest and it shot right in the top windows and rained down flooding the aeroplane laboratory. They had to move several planes and the floor had water on half an inch deep. The water ran down in some of the company streets but we are under the center and have kept dry so far. The wind must have blown awful for the fellows say the flag pole is down; a steel flag pole. Some of the tents in which the photographers live are down and the poor fellows must be half drowned. I do hope it didn’t do anay damage at home. It seemed like the hardest lightening and rain that I ever saw but of course I couldn’t compare it with home being shut in here so with no windows to look out. The fellows ask me if it does this often in New York State. I guess I will take another look out the door. If I mail this letter in the morning you ought to get it Friday. Even if you didn’t and you answered Saturday I might get it Sunday.

7:15 o’clock. I went out after the storm was over and the steel flag pole made of pipe 3½ or 4 inches in diameter was bent over so the end nearly touched the ground. The pole was still firm in the ground. There was a big flag on it but even then the wind must have blown some to do it. There were limbs of trees, basket ball goal posts blown over and 4 or 5 tents of the photographers were down. The ground was washed full of ditches and down town they say the sewers couldn’t carry off the water. Some of the fellows say they saw the lightening jump across between girders in the armory so I guess it must have struck it but the steel frame carried it to the ground. The telephone wires were down in one place. Our lights went on again shortly after five o’clock so they must have gotten fixed up whatever was the matter. It continued to drizzle after supper with occasional thunder.

I guess I had better practice wireless now. I will mail this now for fear I might forget it in the morning. So will say goodbye again.

Earl

U.S.A.S.M.A.
Saturday Evening
July 13, 1918
Dear Mother,

I have just got thru reading the “Standard” and will take a little time to write. I got your letter that you wrote Tuesday the next day after I wrote to you. I got the “Standard” this morning and your last letter this afternoon. By what you said it must have taken a long time for some of my letters to reach you. The one you got last Monday must have been the one I wrote the Thursday before. This letter ought to go out to-morrow morning but may-be it won’t reach you till Tuesday.

I was glad to hear all the news in both letters and also in Perry’s letter. I cann’t take time to write Perry a special letter now but will telegraph him one and send it maybe when I get so I can telegraph a little better. We take our sending exams. On the Morse inker which puts everything you send in dots and dashes on a paper tape. I was sorry to hear that Perry has a cough. Dr. Homes ought to be able to stop it if Perry practices breathing exercises. We get lots of those exercises every morning here at 5:40. Major Harris, head of the medical department here says that the majority of people have tuberculosis and that he had it himself but it did no harm as long as the person kept in good condition and kept his lungs developed. Perry ought to be sure to get rid of that cough before he starts school again for it would be harder then.

You asked me if military police were for soldiers. I guess that is the idea but they are supposed also to kept watch for suspicious acting civilians who might be deserters.

I understand by your letter that Sally isn’t improving any. I think if I wanted to go away once in a while she would either stay to home or go for good. It must be nice to be rich and go to the city whenever you like.

Well, I have passed another week. Four men were turned back in our squadron this week. Here are my marks for the past week. In signaling or wireless: Sending 75%, receiving 70%. In military studies: Scholarship 90 conduct 85 & efficiency 78. In Theory of Flight 100 and in Engines 90. You see I can get the scientific studies but the wireless is worse than last week. My efficiency is raised 70 to 78 this week over last week. I hope that meant that I am handling the gear a little better.

The time just flies here. It hardly seems possible that we have been here a quarter for the full time already; that is, providing I don’t get turned back. The squadron which graduated last week all were sent to flying school. Skinner from Greenwich got thru this week. He was home last week and has gone again this week. He says his father told him to come home again and if he didn’t have money enough he would pay the rest. I guess it cost him about $18 a round trip by the way he went.

Tell Perry that I showed that spark plug picture to one of our fellows who was a mechanical engineer and he said it is a good spark plug but that it gets dirty easily because there is so much surface exposed. We had some pretty good lectures this week on carburetors. We also had a lecture on meteorology which is about the air and weather. The professor said that the reason that it rained so much this week was that the storm which passed over was a very slow one and took a long time to pass. It has been cold and wet here. The cold hasn’t bothered us much because they keep us busy enough to keep warm. I never saw the beat of how there is no time to do anything here. They run us from one class to the other at double time and we nearly always have to run or “double time” to mess. The mess is much better the new way. I get all the potatoes I want now. One night I had three dishes of chocolate pudding. One morning I had two bowls full of corn flakes. That makes me think, do you ever get “Armour’s Corn Flakes.” That is the kind they use here. It may be because they are fresher but I don’t know; anyway, they are just as crisp when they come out of the box as can be. They don’t chew up in a wad like Kellogg’s corn flakes but seem to freak just like the do after being heated. You asked me about the bread. They have two kinds here: white and dark. The dark, I suppose has barley in it and the white is just like what you made with corn flour so I suppose is the same. It is all pretty good. When I can get potatoes I don’t eat much bread except when we have sauce. We always have sauce for breakfast usually prunes and I eat bread with the cocoa also at breakfast. We had cherries for dinner.

I haven’t heard from Forrest nor anyone else around West Hoosick except Vira. I suppose they all expect me to write to them first but I don’t care what they think I am not going to get turned back and perhaps kicked out just for the sake of a little time to write to very many. I tell you when a fellow has to go to bed at 9:30, drill and recite or listen to lectures from 5:30 to 12:00 and from 2:00 to 6:00 there isn’t a great deal of time left to eat and study to say nothing of writing letters. Of course tonight Saturday night we don’t have to go until 11:30 and get up at 8:00 to-morrow but I have a lot of studying to do. To-morrow I am going to try to go to church and stay to S. School and am going to try to find time to write to D. Douglass in the afternoon.

We got our last shot in the arm today. It stung or smarted worse than the others but it only lasted about a minute. I haven’t felt any bad effects from it yet.

We took another hike this afternoon. There were three or four squadrons went together. We left about 9:30 and got back about 11:45. My feet didn’t hurt me to-day and I just enjoyed myself. The gun seems to be growing lighter so I don’t mind carrying that as much as I did. I guess we walked about seven miles, nearly all on dirt country roads so that it was easy on our feet. We went thru the university farms. They have all kinds of different stuff sowed along side by side for experimentation. There will be one drill width of oats and peas then a width of oats and barley and then perhaps wheat etc. Some of it was the same at different heights. I suppose they used different kinds of fertilizers on it. They have some fine buildings on the farms. And all the farm buildings we passed were in fine shape. We went thru a small place called Varna. Quite a lot of farmers were stirring out hay and it all looked pretty black. We stopped to rest in one field where they were tedding clover that looked like quite a crop but was all blackened up. Some of the fellows thought a hay tedder was a queer looking thing. I guess by the way they talked. One fellow thought they called it a hay TREADER. I don’t know what he thought they treaded it for.

