| 1918 Extracts from Barry County, MO, Newspapers An interlibrary loan of microfilm from the State Historical Society of MO was the source of the below given data. |
Extracts from Barry County, MO, Newspapers
Extracted by: Donna Cooper, Coordinator |
Cassville Republican, Thursday,
Oct. 3, 1918
Soldier Boy's Letter
Aug. 29, 1918 Dear Mother: Will write you again today. I am well and feeling fine. It is nice and warm here today. This is the first clear day I have seen for about a week and a half. The sun is shinning and everything looks good. I am still in England, have seen some as pretty nights as I ever saw. This sure is a fine looking place. Have had the privilege of seeing Liverpool. The buildings are all stone and brick and when you look up a street it seems odd to see the buildings just the same on both sides. Of course everything looks strange it is so much different to what we are used to. I went to Winchester this morning, it sure is an old and fine looking place. There were no electric cars and what were in Liverpool were short and double decked. I also got to see the great hall of Winchester Castle, it has been there for 830 years. I also went through Winchester Abbey. It is a great church and I enjoyed it. The houses through the country are all stone and brick. The fences are stone, the farms are small but well fixed and cared for. They have good crops and are just now harvesting; wheat looks good. Have not seen any corn but a good many crops of oats. Crops are mostly wheat and vegetables. Potatoes are especially fine. I would love to hear from home to know whether you are all well or not but suppose it will not be long before I will hear and when I begin to get letters will hear often again. I will still write often, don't know whether I will still get to write every day or not but will write as often as I can. And before I close I want to say that God has not forsaken me that I am still trusting him and clinging to his promises. I want to live so that when I come back I can say that I a better boy than when I went away. Will write again soon, As ever, Your son, Otto Farwell, Co. G. 350 Inf., A. E. F. From France Dear Grandfather and all: How are you all? I certainly hope you are all well. I received your letter of July 16, yesterday, was sure glad to hear from you. I found the money O. K. and it sure did look good to me. I wasn't broke by a few Francs but real old American greenback kinder reminds a fellow of old times. I am glad to know that have started boosting the Salvation army. We boys think quite a lot more of them than we do the Y. M. C. A. We can get hot cakes and coffee at the Salvation army huts most any morning. They don't make any charges for it but I always leave some change on the counter. Gosh! it made me long to be at home when I read all that crowd being there and of the 6 gallons of ice cream you ate. Well maybe I will get home some time at least. I intend to and when I do I think I will know how to enjoy life. Say you asked me a question about a certain noise, well yes, I hear it anytime, loud too. This leaves me well. Good-bye. Yours with love, Alvin, Pvt. James A. Blalock, Co. C. 355 Infantry, A. E. F. The above letter was received by J. M. Blalock of Butterfield. Jess Wiseley Writes From France
Sept. 3, 1918 Dear Mother: I have just received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I am well and doing fine and hope you are all the same. I have plenty to eat and a very good place to sleep. Tell John Dilbeck I am well and doing fine and very well satisfied. I received 8 letters and four papers on one day. I have received 25 letters since I landed. Tell Mr. Ray I go the papers all right and enjoy reading them. How is everybody in Hungry hollow by this time? There is one Barry county boy with me. He has been with me for six months. I cannot understand French very well. I saw Ethel Terry a few days ago. He is looking fine. Tell my friends all Hello. All the people here are good to us. There are two American girls working at the Y. M. C. A. They give us all the hot chocolate we can drink. There is going to be a big show here in a few moments. I will close. Jess Wiseley Ambulance Co. 38 S., A. E. F. Letter From France
C. W. Higganbotham received a letter last week from one of his grandsons who is with Pershings army in France. The letter follows: I have received one letter from you since I landed here in France. I am well and enjoying myself as well as one could expect here where I am. I guess "Frizy" has gone to church today as everything is so quiet. But I have seen times when he gets pretty noisy. I have got so now that when one of his shells comes whistling over I do not get frightened but when I was up to the front before they made me feel pretty shaky. I have got so now that I believe they will not hurt me unless intended for me. My name is so large I do not think they have made any shell with my name on them. I have also found out that a shell that whistles does not hurt a fellow anyway and there is not use to dodge. One can hear the large shells from the time they leave the guns until tater they have gone by. We are getting plenty of eats now that suits a soldier as you know. If you were here you would think that we fight different from what you did when you were a soldier. The weather here is pretty nice except the nights which get pretty chilly. Your grandson, Chas. I. Higganbothan, Pvt. Co. A. 137 Infty. A. E. F. From Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge, Ia., Sept. 