Pipe Smoking and Insurance - 10/25/1917

Camp Sheridan

Montgomery, Ala.

Oct.25, 1917

My Dear Dad: -

I rec. Marion's letter of the 20th, yours of the 21st and Mothers of the 22nd last evening.

I would like your advice immediately on the Gov. Insurance proposition adopted for soldiers. This is the proposition. Insurance taken out by soldiers is convertible at the close of the war. It can be converted into 20 yr. paid up, endowment, or straight life policies, in nearly any of the insurance companies. The full amount or any part of it may be converted. Ten thousand dollar policy in the Gov. during the war would cost be about $6.00 or $6.50 a month, during the way & when converted it would cost me a flat rate, minus all overhead expenses, which would be between 25 or 40% cheaper than I could take out a regular policy in any of the Ins. Co's. Do you think it would be a good plan to take out $10,000? The premiums would be taken out of my pay monthly. I think it is a very good proposition.

How did it happen the Buckeye did not move into the Nicholas Bldg? As I was told they intended doing.

As to the Liberty Loan, the 148th Amb. (the old 1st) subscribed for over $20,000 worth of bonds. I took two fifties, which will be another $10 a month out of my pay.  However I had not intended to tell you, I arranged to have the bonds sent to you when they are paid up, which will be about next July. Now what do you think of that?

As to the cigars, I still have a few, but since you sent that can of tobacco, I have been smoking my pipe nearly altogether.

There are about a dozen or more take The Blade, News Bee, & Times, and I can see theirs so hardly think it necessary to have it sent to me.

I went up-town last evening and had a good hot bath, then went to a movie. It is the first hot bath I've had since I came here. Our hot showers are not completed yet.

Tell Mother to send me Giles' address & I'll write him a letter. I did not give Mr. Keith a picture before I left, I forgot all about it, and I was so busy. Give him his choice.

Tell Marion, that I tried to get some sugar cain for her, but I guess I was a little too late in the season.

Well I'd better close & get back to Hdq. as it is nearly time to go after mail.

Love to All

Howard

 

 

 

The above image is from Stanford's library. I was curious about Howard's pipe smoking, so I did some research and I learned another tidbit of interesting history I never thought I'd know: the history of tobacco and cigarettes in America. From Cigarette Pack Collectors Association (another website I never thought I'd visit): "When the United States entered the war in 1917, the sale of cigarettes was illegal in eight states and legislation to prohibit them was pending in twenty-two others. Across the nation, the smoking of cigarettes was generally looked upon with disdain. It was associated primarily with eastern European immigrants living in urban centers or so called “city dandies”. Evangelist, Billy Sunday expressed the general sentiment when he said: “There is nothing manly about smoking cigarettes. For God’s sake, if you must smoke, get a pipe”.

As you can guess from the image, the general public was asked to contribute to provide tobacca for the troops. Smoking cigarettes eventually because en vogue as the government provided them for the soldiers. Understandably, they were easier to use and carry in the field.



 

On another note, this letter is another example of why Howard ended up being such a good businessman in his later years. I imagine most 18-year olds would be plotting how to spend their pay on cigars and trips into town. Not ol' Howard though - he was intent on focusing on insurance and bonds.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Congress approved Howard's life insurance program because many commercial life insurance companies refused to sell insurance to soldiers due to the increased risk of being in a war zone. In 1919, the plan evolved into the U.S. Government Life Insurance Plan. The program offered plans through 1951, and there are still almost 8,000 policies still in force today.

Don't Forget the Lion Store - 10/15/1917

Camp Sheridan

Montgomery, Ala.

Oct. 15, 1917

My Dear Dad: - 

By Golly! I never though of your birthday being so close, until this morning.

I rec. your letter this morning and rec one from Mother, & Jim also. I was very glad to hear from you.

And, say - darn it - I nearly forgot what I was writing you about, "I wish you many happy birthdays."

As to Lt. Shaffer, I think this trouble is going to turn out O.K. He was ordered to retain his command until it was investigated. The first one, ordering him to give up his command was recinded. 

However, if they change their minds again, we will only be able to get him back thru outside help, as you see we dare not get up any petitions or say a word about it to "higher ups".