On the way back we halted beside an orchard and some of the fellows started tasting green apples. Our lieutenant forbid them eating any and got pretty mad when one fellow started to pick some more. They didn’t eat nay more you can bet. The lieutenant said he would make them take castor oil when they got back if he caught any more eating any. When we got back he wouldn’t let us drink for 5 minutes. But I wasn’t near as tired as I was the other two Saturdays even though we went further.

I went down town this afternoon and got a better idea of the city. I haven’t had time to see around here at all yet and it doesn’t look as though I would see much except when I go on hikes. I got some irons put on the bottom of my heels. My shoes had started to turn over all ready. He put 2 little plates on each heel and charged me 20 cents. Everything is high in this place I guess. I went into the ten cent store and saw lots of things there I can buy when I need them. I bought some peanuts there. One of the fellows treated me with some ice cream. They measured us up tonight for under wear and shoes. That means we will have some “Sunday” shoes. The underwear will be long and probably I will only use it for inspection on Saturday morning.

They had some kind of an entertainment in the Y.M.C.A. here Friday evening. I was going and then changed my mind and studied instead. It was singing, I guess. There is a Conservatory of Music in Ithaca and I guess the singer or singers were from there.

I cann’t quite remember who that Mrs. Stevens was that was burned. Was she the woman that weaved carpets, Phil Eddy’s sister?

The kitchen must be pretty slick now. I suppose everybody has to behave themselves now so as not to mar things. Are there many wild raspberries? Perry said he picked 3 quarts I should think here would be a lot up in the 60 acre field.

I forgot to tell you that we had a Sports period yesterday afternoon when the fellows were given a chance to play base ball and basket ball. I managed to put in my time sitting on the bank looking on. That was far more sport to me.

I had another letter from P.C. Ricketts saying that he recollected all about my leaving the Institute and about telling me my scholarship would be good and asked me to pardon him for forgetting it.

We learned this week how the Lewis machine gun works. I had to take one apart and put it together. It is all done with a cartridge. You don’t have to use a screw driver or wrench except in 2 places and you very seldom take those places apart. The gun shoots 10 bullets a second.

I cann’t think of anything more to write and so will practice telegraphing for a while. I hope you are all well.

Yours lovingly

Earl


P.S. I am enclosing a sample of the examination thy give us in wireless. You see they don’t send words so we have to know every letter and figure.

U.S.A.S.M.A.
Sunday Afternoon

Dear Mother,
I am going to write down what news I have while they are fresh in my mind and then when I get enough saved up I will send them all tighter since they are not so important but what they will keep. I only had a slight fever last night and so I guess I am over with inoculation. The scabs on my arm came off about a week ago where I was vaccinated. So now I suppose I am small pox and typhoid proof. They say the typhoid stuff they inject in is pretty expensive and that is cost $10.00 to have it done by a doctor.
I went down to the Baptist Church this morning. I ate 2 bowls of corn flakes, a little oatmeal and 2 cups of cocoa this morning so I could go with out my dinner. I learned when I got back that they had chicken dinner and ice cream but I guess I had a better time where I was. They had a real preacher at the church today. The regular preacher introduced him as the best friend he had. I guess by what he said that he was from Boston. He certainly was some improvement over the regular preacher. It seemed good to hear a good preacher again who had something to say and then said it, instead of putting in hi time saying things that had no sense. After church one man invited me to stay to Sunday School. He said the Baraca class met in the Conservatory of Music building and so I went with him. Several people shook hands with me and I was introduced to several. They didn’t have time to study S. School lesson much, for one man took up most of the time telling about the convention in Syracuse last week of the Baraca and Philtialpha (I don’t know how to spell it) Societys from all over the united States. It was quite interesting. When he got thru the Sunday School teacher who I had noticed was an usher in the church took charge of the class. He was Prof. Stone and is at the head of the New York State College of Agriculture here. He is quite an old man and he gave a little story of how he came to be here. He says he used to be a farmer in Pennsylvania. He got along fairly well but he didn’t make much of a success of it and worked so hard that he about ruined his health. He had to go on crutches for a time. He had to do something so he rented his farm and prepared to move into a house in the village. There was small fire insurance company there, he said as big as your thumb, I suppose like the Hoosick Insurance Co. He had been secretary of it and decided to spend his time trying to build it up. While he was packing up to move he had a telegram from a Professor in Ithaca asking him to come to see him. He answered that he was too busy but the professor wrote to him and urged him to come saying that he wanted to see him about some business in Albany. Prof. Stone didn’t know what he wanted, he thought it must be politics but didn’t know why he should have anything to do with New York politics. However, he came to Ithaca prepared to go home the next day. When he got here he found the Professor wanted him to teach in the agricultural college. That was something he had wanted to do long ago but now he had been out of college 23 years and he was afraid he couldn’t do it. But they gave him the job of going around amongst the farmers trying to show them the importance and value of the agricultural college. He said that was a job he could do very well because he was a farmer himself and everyone would know it by hi speech and by his clothes. I don’t know when that was but he his now at the head of the whole college. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him or I would have asked him about Lewis Cross. May be if I go next Sunday I can ask him. However, I have a notion to try some other church to see if they have any better preacher because I suppose the regular preacher will be the talker again. It isn’t a very large church and there has been a very small attendance except there were quite a few there to-day. I suppose they came to hear the visiting preacher. One of the men at Sunday School, Mr. Jones walked up the hill with me. He says he had been a farmer until a year ago when he moved to this city so his son could go to college and his daughter to High School. He works in the Y.M.C.A. himself. The man who has charge of the Y.M.C.A. up here on the hill is the one who got him the job. He says his son’s eyes gave out and he had to leave college before finishing the year out. He is now working in the aeroplane factory here. Mr. Jones was very nice. He said his wife was gone away or he would invite me to have some dinner. He invited me to come to his house some evening. I don’t know whether I ought to go or not. As some of the fellows say it would seem nice to eat off a table cloth again but that doesn’t bother me. As long as I have something to eat it tastes just as good off a board as a table cloth and besides I don’t have to be careful about spilling stuff. I guess now I will wait till I get some more news before finishing the letter. I just wrote a letter to D. Douglass.

