Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1918 — LETTER FROM ELVIN BUSSELL. [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM ELVIN BUSSELL.

Somewhere in France, July 29, 1918. My dear nephew:— Hello “Kid” Bussell!! How are you, ahyway? Able to navigate in the usual way I suppose, and aa ornery as ever, still able to go down ana see Hie little girls. How about it. )o the girls bother you now? By this time you have been up carrying water for your Grandpa Parker while they threshed. I wish I could »e there for about one meaL I believe I could get away with a goodly portion of a threshing dinner and a few extra noodles. , . X I just finished up my dinner of bully beef pie, hard tack and tea, /nd it tasted good. Great stunk “bully beef;” nothing like it but more “bully,” and at came from Chicago. We certainly get our share of tea. No one ever takes<any of it because there is plenty for everybody. Our work is at night. I work from 12 p. m. till Ba. m. I get up at 10 a m., have a cup of tea and then walk through the mud for a mile and a half to work. It is quite an interesting trip, wash you could be with me some night. I carry my rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition, bayonet, belt and the other dope, and "it holds a fellow to the grotfnd pretty well. The shells whistle over all the time and . really it is quite interesting, the Englisman says, no trouble to stay awake at all. There is a battery of nine inch guns near here and whenever they fire it shakes the dirt down on my head. When they start a barrage it sounds like a wagon going over a bridge-with loose plank for a floor, and lasts for several hours at a time. .

I don’t know which is the worst, the mosquitoes, coolies, mud or th« Germans, but between all of them J am enjoying the best of health anc feeling fine. It will take them a long time to kill me at this rate unless some damn fool German drops a shell on me or shoots at me with his rifle. Give Lucille, Elizabeth and Elvih a kiss for me and accept a pinch for yourself, and tell Wilson O. E. anc your papa and mama that I will write as soon as I can. Kiss Mary Ellen for me, and any other pretty girl that you happen to see. Your uncle,' ELVIN.