This is an ideal day and the air here is great. 

Sunday I wrote letters to Aunt Anna, Miriam Good, Uncle Glen, Lion Store, and several others.

Must close for this time. Hope this finds all O.K.

Love to All

Howard



Photo from the Toledo Blade archive of Lion Store in the 1920s.

So, maybe it's because I'm behind on my posts, but the only thing I seem to find interesting here? Why is Howard writing letters to the Lion Store? Perhaps they had a mail order catalog that sent him some of those fancy white collars he mentioned earlier.

It was a fun bit of nostalgia for me to research though. As a small child, I remember sitting on the golden lions in front of Lion Store at Southwyck Mall. I didn't realize that Lion Store had roots as far back as the 19th century in Toledo. Back then, patrons were buying dry goods instead of Esprit bicycle shorts, but we all shared the same retail heritage, I guess.

Promotions and Cannings - 10/12/1917

Camp Sheridan,

Montgomery, Ala.

Oct. 12, 1917

My Dear Mother: -

Rec. a letter from Leona today, but have not heard from home but once.

Believe me we have had some busy time in camp since yesterday noon. The outlook of losing Shaffer was very bad however it has cleared up considerably. I think he will get to stay unless they change their minds again. Many of our telegrams were answered today and if they decide that he must go we feel sure that we shall have enough influencial men back of us to get up a petition to go to Sec. War Baker, urging his reinstatement, that will cause some action.

I guess there is no chance to get off of the Staff. one of the others tried to get off & Major Wilson said "Nothing Doing."

They made some promotions yesterday. I'll underline all of the men who were promoted. To Sergeants: Lloyd Walker, Robert Symons, Frank Fisher, Clyde Brown, Micheal Figy, Carl Forster. To Corporal: - Fred Johnson, Harry Manson, Warren Sherman, King Conkey, George Brownwell, Lynn Tarbell.

You see what the old men got out of it. Manson only got a corporalship. Clyde Brown, Lisle Elliot, some others & myself got nothing.

Well my job on the staff is pretty soft so I am satisfied to stick.

Tell Dad that if they cann Shaffer I'll look to him for some help.

Am feeling fine

Love to All

Howard

"Nobody has any pull around here except the horses" (Alabama Department of Archives and History)

I did a good amount of research to see what I could find about Shaffer but didn't land on much. There was a C.J. Shafer listed in the University of Cincinnati's Alumni directory at the Base Hospital at Camp Sherman, but I can't say whether it was him.

As far as Sec. War Baker goes, I found that, as an Ohioan, it looks like he was getting lots of requests from his Ohio cronies to pull strings. However, according to Lawrence Kaplan's thesis, it looks like he took the straight and narrow and generally went through the proper channels to get things done as they should have been.

Interestingly enough, Howard felt like his good ol' Dad could do something in this case. I really wish I knew what kind of pull that John had in the community and what was going on behind the scenes at this time. He must have been some kind of a big deal if Howard thought that he could get a guy his job back in the National Guard all the way in Alabama.

The Dirty Dozen and other Dirty Deeds - 10/9/2017

Camp Sheridan

Oct. 9, 1917

My Dear Mother: - 
I rec. your letter of the 6th this A.M. and one from Leona this P.M. Those were the first two letters I have rec. since coming here, but suppose you have been very busy owing to Dear Old Grand Dad.

I spent most of this evening over at Company A. Signal Corp, with Frank Cullen, Earl McBride & Harry Van Hoesen. Thursday Eve Frank Cullen & I are going up to the city, they have two good shows up there, like the Alhambra.

One of our fellows, named Bachman, who seemed very despondent, disappeared from camp Sat eve at 6:00, he left without his coat or hat after searching his personal property we found his razor missing, today we got word that he was found in a hay barn with his throat cut. He is now in the Base Hospital. I am unable to get any definite information as to the truth of the entire story on the seriousness of his condition.

I wish you would look up Elwood Tyler's mother & let him know how she is. She was very low when we left and he has not heard from home since we left. Please do this immediately as he is very downhearted over affairs.