5:00 P.M. Just got back from Triphammer Falls where I went with one of the fellows. There is some very pretty scenery there and the university has a hydraulic laboratory there. The fellow had a camera and he took a picture of me and I took three of him.

7:00 P.M. Just got back from supper and I guess I made up for what I didn’t eat this noon. We had potatoes, baked beans, corn cut loose from cob or canned corn I don’t know which, iced cocoa and a biscuit with raspberries on it. The raspberries tasted like canned ones. I suppose it was meant to be a short cake. It tasted pretty good. I drank or ate three cup full of iced cocoa. It is pretty good tasting stuff.

Monday 1:00 P.M. I just want to give you a little idea of my appetite. For breakfast I ate three regular size round bottom bowls full of corn flakes with lots of milk on each bowl full. I also ate 4 or 5 slices of bread with pie plant sauce and a cup of cocoa. They had mackrel but I didn’t eat any. For dinner we had boiled potatoes, baked beans, soup; with biscuits and peaches for dessert.

Monday 7:00 P.M. This certainly has been a good hay day here. Last night it was so hot I could scarcely go to sleep but this morning it was cold. It got real hot this afternoon and perhaps you cann’t imagine what it is to drill with a thick shirt and coat all buttoned up as we have to from 4:00 to 5:30 P.M. It makes the sweat run. The sun shines in the armory in the afternoon so it is hot when we got to bed but by morning it gets quite cool. We had one exam today. I think I passed it but not very good.

Tuesday 2:00 P.M. Ate four shredded wheat biscuits for breakfast. I just said good-bye to Skinner, the fellow from Greenwich. He leaves this afternoon for Dallas, Texas to a concentration camp. He got back this morning. He told me a way in which I could get home and back when I graduate, if I ever do. So that I could get home on Saturday morning and stay until Monday night leaving on the same train that I did when I came out this time.

This letter is getting kind of old and will have to send it before long. Will wait to see if I hear from you this afternoon. Let me know how the haying is going with Perry as third man.

9:00 P.M. I didn’t hear anything from anybody today & so will send this letter in the morning. I may get a letter to-morrow but will have to wait until next time to answer it. It takes a lot of time to write these letters and I am afraid I will have to let up on writing such long ones.

I am enclosing a letter for Perry.

Yours Lovingly,
Earl

P.S. My shoulder hasn’t been lame at all this week since Sunday and I am feeling fine.

U.S.A.S.M.A.
July 10, 1918
Dear Mother,
What is the matter I haven’t heard from you this week. Are you sick? Of course if you are too busy to write it is all right but I would think Perry or Ethel could send me a few news. In may last letter I told you how I was a military policeman. I had to guard the prisoner 4 hours during the day Sunday. At night after supper we (4 of us) went down to police headquarters. One off us was appointed Sergeant of Police and so he was boss. We were given policeman clubs at the police station and then the Sergeant stationed the other three of us around the city and gave us our posts or beats to walk. Can you imagine me a policeman? We were supposed to report all cadets drunk or acting unsoldierly or not wearing proper uniform and also to help in arresting deserters. After 9 o’clock we had to stop all cadets and ask them to show us their passes as they were all supposed to be in at 6 o’clock unless they had passes. Every hour we had to go into some building and call up police headquarters on telephone and tell our Sergeant that everything was all right. We had to walk our posts until 9:30 when we turned in our clubs at police station and returned to the top of the hill.

I then took my turn guarding the prisoner. All I had to do was sit in a chair with bayonet on gun. At about 12:30 I went over to the mess hall with the guard and had something to eat. We found some boxes of corn flakes and the cook brought out a milk can full of milk. I ate a couple bowls of corn flakes and finished with bread and milk. I then went back and woke up the fellow who was to relieve me and went to bed about 10 o’clock. I haven’t been able to catch up with sleep since. I don’t know whether it is that or because of my nice new mattress but I go to sleep and don’t wake up till bugle call at 5:30 every morning. I like to get up a little before because it is exceeding my speed limit to dress in ten minutes and be out on the field when the ten minutes are up. That means dressing in about 5 or 6 minutes for if one is late he gets his name taken and reported. This morning I was having a fine dream when the bugle woke me up.

They have changed the system in the mess hall. Instead of going up with a tray and having the stuff dished out for us, we go direct to the tables and the stuff is placed on them by the squadron on mess duty. It makes more work for the fellows on mess duty but it is much better I think for us. My appetite has been constantly increasing and I scarcely ever got all the potatoes I wanted and rather than go after more I would go without. Now with the stuff on the table each man takes what he wants. At first a man was lucky to get what he wanted but I think when they get to going there will be plenty on the table. It was much better today and there always is enough if a fellow wants to wait long enough. I enjoyed my dinner more today than any day yet. We had beef steak and potatoes and with the new system I got all the potatoes I wanted. I guess I ate many as potatoes as 4 or 5 other men. For desert we had cake with chocolate gravy or soft frosting on it. We had ice cream for supper. Even with this to eat the fellows from Texas say that they were fed much better down there in the camp they came from

We had work on engines yesterday all the forenoon. Six of us took apart a six cylinder 150 horse power motor and put it together again. Our instructor used to work in the Ford factory. He says he worked on nearly everything in the factory and I guess he understands motors all right. He is the nicest instructor I have met here yet. I think from what he said that if Pa had his piston rings tended to it might not pump oil so much. He says that the middle piston ring on every Ford piston has a taper to it. He pointed this out to show how careful they are even on a cheap car as a Ford. He told about one time some one made a mistake in tapering the piston rings and about six thousand or more were made wrong. The taper is so small that you wouldn’t notice it easily with the eye. Our instructor was testing the engines and he turned down over a hundred I think he said. They pumped oil too much to be used. They afterwards found the trouble was in the middle piston ring being tapered wrong and therefore turned upside down. This taper should allow the oil to escape down by when the piston goes up but scrapes it down when the piston goes down. You couldn’t think such a little thing would make much difference but it will and that might be the matter with Pa’s engine. At least the rings might be worn.

We also have had a couple of hours with the Lewis machine gun. The instructor takes it all apart and explains the name and purpose of every part. Later we will have to take it apart and put it together. It certainly is some gun.