29, 1918 Editor Republican, Cassville, Mo. Dear Sir: Will write you a few lines to let you and other Barry County friends know that I am still in Camp Dodge and enjoying life. Just came down from the Base hospital Friday, the 27th. Have been in service four months, two months on duty and two in the hospital. I think is doing real well, don't you? I was taken to the hospital just one week before my company left for France. I was certainly very much disappointed when I learned that I could not go with them. There is still a few Barry County boys in this camp. Private Hogget of near Cassville is in my company and Private Davis of near Golden is in the medical detachment at the base hospital. I saw him most every day while I was in the hospital. He expects to go over seas soon. I was in the hospital long enough to get acquainted with most everyone there, most especially the nurses. I certainly did get good treatment while there. There is a disease called Spanish influenza in camp. The base hospital was placed under quarantine to day and we expect the camp to be tomorrow. I am now in Class B and in the Depot Brigade but trust that I will not remain there long. "No, we do not handle freight, ha! ha!" I haven't done anything for two months only eat, sleep and sign the pay roll. It is rather lonesome here today as most of the boys are gone to Des Moines and the balance are on guard duty. I am marked quarters and not allowed to go anywhere as I am still under the doctors care. I certainly enjoy reading the home papers which I receive most every week. I will close as I do not wish to take up too much of your time. Best wishes to you and all Barry County friends. Scene: The infirmary at sick call. Lieutenant, addressing the first man up: "Well sir, what seems to be the matter with you?" "A headache, sir, I can't sleep." "Give him a pill, sergeant. Next." "Sir, my foot hurts me so I can't walk a step with it." "Give him a pill, sergeant. Next, What the matter with you?" "I hurt my wrist playing ball yesterday. See how its swollen all up?" "Give him a pill, sergeant. The rest of you fellows aren't sick. Get back to your company and drill a while and you'll feel better. We're out of pills now, anyway." Exit the sick, lame and lazy. Yours truly, Pvt. Clarence McKee Co. 6, 2nd Ba. 163rd Depot Brigade Camp Dodge, Ia. Green Easley Writes From France
J. J. Wallen of this city received lately the following letter from his young Friend, Green Easley, a Barry county boy who is now in France in the American army. Somewhere in France, August 28, 1918 After so long a time I will write you a few lines. I am in the trenches. We sleep in the daytime and are up all night. Do you ever see uncle Ned? I am sitting in one end of a dugout. It is raining today. We slip down the trenches and take a bath and wash our clothes. We have lots of fun, too. Old Fritz sends shells over every once in a while. It sure makes a fellow feel little sometimes when they come close. Well the Yanks are coming over pretty fast. They are going to do the work for the Huns. I am not with a Barry county boy but I am with a fine bunch of boys and officers. I have had a long trip and have seen lots of country and of course was on the water sometime. Will close for this time. So answer soon. Your friend, Green Easley, Co. D. 342 M. G. Bn, A. P. O. 761 American Expeditionary Forces Somewhere in France
Aug 29, 1918 Dear Mother: I will write you a few lines to let you know I am well and hope when your receive this it will find you all the same. I just got back from the front today. I had a fine time up there, so don't be uneasy about me for we have got the Germans going. I guess all the boys are gone from around home now. When you write tell me how the crops are. I have not had a letter from home since I got over here. It is a hard matter to get mail here and I can't write very often but will write as often as I can. I will close for this time so answer soon. Your son, Fred Y. Boyer, Battery F. 130th F. A. A. E. F. The above letter was received a few days ago by Mrs. M. E. Boyer northeast of Cassville. Woodruff Writes From France
The following letter was received by the Woodruff family at Washburn from Chris Woodruff who is in France. Somewhere in France, Sept. 5, 1918 At last we are, or seem to be settled down for a few days. We have been in the neighborhood 3 or 4 days now. That is longer than we have been anywhere since we left America. For nearly a month we have done nothing but travel. We have seen some beautiful country. We are billeted in a little village now that looks as though it were a thousand years old and I expect some of the houses are that old. There is a lot of wheat over here and the people in this part seem to live well. They are certainly fine people. The railroads over here are jokes compared to our railroads in American although they have some fine fast trains, faster perhaps than our own but not to be compared in comfort. The passenger coaches are divided into compartments and little room in them We have done most of our traveling in box cars and it would take a dozen of them to make one like those we have in America. The sun shines bright and hot here during the day but it gets cool at night. I have not had any mail yet since I left America. You get as much and possibly more war news there as we do here. We get European editions of New York papers that are very good. The soldier boys are better satisfied over here than they were back in camp. I am enjoying it. It is a great education for anyone. Don't worry about me. I am well and have plenty to eat but would like to have a chew. Cp. Chris C. Woodruff Co. L. 352 Inf. N. A. A. P. O 794, A. E. F. |