Everyone else is well & happy. In the tent with me are: Harry Manson, Stewart Donaldson, Clarence Keiser, Don Tubbs, Hoyt Holton, Hugh Neff, Lester Elliott, Erle Walton, Lyle Rothenberger, John O Jesse, and Charles Ellis. The "Dirty Dozen"

They won't allow us to wear white collars and leather putters uptown. I guess they are sore because some of the fellows look neater than the officers.

I must write to Leona so will close.

With Love for All

Your Son

Howard

Just in case you're wondering...above are WWI-era "leather putters" with a bonus pair of spurs. It took a lot of wading through golf sites on Google to figure out just exactly what Howard was talking about. And where did Howard wear these devilishly handsome legwear? To the theat-ah, of course! He mentions the "Alhambra", which was a theater that was built in 1911 in Toledo. It has since been demolished.

As a mother, this post really cut me to the core. I can't even imagine what Howard's mother could have been feeling, imagining her child a situation so hard enough that a friend would want to take his life. Or, even that Howard would have had to deal with the emotions of the aftermath, still only being a teenager. I suppose it was nothing compared to what was still to come. 

And poor Elwood's mother - and Elwood himself - dealing with being apart without the benefits of any communication to even know how each other are even coping. We vilify our smart phones and pine for the romantic days of letters, but an excerpt like this makes me grateful I can reach out so easily to those I love.

Back at it in Alabama - 10/7/1917

Camp Sheridan, Ala

Oct. 7, 1917

My Dear Mother. - 

I rec. Dad's telegram this A.M. Will probably telegraph this evening. Was very sorry to hear of GrandPa's death. Sorry I was absent, and send my sympathies.

Everything in camp is going along just fine and last evening I went to Montgomery. The city is not one half as large as Lima, and is absolutely dead. I sure was disappointed in it.

I am just getting ready to go up to the city this evening for supper so will close. Love to all.

Howard.

P.S. I have plenty of money & expect to get paid about the last of this week.

The above postcard from Troy University's Archives wasn't Howard's, but it is dated from October 1917. We can assume it would be a similar scene to the "dead" Montgomery that he described.

Howard's estimate that Montgomery wasn't half as large as Lima (Ohio) likely wasn't right. They were actually likely around the same size, population-wise. However, Lima probably did seem to be much more alive than Montgomery at the turn of the century. Because of Standard Oil, there was a lot of money running through the Lima at the turn of the century, which afforded a richness of its arts and culture. By 1907, Lima had both an opera house and a movie theater - quite the accomplishment for a town of not even 30,000 people. Lima was also a railroad crossroads. This included the Broadway Limited, which was the high-speed, first-class passenger train between New York and Chicago. (Wikipedia).

I'll admit I was a taken aback by the shortness of Howard's response to his grandfather's death. At first, I wondered if he just wasn't that close to his grandfather, George Washington James. Born in Pennsylvania, George had lived in Lima going back at least 45 years according to census records. He  was a "proprietor of marble works" or "monumental dealer" by trade. George's mother Effie was one of his seven children, one of two daughters. I can only make guesses, but my research tells me that George was likely close to Effie. Effie was one six of George's living children in 1917, yet she was the one who signed his death certificate.

Although the 1910 census shows George living with his other daughter Mable Rohn and her family in Lima, he was in Toledo when he died in 1917. Perhaps he was living with Effie and John at the time? Also, considering that Harold seemed to know the town of Lima pretty well, my guess is that he was pretty close with his mother's family and visited often. I'll give Harold a break and just chalk his shortness of words up to decorum of the time.

Train Home thru Tulsa - 3/15/1917

Leaving Tulsa, Okla

On Train

Mar. 15, 1917

My Dear Parents: - 

We were to go to Kansas City on the Santa Fe R.R., but at Wayonaha, Okla., they changed us to the Frisco Lines, which took us thru Tulsa, Okla., I wired Uncle Clarence, but our train did not reach Tulsa until several hours after we expected it to, therefor I did not get to see him. We will pass thru St. Louis and go on to Ft. Sheridan, Ill. We are way behind schedule, having been held up by a Freight train wreck, and a couple times we got stalled on steep grades.

We are having a fine trip. Lots of fun shooting Jack Rabbits, etc. 