Yesterday afternoon before anybody knew what was coming, everyone was forbidden to leave his company street and every one had to open his trunk and suitcase and everything was searched. Apparently they were searching for a book or books. One man has lost a book on Liberty motors and a rule here is that if a man loses one of those books he cann’t graduate. I suppose they are afraid the German’s will get hold of it. I don’t know whether that was what they were searching for or not but it probably was. Tonight we found out that one man in our company has been discharged “for concealing property from inspection and keeping property which did not belong to him after being asked to return it.” We don’t know whether it was the Liberty motor book or not. One of the fellows lost a note book and it might have been that. Anyway it doesn’t pay for a man to steal anything here especially if he gets caught at it. I don’t see how they found out that he had it for he seems like a pretty good fellow. Perhaps it was a mistake but it won’t make any difference.

I met Jack Reed today the athletic coach from R.P.E. He says he is out here for the summer. I didn’t have much time to talk with him and so don’t know what hi work is but it is probably some physical training work in the university. He said he was glad to see me here and invited me over to where his business is in one of the buildings.

I have two exams. Tomorrow and I ought to be studying, so cann’t write any more. I am feeling fine. Hope you are not sick. Would like to hear from you often.

Earl

P.S. I had a letter from D. Douglas yesterday. He is surveying near Lake George, good job I guess. Also had a letter from P.C. Ricketts asking me why I was leaving school because they didn’t like to loose their good students. I guess he has forgotten about giving me a recommendation last winter. I answered and called his attention for it.

“With the Colors”
YMCA
Help your Country by Saving. Write on BOTH Sides of this Paper.

U.S.A.S.M.A.
Sunday July 7, 1918
Dear Mother,
I received your postal card Friday Morning and the papers Friday afternoon. I was glad to get the papers to read the story in Y. Companion and to read in the “Standard” who has been visiting. I am sorry I couldn’t go to Elward’s funeral. Skinner from Greenwich didn’t pass wireless and has got to go another week. One of the fellows in our squadron is from Amsterdam N.Y. He says he knew Prof. Risk, the man who taught us elocution at H.F.H.S.

Do you remember that I had some circulars once on the Equi Light for Fords to give a steady light? Probably Perry will remember. Well, one of the fellows in our squadron is from Paducah, Kentucky. I remembered that that was the place where this light was made and asked him about it. He knew about and so I asked him if it was any good. He says: “Sure, My father owns it”? So you see a fellow finds out lots of things here and gets acquainted with fellows from everywhere.

Funny things happen once in a while. The other day our lieutenant picked out one fellow and asked him to march the company. He didn’t know much about it. When the command to march is given it should be given like this: “Forward - - - March.” This fellow couldn’t think of the right words. He said: “Company – March” and “forward” without saying march and of course we couldn’t go till we got the right command. At last the fellow said to the lieutenant: “Sir, What will I do, I tell them to move and they won’t move.” The lieutenant burst out laughing and we all laughed. That is all the poor fellow has heard since: is I tell them to move and they won’t move.

I am feeling fine today because I didn’t get turned back this week. Fourteen fellows in our squadron got turned back but I escaped. If I can only do as well every week I will be happy. Here is a list of my marks. Some of them aren’t very good but as 60% is the passing mark I got thru all right.
In wireless I got 75 in sending and 83 in receiving.
In Discipline I got 90 in scholarship 85 in conduct and 70 in efficiency. Efficiency is what worried me for that includes the way we drill. But it takes a good man to get over 80 in efficiency.
In rigging which consisted of an examination on the names of aeroplane parts I got 85.
In engines I got 100.

Yesterday we got our second shot in the arm for typhoid. That leaves one more shot next Saturday and it will be over with. Some of the fellows were vaccinated again but since mine worked the first time I didn’t have to be. My vaccination is getting better now. All there was to it was five big ugly pimples and was a little sore for a few days. But nothing like the other time I was vaccinated. Some of the fellows had their arm bandaged but I didn’t and I think it will heal quicker. I was a little sick again last night similar to a week ago only I didn’t have any head ache. I feel fine to-day and my shoulder is only a little sore.

Yesterday forenoon we went on another hike. We went out into the country about 4 miles toward Cortland. The trip was much more level than a week ago. There are some fine farms out where we went; at least they were fine buildings and fine gardens. It was very pretty scenery. I wished you could come out here in the auto-mobile this summer.

I was intending to go to church and to stay to Sunday school today but last night after I had gone to bed a fellow came around and told me to report for guard duty eight o’clock this morning. That means that I cann’t go to church today but have got to stay in the guard house and take my turn at guard. I was one of four picked for military police. My duty is to take turn guarding a prisoner. The prisoner is a fellow that was examined at the same time as I was in New York. This afternoon or some time the military police have to go down town and see that none of the cadets get disorderly down there. I learned later we go down town six o’clock to-night and stay 2 hours. They say we were pretty lucky to get military police duty. We will get a chance to see the town I guess. I haven’t been around here at all only to church. I haven’t had time. If I hadn’t been military police I would have had to walk a guard post for two or three hours twice between morning and to-morrow morning.

We have an examination to-morrow on army organization. It is awful hard to remember and I don’t know what I will do with it. I thought I would learn it yesterday and rest today but I didn’t get it learned and I guess I will have to study today while I am in the guard house off duty. I am writing this letter in the guard house while off duty. I was first to guard the prisoner and one of the other military police is doing it now.

I cann’t think of much more to say. Hope you are all well. I would like to hear from you all. Is Perry so busy he cann’t write a letter?

I am getting so I like it more & more here. I got a brand new mattress last night in place of the old thing I had been using. It slept fine. We won’t get so much drill from now on and it will be mostly school which will suit me better. We will have drill every morning from about 7:20 till 8:00 o’clock and from 4 o’clock in the afternoon till about twenty minutes to six or until retreat is over and we pass in review.
Don’t forget to ell me what is going on on the farm. How high is the corn? Etc.
Yours lovingly,
Earl

U.S.A.S.M.A.
P.M. July 4, 1918

Dear Mother,
Received your letter about 11 o’clock this morning. It contained awful news for the Forth of July. You told me in the letter which I received Monday with the dollar in it that Elward had hurt his head but I didn’t think it could be as bad as that. I received Tuesday a long letter from Vira written Sunday and she mentioned Elward being hurt. I never could have believed that when Elward shook hands with me Thursday night before I left that it would be the last time. I guess life isn’t any more uncertain in the army than it is any where else. I suppose Hulda must feel terrible. But it must have been God’s will and since Elward had just been Baptized, Hulda ought to feel better about it. When you get time I expect you will write me all about it. I cann’t understand how a simple hit on the had like that could kill anybody and so long afterwards at that. Did it have anything to do with the silver plate in his head? I haven’t much time to write much but will try to tell you something of what I forgot in the last letter. Does Perry pick berries? Are my berries bearing any now? Why doesn’t Perry or Ethel write to me? As I said I got a good newsy letter from Vira Tuesday and also one from Earle Bastow. I was glad to get the little screwdriver. I have just cleaned my gun and it is just what I needed. I will answer that letter for R.P.I. I am enclosing a picture of the building in which I live night and day except to eat and drill and once in a while go another building to class. The building is so big that it is impossible to get a good picture of the whole building.

