Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1919 — LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS

W. R. Thompson, Navy Wireless Operator, Writes From Russia. The Democrat is in receipt of the following letter from William R. Thompson, U. 8. navy wireless operator, now stationed at Mermansk, Russia, together with a poem which would indicate that William is not very much in love with Russia and especially with that section of the country about Mermansk. The letter was mailed at London May 26 and reached The Democrat Thursday morning. Enclosed with the letter was a kodak picture of a “Laplander and his team of reindeer in town of Mermansk, northern Russia, and It certainly Is not an inviting spot. if the locality in which this picture was taken is any criterion. The letter and poem follow: U. S. Naval Radio Reviving Station, Mermansk, Russia, care P. M. N. Y. city. May 1, 1919. My dear Mr. Editor: Having received numerous letters from time to time through friends at McCoysburg, Lee, Monon, Gifford, Kersey and Demotte, and apparently finding little time to correspond individually with each, I take this means of answering the many letters re-

ceived. Having spent 10 months in the eastern central part of England, near Hull and Grimsbytown, attached to an American)'naval seaplane base in the capacity of wireless operator I can say I have seen some active service on this side without being drawn into this cold, ice-bound, prison where I have been since early in February, so can well speak of the poor and unnecessary conditions that prevail in this district at the present. There are many American troops about here, consisting of railway engineers, doing their work to get the troops from the Archangel sector to the open sea as the immediate sea opening from that port "is the greater part of the year icebound and this port is at all times open to navigation. In the Archangel sector are infantry of the 339th, composed of Michigan and Wisconsin troops mostly and all told not over 6;000, so it will not be an enormous task once they are centralized —though they are scattered about in small groups with other allied troops. There are many refugees in this town who are well supplied with earthly means; thtff is, the necessary rubles, but it Is content and food that is needed to cause quietude as war l|£fore food will never settle the wrangle is my opinion of the subject. I am with a group of radio electricians and operators on detached shore duty in the way of supplying the allied forces with the wireless news of the world, as we are able at all times to receive American, French and Italian stations. I am, as ever, truly yours, WILLIAM R. THOMPSON.

THE CREATION OF RUSSIA When the Lord was designing creation, And laying out oceans and lands With never an hour’s relaxation, For a moment to spit on His hands. As anyone will, in a hurry. He let things get by now and then, In all the excitement and worry That He should have done over again. So rather than mess up the outfit He saved every blunder and blob, And laid it aside in the corner To use at the end Of the job. And the sixth afternoon of the contract — His bonus expiring that day— He bailed out the dregs of creation And shoveled the litter away. And scrapped all the wreckage and tailings And the sewage and scum of the sump, And He made on the shores of the Arctic ,He rushed -'things through in a

A great international dump, hurry And because of the rush iH*e was in He named the locality Russia, And Russia it always has been. And then feeling glum and sarcastic, Because it was Saturday night. He spotted the nastiest corner, And called it Mermansk, for sipite. It'is there they do everything backward. And the mud doesn’t dry between rains; Where money and sawdust are plenty, And thievery better than brains. It’s the home of the Wop and the Bohunk, The herring and mud-colored crows; My strongest impression of Russia Got into my head through my nose. It’s the land of the Infernal odor, The land of the national smell; And the average Yankee sailor *, , Would sooner be quartered Ih hell. So it’s back to the States for yours truly, I’m not wishing anyone ill; But Russia can hang for all I care, • And I truly reckon she will. Yes, It’s -back to the States for yours truly, A sadder but wiser young chap; For the Lord played a Joke on creation When Russia was dumped on the map.