The roadbed was so rough back a ways, that we had to stop & spike a couple of our Amb. down, that had been torn loose. 

Everything fine & dandy, and am feeling fine. Also enjoying every minute of our trip.

Love to All

Howard

The above photo is from the Tulsa Historical Society. Its description reads: Photograph of Main Street in 1917 during Durbar. The photo shows the Tulsa arch. The following description is written on the back of the accession sheet: "Frisco tracks. Metal buildings at lower right are those of the Oil Well Supply Company's first store. Across the street are the National Supply Company and Continental Supply Company. At left center is the Lyric Theatre. Building under construction at top left is the first unit of the Exchange National Bank building, now National Bank of Tulsa. Street car tracks can be seen in middle of street. Automobiles greatly outnumber horse-drawn wagons. Note posters on building at right advertising the coming of the Sells-Floto Circus on May 1." 

Being that Howard said they were switched to the Frisco lines mentioned in the photo description, we can guess this is a pretty similar view to what he had. Considering the circus poster advertised for a May 1 show, it was also very close to the same time frame.

Uncle Clarence was Howard's mother's oldest brother. In the 1920 census, Clarence was listed as living in Tulsa with with wife Elsie and son Glenn (who would have been 7 in 1917). Uncle Clarence  was an office manager at an oil company. Who knows? Maybe it was even the Oil Well Supply Company in picture above?

Glenn was listed as having been born in Missouri, so we can guess than Clarence hadn't lived in Tulsa for very long. I could not find Clarence, Elsie, or Glenn anywhere in the 1910 census.

By the time 1930 rolls around, Clarence is still living in Tulsa, but with a different wife, Margaret. At age 63, he is still working as an office manager. He dies in 1939 at age 72 in Tulsa.

Hell in Texas

The above isn't a letter per se  - it's kind of a 1917 version of what my generation might have called a mix tape. I thought it was appropriate to include as Howard was preparing to leave El Paso.

The YouTube video below explains it (and the gentleman sings it) well better than I can. The verses are in a different order than Howard writes it, but you get the general idea.

The main difference is what Howard writes at the very end -

 - But Uncle Sam thinks it alright for his men.

Birthday at the Cow Parade - 3/6/1917

El Paso, Tex.

Mar. 5, 1917.

My Dear Mother: - 

Yours of the 28th rec. Hope you got moved O.K. Be careful and do not work too hard.

Tomorrow I'll be 19 years old, and I suppose I'll celebrate by taking part in a a big parade. All the troops in this district are to be reviewed, and will also take part in the Cow. (?) Puncher's (?) Exposition Parade. The Expo takes place from the 7th to the 11th. 

I put on my civilian clothes tonight and "sneaked" out of camp, and went down to the Fire Sta: Capt. Sullivan is out of the city for 5 days, as a witness for a murder trial.

Took a good cleaning out today with epson salts, and feel fine as silk.

I suppose the Troop D Boys were glad to get home. It still looks as though we would get out of here by the last of the month. I hope nothing comes up to delay us in our return.

Owing to the parade tomorrow we have to get up at 5A.M. so will close and turn in.

Love to All
Howard

The above photo from the El Paso Library archives is titled "Soldiers parading north on S El Paso Street passing through Pioneer Plaza". There is no date listed, but the description of the parade route matches the El Paso Times for 1917, so it's a pretty good guess.

I had a hard time deciphering exactly what Howard called the parade in his letter, so I looked up more about it in the El Paso times. I didn't find the exact words that he used, but the official convention name was the Panhandle and Southwestern Stockmen's Association. Over 1,000 visitors came to El Paso from across the Southwest to talk cow business, I guess. Whatever it was, it was a big deal to El Paso. Here's the article.

Despite having to get up at 5am, I think that Howard probably did enjoy his birthday. The newspaper described the atmosphere of the Expo as similar to Mardi Gras, so I would imagine that his fellow guardsmen probably helped him find some fun. After all, his body was nice and clean after those epsom salts!

This is the first letter addressed to Howard's mother at her new address on Glenwood Avenue. I was much more pleased with my Google street view search this around. Kudos to the current owners for allowing me to actually imagine by great-great grandparents living there in 1917.