We are having a half Holiday today because of the Forth of July. We also have not had calisthenics for 2 days and have not had to go to bed until 10:30 nor we won’t go till that time tonight. I wasn’t sick at all after I wrote you that last letter. My shoulder was a little sore the next day but didn’t bother me any. The vaccination has begun to work a little but I don’t think it will be a big sore like it was before. I didn’t think it would work again but it even worked on one fellow here who has had small pox. We had some lectures on military hygiene and the doctor told us that vaccination will last some people for life while others will only last a short time. To be on the safe side it is better to be vaccinated often. He says he knew of one man that had the small pox three times and died with it the last time. So you see even having the small pox does not protect everybody the rest of their life while it does protect most people. The doctor said the cells of the body are taught to fight the disease either by having the disease or by vaccination but that after a number of years these cells forget about fighting in some people.

You are probably too busy or do not feel like reading much now but you can read this at some later time. I am going to take advantage of the Holiday and write all I can think of now without taking too much time. I forgot to tell you about the inspection we have every Saturday morning when we have to show clean sheets and pillow case, clean underwear, clean towel, soap, toothbrush, 2 pair clean socks and comb (cleaned). I bought an aluminum holder to keep my tooth brush in to keep dust off. I think I forgot to tell you that we see flying machines flying around here. I guess they make them or do something with them near here and men have to try them out. One flew over us when we were drilling one day last week.

I am getting so I can handle the gun better than I did but I don’t know whether well enough so he (the lieutenant) will let me stay without putting me back a week. I did better in wireless yesterday. We are going to have our first sending examination tomorrow. Before we have only received. It is pretty hard work to do accurately and takes lots of practice. We took an aeroplane to pieces and put it together one day this week. We also had an exam on the parts or names of parts of an aeroplane. I think I got a pretty good mark. We had a lecture and test on gasoline engines. That comes easy to me so far and I think if I stay I will now how to fix up at least a Ford before I get thru. We also had some lectures on the “Theory of Flight.”

I forgot to tell you last week that there was one fellow here who couldn’t keep step to save his nick. The lieutenant told him he didn’t think he would make good but he has kept trying and the Lieutenant told him yesterday that since he was trying he would let him stay another week anyway. I only hope he thinks that way about me but you would never think it to hear him “bawl me out.” I get tired and cann’t get the gun on my shoulder in time and he takes my name, taking something of my efficiency. If I don’t pass in efficiency, I will probably get put back.

I was awakened this morning by playing on chimes near here. They played “The Star Spangled Banner” “Red White and Blue” and others. It was about the nicest music I ever heard. After supper I think I will take a walk around there to see the place. Yesterday our Sergeant took us out on a lawn near one of the University buildings and we studied together the Infantry Drill Regulations. The government has taken over the mess outfit here now. The government bought our meals from the University which ran the mess hall but now the government is going to run things itself beginning last Monday. I don’t see any difference in the meals yet. We had great feed today because it was a holiday I suppose. For dinner we had chicken, dressing, salid, radishes, musk-melon with ice cream XE "ice cream" on it. For supper we had chicken, salid, radishes and water-melon. They had a lot of water melons cut and I was nearly last to finish eating. Most of the fellows went away to supper. I ate water mellon till I was ashamed of myself and then stopped.

Last Sunday at church I met a nice fellow who came from Texas in the new Squadron. He said he lived in Texas and was born in a log cabin. He said he was a Baptist and seemed like a very nice fellow. His name is Clark. The minister invited us to stay to Sunday School but we had to be back to dinner. I think next Sunday I will eat a big breakfast and go without dinner.

I didn’t have to work in the mess hall this week as I expected. They only took 40 men and I didn’t happen to be one of them. I will probably have to do guard duty in 2 or 3 days. I like it here pretty good if I was only sure of staying without getting put back. I am enclosing a program of the church where I sent. They have these programs made out for each week. Don’t send me any more money unless I ask for it. I can get along with one night gown for a while and will get pajamas if I need anything more. They are handier to crawl into bed which is like crawling into a hole the way we make them up. Also I got my pay for June yesterday which was $3.50, The pay is $1.10 per day but they took out insurance for a whole month which is $6.40 which only left 3.50 out of $9.90. Next pay day if I stay I ought to get $26.60. I haven’t spent but very little yet and will get along all right unless something unforeseen happens. Then if I need anything I will write for it. My laundry for last week cost 39 cents and will probably not be more than 20 or 15 cents more any week. They marked all my things at the laundry. So you see it was all right even if you didn’t get them marked.

My skin doesn’t hurt me like it did and my feet are getting used to the new shoes. We had a lecture on flat feet today. It is nearly eight o’clock now and I don’t know whether to take a walk or not. I haven’t seen anything of the place yet. I guess had better study most of the time and take walks Sundays to rest up. I cann’t think of anything more now but know I have forgotten some things. Skinner from Greenwich graduates here this week if he passes. He is going home. He will be at home from Saturday morning till Monday afternoon. This letter ought to reach you Saturday. Will try to write again Saturday or Sunday. Don’t forget to write about the funeral and all when you feel like it.

Yours Lovingly
Earl

P.S. We had a hard thunder shower here at 5 o’clock last night and another at 6 o’clock. It was very boggy early this morning.

Ithaca, N.Y.
Saturday Afternoon
Dear Mother,
Since we are having the afternoon off I am taking the opportunity to write to you. I am going to write it just as it comes into my head because there are so many things to say. Therefore there may not be much coherence in this letter. I received your letter Wednesday noon, the day after you wrote it. The package came yesterday and I got it this morning. They have a special post-office in this building but it shut up last night before I found the slip telling me there was a package for me. I was glad to get the things. The handkerchiefs will come in handy because with the cold I had the past week two handkerchiefs get pretty dirty in a week. I am practically over my cold now. It has been warm enough since Monday. I don’t know whether the post-office will shut up before I get this written but even if this letter doesn’t go till to-morrow you ought to get it Monday. I thought afterways how foolish it was to send for that coat hanger but when I paid 35¢ for such a little thing it seemed more foolish yet. However, we found out afterwards that it was a “mistake” that they were only 15¢ and they say they are going to give us our money back.