Cassville Republican, Thursday, Oct. 3, 1918
Personal and Local
See the line of cooking stoves, ranges and heating stoves at the Cassville Hardware. Mrs. Emily McNally who has been in California on an extended visit with her son, L. F. McNally returned last week. She made the journey alone and returned feeling fine over the trip. Mrs. J. J. Daley of Sapulpa, Okla., visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bayless northwest of Cassville the latter part of last week. She attended the funeral of John Otterman at Monett Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bayless northwest of town attended the funeral of John Otterman at Monett Friday. They had been old acquaintances for many years. Mr. Otterman had been a highly respected citizen of Monett since 1887. Mrs. and Mrs. L. F. Jones and daughter, Miss Carrie, and Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Meador motored to Monett Friday night and heard the program at the St. Louis conference of the M. E. Church given that evening. Dr. and Mrs. M. C. Hagler of Braunsfela, Tex., are visiting at Monett where they formerly lived. Dr. Hagler is a Captain in the medical reserve corps of the army. Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Smith received a letter last week from their son, Lee, stating that he was ready to make another trip across the Atlantic on the vessel on which he is working. Bud Arnold west of Cassville on the Exeter road will have, it is estimated, from four to six car loads of apples for the market. He has sold them to A. D. Taylor at Exeter. Bill Fancher of near Viola is here this week loading out to market five cars of cattle. Mrs. Frank Hoenshell of the Cedar Bluff locality on Flat Creek, received a message on Sept. 27, stating that her husband who is in the army in France had been seriously wounded on August 24. Mrs. Hoenshell has received letters from her husband dated since August 24 in which he said that he hoped to be able soon to return to his company and for that reason she believes that the wounds received were not as serious as they were at first thought to be. Pleasant Ridge
Mrs. Wm. Marbut died Sept. 24 of cancer of the breast. She leaves a husband and four children and one step-daughter. She was the daughter of Dave Calton of little Flat Creek. Benton Lamb had a public sale of his personal property last Thursday and will move to Oklahoma here he is working for the railroad company. Munsey
Leonard Prier and Golda Reed have the typhoid fever. Lower Gunter
Mrs. Harris has been sick for some time is able to be up again. Flat Creek
It is reported that the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claud Henson has the measles. Mr. and Mrs. John Asher and little daughter visited Sunday with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. I. Potter. Oak Ridge
Truman Hankins writes that they are now camped in the aviation field and when the weather is fair that you can see as many as a dozen planes maneuvering in the air at once and that there is just one Barry county boy in his company, Henbest. They went to Camp Arthur Sept. 5. They are now drilling with their gas masks. He says they form two sides then put on their masks and run a race and he says it is laughable to see the boys getting them on in the rush. They also form lines and two men hold up a stick and the boys, one right after the other, run and jump the stick and lots of the boys catch their toes and fall over and sometime quite a pile of boys on dust over the stick. Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Payne went to Kansas Friday to see their son, Clay, who is there in an auto school before he went overseas. They found him quarantined on account of the Spanish Influenza and could only talk to him across the street. Too bad for a mother to go so far and could not even shake hands with her boy. Cedar Mound
Cedar Mound school house is completed. It cost $1600 including the furniture. Miss Alma Lathim of Cassville is teaching our school. It is progressing nicely with a good attendance. Roaring Spring
J. B. Calhoun is quite poorly. New Salem
Claud Roller and wife are the proud parents of a big boy, born Sept. 29. Oel Skelton of Washburn visited Sunday with his brother, Noel, of this place. Washburn Prairie
Several from here went to Exeter Monday to see the war exhibits. Our teacher, Mr. Reynolds, dismissed school in the afternoon and he and most all the pupils went. Charley, the little 4 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Herd, died this morning, Tuesday, of membranous croup. The family have the sympathy of their neighbors and friends. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Reese, Thursday, a son. Mrs. Wm. Marbut Dies Missouri Calton Marbut was born June 19, 1866, died Sept. 24, 1918, age 52 years, 3 months and 5 days. She was married to Wm. Marbut Sept. 26, 1895. To this union was born six children, two dying in infancy, leaving a husband, four children, one step-son, a father, three brothers and three sisters, to mourn the departure. She professed faith in Christ and united with the Baptist Church at Pleasant Ridge about thirty years ago. Her last words were I am ready to go, its perfectly all right. She repeated these words to her husband and father. |
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