Pneumonia Quarantine Hijinks - 3/1/1917

El Paso, Tex.

Mar. 1, 1917

My Dear Mother: -

Between shots I'll try to write you a letter. We have several two-by-fours on the floor and are shooting in them to see how far they (the bullets) would penetrate. I guess the fellows in the next tent thought someone was trying to commit suicide when we fired the first shot.

Just five more days, and I will be nineteen years old. The last three years surely have gone fast for me. This is the first day of our confinement, owing to the quarantine they put on the military camp, on account of pneumonia.

Last night someone put salt in the sugar, & pepper in the coffee. You should have seen the fellows this morning when mess was served.

We rec. word today from the Base Hospital, that the fellow from our company, who was so serious with pneumonia, was very much improved.

We are still making more and more preparations for our return. We only draw 10 days forage, for our animals, at a time.

This climate is surely making me sleep. I sleep nearly every afternoon, and turn in anywhere from 7 to 11P.M.

I suppose it is about time for me to be changing the address of my letters, or won't you get away as soon as you expected from the south end.

Everything just the same here.

Feeling fine and dandy.

Love
Howard

The above clipping from the March 12, 1917 edition of the El Paso Times gives us a snapshot of just how important this pneumonia that Howard writes about really was the rest of the world (and to the future of modern medicine). The Base Hospital was the only place outside of New York that was administering a life-saving serum to those with the disease. You can find the full article here.

The 1917 Health News Bulletin from the New York State Department of Health states that there were 417 cases of pneumonia at the border that winter. Of those treated with the serum, the death rate was only 5.5%. Those that were not treated had a mortality rate of 39%. That meant that, in Howard's camp alone, that serum saved 20 lives.

Ordered Home or Not? That's Personal - 2/24/1917

El Paso, Tex.

Feb. 24, 1917

My Dear Mother: -
Yours of the 19th rec. Glad to hear that all are O.K. in Lima.

I couldn't explain just where our company is located on that picture of Camp Pershing. At the extreme left is the Ohio Cav. Camp, and nearer the center are the Amb. Companies. You can see the rows of ambulances. The one nearest the bottom of the picture is 2nd Ohio, and the one above it is us. The Flag pole, & the red cross, and Old "Glory" glass are at the head of our company street. You can easily see how close Cav. were to us.

Farther to the right is the 8th Ohio Reg. & above them the 4th, 5th, & 6th.

The city proper is at the extreme left & Fort Bliss at the extreme right.

Our company clerk says the cars for us were ordered today and I suppose it will take a month to get them.

The fellow in our outfit who was so serious with pneumonia is past the crisis, and I think they will send him to Hot Springs, Ark. They are going to send about 50 patients there to recuperate.

There are about a dozen fellows here in my tent tonight. They are reading, writing, arguing, and Harry Manson is printing pictures.

Got a nice letter from Leona yesterday.

Feeling fine.

Love to All

Howard

O.K. Here's where I'm really confused. In my last post, I went on and on about how Howard was so convinced he was going home soon. However, in one of Howard's previous letters, there a February 18 clipping enclosed with the above headline. In Howard's own hand is even written that there was a mistake in the article mentioning the 2nd and 3rd Ohio Ambulance companies. The 3rd Ambulance company didn't exist and they actually meant his company, the 1st, would be going home. The article states that "the last troop will be on its way north by March 7."

So why does he not even mention it in this letter, not even a week later? He even references the delivery of a car the following month, which would theoretically be after they were supposed to have gone home March 7. Now I really wish that I wouldn't have decided not read ahead on these letters!

On a family note, I am choosing not to publish a few letters marked "Personal" that Howard wrote to his mother. Here's a brief summary of why. Before he left for the Guard, Howard proposed to my great-grandmother Leona. She didn't refuse him, but she also declined to give him an answer for a year or so. As the year was coming up, Howard asked his mother in the the first letter for advice. The second letter was his reaction to his mother's advice.

Even though it's a hundred years later, it still somehow feels wrong to put such intimate feelings out there for everyone to read. Of course, if you're a family member and would like to know what it says, feel free to email me or message me. I'd be happy to transcribe. The good news is that we know that it was a happily-ever-after in the end.