I wished you wouldn’t wait so long without writing the news or getting Perry or Ethel to write them. You cann’t expect me to write much more than once a week when I tell you what we have to do we scarcely have time to wash our faces here. The only one I have heard from except you is John Cloke. He says that he saw Dwight Douglass going to Albany to join the surveying party. He has gotten a good job I guess.

I was sorry to hear that you had such a job getting home that night. I suppose Pa gave me the blame for it. It seems so those coil boxes could be soaked in melted parafin so they wouldn’t soak up with water if that is what the trouble was. You didn’t tell me whether you saw the train go that night. It must have passed you somewhere if you were not too long getting to North Hoosick. Tell me all the news. Is any body haying yet. I saw quite a little hay cut out this way when I came out last Saturday.

I will now try to tell you what life is like here. I will also tell you right now don’t do any crowing that you have a son in the Army because you are liable to see me home the latter part of next week. Not because I want to, by any means, but that is when they make their first “kick out” here. After the first couple of days I got to liking it great here and I got along pretty good in drill and keep out of the awkward squad because I had had training in marching at R.P.I. in gym. I liked that kind of drill but Tuesday or Wednesday we got our guns and then the trouble began. You know I never have had any manual of arms. We have some old Springfield rifles like were used in the Spanish American War and they felt at first to weigh about a ton more or less. The main trouble here seems to be there is no time to study or do anything else. There is something to do every few minutes. Taps are blown at 9:30 except Saturday night when they are blown at 11:30. At the last note all lights are turned out and no one is allowed to talk or make a particle of noise until 5:30 in the morning. Furthermore every one must be in bed at taps and right afterwards the officers go thru the company streets with flash lights to see if every one is in bed. As I said reville (or however you spell it) is blown at 5:30. Now listen! In just ten minutes at 5:40 we have to be dressed and out on the field next to the Armory and lined up where the roll is taken. There we have calisthenics like we used to have in gym. At about ten minutes of six we get back to the Army where we are allowed until 6:10 to get ready for breakfast and roll up our bunk. I few don’t get our bunk done we can finish it after mess if we eat fast enough. We are marched to the mess hall at 6:15. We have our choice of oatmeal or puffed rice sometimes other light cereal on one morning. The next morning we have choice of cream of wheat or cornflakes or sometimes something else. At least that is the way we have had it so far. They call it light or heavy cereal. I take light when we have oatmeal and heavy when we have cream of wheat because I like cream of wheat better. They give us a bowl full or too. We have our choice of cocoa or coffee for breakfast, so I get my cocoa once a day as before except it comes in the morning. I never take coffee or teak at the other meals but sometimes take a glass of milk to eat bread in when I am extra hungry. As soon as we finish we get up and after returning the dirty dishes on our individual trays to one of the central tables we return to the armory to clean up the floor. It takes a lot of help in the kitchen to feed nearly a thousand hungry men. All their help is hired except the ones who dish out the stuff to the men as they come by holding out their plates. It will be our company’s turn to do that next week. I ought to get lots to eat then if there is any left. The companies or squadrons as they are called are lettered from A to M and each squadron changes letter every week. We have been A squadron all the week. We are now B squadron because a new bunch of men came in last night from some southern camp. They have been drilling four weeks before they came here. It must be something new. M squadron is the graduation squadron each week.

As I started to say after mess we go back to the Armory and each man has a certain task to do; to scatter saw dust, sprinkle or sweep a certain spot or take up dirt. Any time which he has to spar he fixes up his cot. Every thing has to be clean and in order by 7:10 when we have to stand at attention while inspection is made. If you ever saw this place you would wonder how we ever ate and did all the work in 55 minutes or less. Everything about the cots has to be clean and “just so”. The mattress has to be rolled up with pillow inside and the 2 sheets and 2 blankets folded in eighths and laid alternately on the roll in a certain way and the hat place on top in center.

Then the cots have to be lined up in the street with a string. The suit cases placed on line under the head of cot six inches from rear. Extra shoes must be placed in line at a certain place. And most important all dirt must be gone; Every speck. After this week the new squadron does the sweeping and all we have to do is to clean under our own individual cots and pass the dirt on to the next fellow. I think I will buy a little brush to use myself because the brushes or push brooms or what ever you call them are so full of dirt that it is hard to get every speck out from under your cot. This morning the lieutenant caught me for dirt for the first time. After inspection we got out and drill for an hour or more and as I said before I got along pretty good until we got our guns. He called me down at great rate Thursday but I did my best with the old gun and practiced with till my hand is blistered. I think I can handle it a little better but I am afraid he will kick me out next week. He will probably put me back a week any way. He asked me yesterday what I did before I came into the army. If I do get kicked out I cann’t help it for I am trying my best. The fellows all tell me that if I keep practicing it will come after a while but I don’t know, I hope so. We drill and go to class until twelve noon with about 5 minutes to spare every hour. We get an hour’s work in telegraphy or signaling as they call it. The second day we had to know all the letters and numerals. I like it but didn’t do very well; there were only a very few that were any worse than I was. I think I can get it after a good deal of practice. I ought to be practicing now. I don’t see any way out of it unless a practice and study on Sunday. We also have lectures on military stuff and guard duty. We will probably have to go on guard before long. That means walk back and forth with a gun for two hours at a time with 4 hours to sleep between times. There is a lot to it that probably wouldn’t interest you much and could take a book to tell it.

Noon mess is about noon. We have had lots of good things to eat. We have had ice cream XE "ice cream" three or four times for desert. The fellows say they get sick of the grub after a while but I don’t see how they can kick because there is such a variety. Nearly every day is different but probably they repeat after awhile. After mess A squadron has to sweep the armory again and everybody has to unroll their mattress and make up their cot ready to sleep in. After that is done we have off or can study until 2:00. Then we drill or go to class alternately all the afternoon.

About the prettiest thing is the parade we have very night at retreat out on the drill field. If I stay here this summer I wish you could come out if only to see that. No civilians are allowed in the Armory without a pretty important reason but I could see you all afternoon Saturday and on Sunday and in 4 or 5 weeks we can leave here Saturday noon and stay till Sunday night I think or later. If I stay there won’t be much chance of getting home. Even at graduation the men only have from Saturday noon until 8:00 A.M. Tuesday to be away from here. All the men who get thru here do not go direct to flying school but some go to a concentration camp where they get more drill for 2 months or less. So I guess it will be a long time before I ever get to flying even if I get thru here all right which looks doubtful.

