Letter to Alice from Camp Hughes

Camp Hughes
June 21, 1916

Dear Alice:–

I owe you a letter or two I don’t know how many. It has been raining off and on, we ran for the tent once and stayed in for one hour I suppose then we went out and took a lecture on the Ross rifle and pulled the trigger a few times and then we went and trained bayonet fighting for the rest of the P.M. This P.M. we lined up and then they sent use back that had the enoculation yesterday, so I put on a runner suit and ran a mile out south and came back and had a sleep till noon. Some of the boys are beating it every day just because they got mad at some one and then good bye Camp Hughes.

I wonder how long the U.S. war will last with Mexico.

23rd

I was in the officers mess tent yesterday all day, but after supper we had to wash all the dishes and there is 37 officers two boyvisitors and four mess staff so you know how many dishes there would be to a coarse supper and then there is breakfast and dinner to washup after.

They won’t let a fellow eat at there mess either but he gets a few of the good things that are left if any I ate eight good small slices of bread and butter and had one sandwich with marmalade between after I got done at 8.30. It rained all day yesterday and all night so I don’t know whether they will call use out here today or not, and I don’t care much either, I would just as soon be out as in. I received the pints and the L.D.’s which I was glad to get but don’t send them to often about not more than once a month now I know that mother reads these letter so it don’t make any difference who sends the papers or who opens the letters. any time you want any money for photo supplies you just take it out of the little cash box and put in slip so Ted and I can balance things up some day.

These reports the boys are sending out about leaving here do come out here but they don’t amount to any thing in the end, every time the boys get a chance to ask a question of one of the officers, they ask them when we will leave and naturally the officers ans. the Pte. just what ever they think the Pte. wants to here if they think would sooner stay at CH. they say will be here till fall and if they think he wants to go to England he says we are going in a few days. But the report was in one of the papers that we would leave on the 18 of June but it was all hot air. We have heard all spring that we were next Batt. to leave Canada but this A.M. at 6.30 the 101st left here you should have heard the cheers as the train went down the old track and and disappeared among the sandhills and evergreens some of these sight I will be able to remember years and years from now.

It is great to have a christian pall or friend to go through this experience with until providence separates use. Stanley is a good Christian boy but is an English man, I have some picture that are getting developed now so you will soon know what he looks like, he an’t a bit English at all he is all man but still he dident dare kneel on his bunk and pray in the bunk houses but he is looking at things different since he and I have talked things over.

The boys are practicing there bugle tunes just a cupple of tents away. Fred Barns is in our tent most of the time we are off drill he likes to chum with the boys. I am going downtown today if I can. I haven’t seen Elmer but once since I hit here I said I would come over on a Wed. night to see him but dident get over till Thursday and he wasn’t there so I haven’t had time to go over since. he will think I am a dandy, he is in an awful good Batt. but I wouldent leave this 128th now if I could I promised Stanley that I would stay in this Batt with him as long as we lasted. I don’t think we will ever get to the front at all, but of course I don’t know any reason why I feel that way but I do. It won’t be long till harvest now and we will be back to set up sheaves again.

The chuck is getting better every day I think getting better seasoned and more system every day. There was a route march on for today but it was canceled We get all our orders from head quarters by telephone The H.Q. staff is down by the depot. they have a building but the rest of the officers are all in the tents I feel like sleeping but I won’t for I want to read some and have one more letter to write.

You folks want to be careful to get all that the calves are worth the whole bunch of you want to watch Ted that he don’t make to quick a deal on those steers of mine the only way to sell any thing is in the fall by the pound dressed and then you get $8.00 or $10.00 for the hide and have the heart and tongue.

I got permission to buy an other blanket the other day so I am going to send to Eatons for one. it just takes about 28 hours to get your return order from Eatons here they have an office here and the packages come right to the office again C.O.D. or any way you like It is not raining hard so I don’t think we will be able to stay in long now.

Well good bye dear little sister
as ever your loving brother
Laurie.