With that said, there is on passage I think is pertinent those who are visiting this blog (all two of you) for historical reasons.

[Leona] keeps throwing up that she is going to join a Red Cross outfit if there is a war. Now that is absolutely no place for her. It is noble work and all that, but the conditions, dangers, and class of patients they handle, from what I have seen are just what she should have to come in contact with.

Still here - 2/7/1917

El Paso, Tex. 

Feb. 7, 1917.

My Dear Dad: - 

Well, we are still here, although there has been some talk of sending the 11th Div. to Calif. to watch he doings of the Japs.

Enclosed is a clipping of an El Paso newspaper. Several outfits from Pershing's Expedition arrived today, and are getting their camp straightened out.

I guess we will take our next hike Fri. if nothing happens.

The weather has been grand here lately. I hope it continues. 

Have you talked with Billy Jacobs yet. He was at Fire Ste. No. 7. with Capt. Sullivan. and left for Toledo the 31st of Jan. Wish you would have a walk with him. Uncle Bill can tell you where to find him. He can tell you how fine I look and how I am situated. He's a dandy fellow, he put a hitch in the 8th U.S. Cavalry, and knows what the army is like.

Well, we may get back yet, before the summer is over if the German question can be settled. It begins to look as though the orders to stay were only temporary. 

I like the looks of the new place very much. What is the idea of the garage? I have a girlfriend living a 2834 Glenwood.

Well, must close & write Leona.

Am feeling fine.

Love to All

Howard

The above is the the newspaper clipping from Howard's letter from the February 6 edition of the El Paso Times.

When the cynic in me first read the article, I thought about the line that the newspaper must have been feeding the public. It definitely seemed suspect that the guardsmen, who were on the train on their way home when they were told they had to return to camp, just got got off with no complaints whatsoever to fulfill their military duty.

But then, I thought about Howard's letters. He also seemed so positive, so sure that everything was just a temporary bump in the road before he got to come home. It makes me proud. Yet, it makes me leery for what I know must be to come. I'm anxious to get to his letters from Europe, but I hope that, when I get to those letters from 1919, I still see this glass-half-full boy in them.

Dad Sold at Last - 2/4/1917

Sunday A.M.

Feb. 4, 1917

Same place,

My Dear Mother: -

Just finished breakfast, consisting of rolled oats, bacon, bread, butter, coffee, and an orange.

Your letter of Jan. 30 rec. So Dad sold at last. Sorry I won't be there to help move. I think it would be a good plan to get a large box for my junk. I'm packing my electrical instruments I think Dad should be consulted as to how they should be packed to prevent breaking. Under the top drawer of my book case are some trinkets which I have saved from childhood. Many of the things I have stored away are really worthless, though are of value to me. I think my stuff when moved can just be left packed until I return.

I think I will be home in a couple months unless they hold us on account of Germany. None of the present orders for return of troops have been cancelled since the new trouble arose.

My cold is all over with. I guess I got it from kicking the covers off my bed one night, when it was pretty cold.

It was so cold yesterday that I wore two shirts & two pair of socks and didn't feel any too comfortable. Today is going to be a fine day.

Billy Jacobs from down to the Fire Sta. left for Toledo the evening of the 31st. I suppose he's in Toledo by this time. I told him to to call up you folks if he has time. If he don't you can get a hold of him through Uncle Bill. He can tell you how I am.

I was down at the Fire Sta last night, took a nice hot shower & washed my head. Then I made a cup of hot cocoa and read the newspaper. After which I came back to camp and went to bed.

Am enclosing some films of my four pet mules, a couple of myself and a couple of the tall wireless towers here at Ft. Bliss.

Well I'll close and write Leona a letter.

Am feeling fine.

Love to All

Howard

Oh, Howard...if only you were going to be home in a few months.

The above photo (again, from my best friend, the El Paso Library Archives, is labeled as "El Paso - City Hall and Fire Department"). It's not likely to be Billy Jacobs' fire house and the photo dates to 20 years before Howard was in El Paso, but it's as good as I could get. I'm sure Howard was extremely lucky to have a place to get a hot shower and a good meal - most of his friends in his unit likely wouldn't have been able to have done the same.