Now I will go back to the parade. At about 4:00 P.M. we dress up with coat and all and march out to the field where we are drilled and got ready for the parade. I think there are three battalions in the parade. We have to stand at parade rest while the band marches around and then at attention while “The colors is played,” then the command is given officers center. (This takes place about 5:50 P.M.) Afterwards we all have to pass in review. The two flays U.S. and the Signal Corps are carried around and held in the center while the squadrons pass by keeping as straight a line as possible. We were in civilian clothes until Thursday and we used to get the applause. Last night was the first we carried our guns. A big crowd gathers around the field every night. Tuesday there was a meeting in Ithaca of the old Soldiers or G.H.R. These old men lined up and said they guess they could “mark time” and “parade rest”. Wednesday Governor Whitman was here and we marched toward him until within about a rod of him. After retreat we march in and get ready for supper at about 6:00. You see I cann’t remember the exact time yet but there is an exact time for everything. After supper we usually have off until 9:10 when there is another formation they call it. Everybody lines up and roll is taken. This takes place before and after every class. It seems as though that all we do is to “fall in.” As I said before after this we get ready so as to be in bed at 9:30. Sometimes we have had one class between 8:00 and 9:00.

While I think of it the next time you write I wished you would put in the letter the little straight screw driver that is around there somewhere. Perry knows where it is probably. It is the one with a rough straight handle. It ought not to cost anymore if put in a letter. Maybe it would cost 3 cents more. If you don’t find it let it go but I thought it could be handy to clean the screw heads on my gun. We have gun inspection Fridays and it has to be Clean. We got our uniform Wednesday night. They are quite a bother to put on and I have to arrange to wake up and start dressing in bed a little before 5:30. They gave us 2 pairs pants, 2 coats, 2 shirts, 4 pair white socks, 1 pair shoes, 1 pair leggins, belt, hat and I guess that is all. We had to buy the white band for the hat which aviation trainers wear. It cost 25¢. Besides this uniform we were issued before with our cot a raincoat, mattress, 2 mattress covers, 3 sheets, 2 blankets, 1 pillow, 2 pillow cases, bag to put things in. I also got a trunk which they will let me keep for a few weeks.

Well I have been to supper and got back so I guess this letter won’t go to-day. I happened to think just now of that continued story in Youth’s Companion. I wished you would tell me how it ended or send me the paper. A lot of the fellows get papers here in wrappers and I noticed some of them had 2 cent stamps on. I had quite a time eating supper. I laid on my side and right elbow so long writing this letter that I could scarcely bend my elbow. I hope you can read it but I didn’t fell like sitting up. The lieutenant took us on a hike for about [?] hours this morning with our guns. One of my shins has been sore every since I have been here. It was sore when I came. Then the new heavy shoes and guns altogether made me pretty tired. He marched us down down down till we got clear down and then clear out of the cit limits in the country a little ways. It seemed pretty good to smell country air again. We halted there ten or 15 minutes and then marched back and up, up, up. It certainly is “up some” here. When we got back our shirts were wet thru and we could scarcely keep step in marching we were so tired. But I enjoyed it seeing around a little. The fellows were allowed to sing while marching and everybody stopped to look at us when we sent by and some took off their hats.
It was the first time this noon that I went back the second time to get some more to eat and it was only baked beans. This afternoon about 1:30 we were inoculated for, I think, smallpox and typhoid. We marched around. One man cleansed my left arm. The next man made 2 scratches with a needle side of my old small pox scar. The next man put on some stuff in the scratches. The next man filled up a gun with needle on it and jabbed it into the back of the same arm near the shoulder. I suppose this was for typhoid. I don’t suppose the small pox will work again. They didn’t put on any bandages and the whole operations took about 2 minutes or less, I think less. I watched them jab the big needle or gun into the men before me and empty it into them and actually I think the fellow jabbed it in an inch perhaps not so far but it must have been nearly as far. And would you believe that the majority of us did not feel a thing. It looked as though it would hurt awful but I did not feel the needle at all and other fellows stood there after it was done waiting for it to be done thinking that it had not yet been done because they had not felt it. I took a bath afterwards and came up to start this letter and my head began to ache; something new for me. It ached for half an hour or so and stopped. I feel a little queer now I think I have a little fever. Am sweating considerable. However, it didn’t affect my appetite. The fellows say that one is only sick a few hours. My arm feels a little sore next to the shoulder. Don’t worry about me, however, because I think the worst is over and they say if one gets sick the first time the second and third inoculation don’t work.

I was talking to-night with one of the new fellows who cam last night. He says that they have been in Texas a month where they did nothing but drill. They got up at 4:30 or 4:34 and drilled, drilled, drilled. Sometimes they said it was 126° in the sun. One day after inoculation out of 100 men 17 fell over in faint in one day. Some of the men in our squadron fainted this afternoon. One fellow fainted just thinking of it, I guess, before he was jabbed. One fellow dropped in a heap while at attention waiting for mess. They advised us to keep quiet this afternoon and I guess I did the right thing. The fellow who was telling me about Texas said that all the aviation men are now going to be sent there for a months drill before coming here and that we would probably be sent there when we get thru here. He was enlisted a day after me and probably if I had waited another day or so I would have been sent to Texas first. I think it would have been better for then I would have had the drill and could put all my time to study while here. Down there he said they let them know they were in the army being cranky I suppose he meant.

They are pretty cranky here. The officer we have to drill us is pretty fair but he gets awful mad when we cann’t march or handle the guns like veterans. There is one lieutenant here by the name of Wolf and I’ll bet he is a Pain. He looks like Chris Nelson and talks just about like him only he can swear worse than three common swearing men. He has been in the army about all his life I guess and although he hasn’t much education he understands the business of a soldier. He makes everybody toe the mark and we could not help but laugh when he gave us a little drill in guard duty even though he swore a blue streak. He said we were an awful poor bunch of men, either we didn’t know anything or our instructor didn’t but of course he didn’t use that language. I guess I could keep on writing until taps but you won’t have time to read any more, besides I ought to be studying. I hope you are all well and want to here from all of and anybody else that wants to write. It doesn’t take long to read a letter but I haven’t time to write many. Hope you can read this writing. Also remember that I want to stay here even if it takes a long time before I fly if ever but if I don’t improve they will certainly kick me out I am afraid. That is the way they threaten us when we cann’t handle the gun well, is to say that we will be furnished transportation home next week. They posted a list today of a dozen 20 or so men who were sent home or were discharged at their own request. A Bigger list was turned back a week. Don’t forget I want to hear from everybody,

Yours lovingly
Earl

P.S. I used pretty near all the tablet and will have to go down stairs now and get some more. Don’t look for any more letters until a week from now.

