Fort Worden Sep. 29
Dear sister & brother,
Your letter of the 22nd rec. yesterday, and am glad someone has got the writing habit. Seems like I'm writing to someone every day. It's trying to rain a little this afternoon and I hope it succeeds so it will lay this dust. Did you get that army souvenir folder which I sent you a few days ago? I got it in Seattle and thought it would give you an idea of the army in some points at least.
I haven't had any fried chicken yet this fall and I suppose roasting ears would sound kinda funny to you, but that's what I had for dinner. The ears were about the size of popcorn and not filled out. Well I can tell you what Tena wrote, it wasn't very much. I've burnt the letter as I always do, as I don't want any to get in other hands thro' carelessness. Here it is, "Suppose you have heard mabey [sic] Mary wrote herself that her feelings are so much bigger and higher they bought the home place didn't even let you know me either." Course I suppose you've heard worse things than that but it sounds kinda funny where she says "me either" after they had the first chance. So Geo. won't speak, well it's natural for him to be on the outs with one or the other, and while you are getting it someone else is having a rest.
Well if the papers tell the truth why it does seem like there will be an end to this war sometime which I sincerly [sic] hope. God help us that it will be soon.
That Jorgensen that's on that picture with us is in this new regiment, the 39th, and from all appearence [sic] they will be going before long. They havn't [sic] got their full no. of men yet so don't know who all will be called yet. And that Jorgensen didn't pass over sea exam either at first and then about a week later they examined them again and said he was O.K. So you see how little a soldier knows what they are going to do with him.
Well Sall must have been afraid she would be out of a stamp beings she tho't I'd be coming back and so on. Well if I start back you'll know it even before I leave here unless the message gets lost. I won't stop for those few cents, only I hope the message will read "we" and not "I." She just wrote that they heard they was going to have new neighbors, that Bill Sachau asked Bill H. if C. Arp had our place rented. Now I don't know if she heard it or just thought it but I thought it was funny we didn't hear anything about it as I know you folks would not rent it out without us knowing it. And she said "don't be in a hurry about renting it you may get to come back." Don't know if she thought they might be in need of a place or what. Of course I hope we can be back to live on the place even if it won't be in time to put in a crop. Some say the men will get discharged 30 days after peace is declared and other say 6 mo. But if we just had peace once then the time would go quick. Of course it can't come to [sic] soon for me. The more I see of this country the less I think of it. Ia. has its drawbacks, of course, but imagin [sic]having the electric light turned on all afternoon so as to be able to write, that's what is going on here today. It's foggy and trying to sprinkle and it just looks like it's time to go and milk the cows before it gets pitch dark.
So you will have more rooms in that house. Well it's a good time to be doin' it beings the house is empty. Yes I got my allotment the other day. That postal I sent with those flowers, well they are not blooming that way now. Their blooming time is May, but the shrubs are just thick here in the woods. Some are like trees and others of course young ones, just a foot or so high.
Well Herb wrote the other day he was getting $10 extra. Well he lost one job on account of two Captains moving. They were transferred into the 39th so now he is just getting 5 extra. Don't know if he will ever get in the store. Well he's got a snap just now so isn't careing [sic] a great deal.
Well guess I'll have to quit for this time. So bye bye.
H. & Em
We are well at present.
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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass. Contributed July, 2017
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