I tried to find the Goods' old family home on Google maps and was sadly disappointed. Instead of a nicely restored bungalow at 721 Walbridge Avenue, the house was completely gone. In its place were five dumpsters behind a shopping center which included a Family Dollar, auto parts store, Chinese take-out, and laundromat. Time marches on, I guess...

At first, I glanced over Howard's mention of the photos of "tall wireless towers" without thinking much about it. Then, I started to think about what communications in his day would have been like and what the towers would have been used for. I assume the towers in his pictures were for military use - wireless communications were being used heavily in Europe and continued to be used throughout World War I.  The first long-distance telephone call had happened in 1915, but telegrams were still much cheaper for years to come. At this time in 1917, the first commercial radio broadcast was yet to happen for another three years.

Cliffhanger - 2/2/1917

El Paso, Tex.Feb. 2, 1917.

My Dear Mother: -

Well, our experiences of today will never be forgotten. We went way up into the mountain, leaving camp early this morning. At noon we pitched camp, unhitched, and fed our mules, and cooked our hard-tack & bacon for ourselves. All the road was rocky and very dangerous. About 5 times worse than the wagon road from Maniteau, Colo., to "Cave of the Winds" - you remember coming down was where the troubles started.

An ambulance, ahead of me, turned over on it's side and was dragged twenty-five feet, before they could stop the mules. Nobody was hurt, not even the Amb. About 7 fellows set it on its wheels and we proceeded.

Something came loose on my wheel mule's harness and I nearly went over a 25ft. drop. Every one in my amb. jumped, but I stuck and managed to keep the outfit from going over. When we got back our mules, harness, clothes, etc. was all covered with a fine while alkali dust. You know how it is in this country. It was a fine trip, and I think I got some fine pictures.

Got a letter from Leona yesterday & one today.

Will close & turn in as I all tired out.

Love to All
Howard

Feeling great

The above photo is from the El Paso Library Archives entitled "Soldiers and overturned carriage". At first I was amazed to find a photo of something so similar to what I was was searching for, then I realized that it probably happened a lot more frequently than someone in 2017 would realize. Even in the best of conditions, the dirt roads and wooden wheels likely made overturned wagons a frequent occurrence. Throw in mules and 25-foot drops, and I can't even imagine how terrifying it would be to be the driver of one of these ambulances.

On a personal note, I continue to be amazed at how well-traveled the Goods were for their time. From the reference to "Maniteau" (Manitou, CO is near Pikes Peak) to Howard's mentions of his previous visits to El Paso with his mother. In previous genealogy research, I even found Effie had traveled to Cuba. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. To this day, my Gram still lectures me about getting out and traveling while I still can. She and Gramps loved to travel - I couldn't even count the number of vacation photos I went through in her house. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the family tree!

Troop D Brings Out the Big Gun - 1/6/1917

El Paso, Tex., 

Jan. 6, 1917

My Dear Mother: - 

Your New Year's letter received. It was quite a treat with all the short ones. They were all gladly received.

I'm glad to hear that Arthur Junior Tatum has at last received some sight out of his eyes. He certainly was willing to do anything which would enable him to see.

I rec. a letter from cous. Mildred Sprout, Malcom Good, and Dick Rohn, thanking me for the pictures. Who all did you send them to?

We worked hard all day Friday & today preparing our equipment for our Efficiency Test. Monday. All day Sunday I shall clean harness, etc.

I hope we pass it with a high average.

I rec. a letter from Mrs. Rivers also.

I guess Billy Jacobs who is now down at the Fire Sta. intends to come to Toledo next month to accept a position which he has offered to him.

Old Capt. Sullivan is just the same as ever. Did Dad send him the 7&B&S Co's 1917 calendar yet, which he told me he was going to send him He has not rec. it yet.

The 8th Reg. turn in their animals the 13th & prepare to return to their home station at Akron, Ohio

From what I hear, Troop D. is going to put a piece in Toledo papers to rectify the ones which have been in lately about them. They are sore to think that some things have been printed which knocked the Troop, in that they were not as bad off as they pretended to be.