Ithaca, N.Y.
Sunday Evening
Dear Mother,
Since we begin real business to-morrow, I thought I had better write again while I had a chance. I am getting so I almost like it and I think, when I get straightened around so I know what to do, that I will like it well. They certainly give us enough to eat. For breakfast, today, we had our choice of a large dish of cream of wheat or corn flakes, a piece of meat and a half of an orange. For dinner we had beef steak, boiled potatoes and ice cream. XE "ice cream" They gave me more beef for one meal than I have eaten so far this year I guess.
I bought three towels for 25¢ each and a coat hanger for 35¢ at the post exchange. I wished you would send me my two night gowns and a coat hanger and a pair of sneaks. You know I have two pairs and I wish you would send the pair that has been worn out-doors if you can tell the difference. I think they are in my room but if you don’t find them now let them go but send the night gowns and coat hangers. It ought not to cost much to send them by parcel post.
There are fellows here from Virginia and all over. They seem about all like fine fellows. One fellow who has the next cot to me comes from Syracuse and I tell him it makes me think of home to look at his name for his name is van Buskirk. I was talking with a fellow from Michigan who has been to an agricultural college. He knows all about Ford Tractors. I guess he has run them. He says they are good ones, they will pull 2 plows thru mud and will pull three sections of a spring tooth harrow but it made it boil a little to do this last sometimes, he said. He says it will run 15 miles an hour in high. It is quite a lot like a Ford automobile but has a different cooling system. He told of someone getting them for $750 but that they were sold for $800 by the dealers. He says any Ford dealer who has got a little pull can get them.
They have a special Y.M.C.A. building here where the boys go and play the piano and sing. They had church there at 9:30 to-day but I went down street to a Baptist church and heard a sermon on the war. The minister couldn’t talk as good as Mr. Perkins though I don’t think. It is long way DOWN there and since I have to be back at 12:30 I think I will try to go to the Y.M.C.A. instead, although it helped me get warm walking down and back. It has been awful cold here. I caught a little cold last night being cold when I got here and was cold all night. I guess it will be warmer to-night. The sun came out about 5 o’clock and they are keeping the doors to the armory closed and heating it a little.
I wished you would tell the people around West Hoosick who want it my address because it is a waste of time to write to each one. Every bit of time counts. I ought to be up practicing with the wireless now. You don’t have to write out all that address I sent you. This is enough
Cadet E.P. Osborn
U.S.A.S.M.A.
Cornell University
Ithaca
N.Y.
Don’t worry about me if you don’t hear from me again right away because Sundays are the only days we will have any time, I guess. I ought to learn how to sweep if I don’t learn anything else. Everything has to be just so with no dirt.
Earl

Ithaca, N.Y.
Saturday, P.M.
Dear Mother,
I have just gotten time to sit down about four o’clock. How did you get home last night? The train came in about 15 minutes after you went. I had a great time with that ship, not having any ticket. The conductor used to be on the school train and he knew me but he wasn’t going to take it at first. At last he made a note of it and said he didn’t know how it would come out. He wrote on it that the ticket office wasn’t open but he didn’t know what the New York Central Concoctor would do about it. I had to change at Rotterdam and the conductor wished me good luck. It was pouring then. The other train was about half an hour late in starting. When the new conductor came along he was cranky and was gong to make me pay but all at once he got real nice and told he would go with me in the Syracuse station and get a ticket. I thought I was supposed to get off at Utica but he had me go to Syracuse. We got there about 4:30. I almost slept on the train but not quite exactly. They made out a ticket in Syracuse from Buskirk to Ithaca and the conductor said he would send the piece of the ticket to Bill Thompson the B.M. conductor that he was supposed to have. From Hoosick Falls to Syracuse the trains only stopped at Johnsonville Mechanicsville, Scotia, Rotterdam and Utica. I left Syracuse about five o’clock just as it was getting daylight. Reached Auburn six o’clock and had to wait until 8:25 to get a train to Ithaca. I near froze waiting in the old station in Auburn. I got to Ithaca about 10 o’clock on the same train that I would have gotten there on if I had gotten off at Utica.

U.S.A. School of Military Aeronautics Ground School at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

I met a cadet who was going here and found my way by following him. We had to register. They gave us names to fasten onto our coats with batchelor buttons. They say we will get our uniforms about Wednesday night. They set us sweeping the floor and have kept us busy most of the time. I guess it is a good thing that I came last night or I would have missed a good deal. They gave us sheets and blankets and told us that learning how to make up our cot was our first lesson in aviation. I ate all the lunch that you put up that I could but I guess I will have to throw some of it away, for they give me more than I can eat here. They don’t eat where they used to I guess. They have a mess building [?] purpose for us. We go in and get a tray knife fork and spoon, walk along a table where some fellows who are on mess duty put the stuff on the tray. Then we go and sit down to a table and eat it. I didn’t like the stuff very well this noon but tonight they gave us lots of good things and lots of it: boiled potatoes, a hunk of ground up beef, that tasted about as good as you make, as big as your fist, and a mixture of peas and celery besides coffee, milk, water etc.
I met Skinner the fellow from Greenwich and some other R.P.I. men here. Skinner has two or three weeks yet. They have to study some to keep from getting sent home. I probably won’t have time to write very much if I expect to pass, so don’t worry about me, I’ll get enough to eat. We will get our laundry done for us for about 75¢ a week. I had to write this letter between times.
This certainly is some Armory. The Hoosick Falls Armory wouldn’t any more than hold the aeroplanes they have here to say nothing of the regular [?]city where we sleep. About 70 or 80 new men come here every week and I guess they send home a good share of them the first two or three weeks or later. Now they have just called me to sit in the office and answer the telephone. They always have something to do. I am afraid now this letter won’t go in time for you to get it Monday.
I wish now I had brought another towel and my night gown or two. There are so many things to say that I cann’t think of them all. Write and tell me what Perry got in Zoology.
Earl
My address is
Cadet Earl P. Osborn
U.S.A. School of Military Aeronautics
Cornell University
Ithaca,
N.Y.