Got a letter from Leona today, bawling me out for the short letters I have been sending her of late. Evidently, a page & a half does not suit her, so I will close & write her a nice long one to make up for the short ones I have been sending.

Am feeling fine as silk

Love to All
Howard

Although it didn't allude directly to Troop D, I found this article in the January 18, 1917 edition of the Toledo News-Bee that possibly could be related to what Howard writes about. The article was an exclusive interview between a Toledo reporter and General John J. Pershing. The reporter states,  "I had brought a personal letter from a very intimate friend in the states, and I expect that it was because of this that the general granted me the first exclusive interview since he has been in been France." She also says, "I had been at many of the training camps in the states, and I ventured that even he would be astonished at the splendid morale and wonderful physical hardihood of the American selective army." Perhaps one of Troop D's captains had a convenient friendship with the reporter and/or Pershing and was able to put in a good word about the morale of the troops?

On a more personal note to Howard, a quick ancestry search shows that Malcom Good was the son of Howard's father's brother, Noah. Howard and Malcom were about the same age and the family lived in Cleveland. Mildred was the daughter of Howard's father's sister, Emma. Mildred was also around Howard's age and lived in south central Michigan in Branch county. Dick Rohn was the son of Howard's mother's sister Mabel. He was just 10 years old and lived in Lima, Ohio with his family. It sounds like Effie was very proud of her son and sent his picture to pretty much the entire family!

Scandal in the Press - 1/3/1917

El Paso, Tex.
Jan. 3, 1917

My Dear Mother: - 

We rec. the Toledo Blade today with the parts of my letter, referring to Troop D. Our fellows & our Captains think the write-up is a peach, but the officers & men of the troop are all up in the air over it. They haven't denied any of it, though they are all angry because it was printed.

Capt. Greenhalgh told the men, as we have heard that he wanted anyone with a medical hat-cord on kicked out of their Co. street. He also said that they could "settle it" with the guy, who sent that letter home, or that he would carry it up himself.

One of their serg't and I had a peach of an argument about it.

I spoke to our capt. about it & he said that I shouldn't tell Greenhalgh to take it up if he wanted to, but he said if he did he would add some more on to my story.

When Capt. Souder went home on his furlough he gave Troop D. an awful knock in a speech he made at the Rotary Club. 

One of our serge. told me that Capt. Watson wrote a hot letter to Toledo Commerce Club roasting the Troop.

Our bunch take it as a joke & some said that if they kept up with the "soft soap" stuff they would also write a similar letter & tell some more.

As for myself, I'm not worrying over it, for if their capt. takes it up I have 71 men & our officers to provide my statements, and Capt Wilson is anxious to get a chance at them. 

Everything is going along just the same in our outfit, and we still think we will be ready to leave about the last of March. 

Wouldn't advise you to stick any more in the paper until we see how they are going to digest the big mouthful they now have.

Love to All
Howard

Well, I came up short on the letters I was hoping to get. The Toledo Blade and the (now defunct) Toledo News-Bee have some editions online, but the one with Howard's letter was not available. Perhaps someday I'll make it up to pour through microfilm at the University of Toledo to see what exactly what was so scandalous about Troop D. Above is a version of the Blade to give you an idea of what it looked like in the time period, but it's not the version. It was still a pretty interesting read to see the build-up in Europe to World War I and the coverage on Villa in Mexico. Check out the Google Archives for the Toledo News-Bee and the Toledo Blade. Just be aware that someone misplaced a bunch of 1946 newspapers in the Blade in December 1916.

I did find a little about the warm-and-fuzzy Capt. Greenhalgh from onlinebiographies.info. Although the Captain was a midwestern boy (born in St. Louis, raised in Indiana/Illinois), he graduated from Yale and Harvard Law and was Lucas county's assistant prosecutor before being ordered into Federal service in El Paso.  Doesn't exactly sound like the type that would be entirely relatable to the boys. He went on to become a Colonel in Europe and after the war became president of the Toledo Automatic Brush Machine Company. There are also mentions of him showing his polo ponies in various texts on Google...oh the charmed life of ol' Greenhalgh.