Letter, 27 January 1919

Clara to Corporal Louis J. Discher, Co. F, 120 Infantry, 30 Division, American Expeditionary Forces.

Manuscript Collection, The Filson Historical Society

Letter addressed to Corporal Louis J. Discher, Co. F, 120 Infantry, 30 Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Letter was redirected to several other army units before being stamped “Return to Writer.”

Letter No. 59
Mon P.M. Jan 27 1919

Dear Louis:

I just had a telephone call from Dorothy telling me she had received your letter of Jan 3rd. [S]he was so glad to get it. I suppose ours will come tomorrow. Yes everybody else thinks it was so unjust to keep you all “over there” and return those so quickly that had just arrived. The remains of the 84th is now coming in[.] [M]ost of their men have been used as replacements and 300 died of the influenza. My friend Mrs. Batt sent me a clipping this morning with news that the 30th Division would disembark at Charleston, SC and be demobolized [sic] at Camp Jackson or Sevier. Indications are that you will arrive at Charleston between February 1st and 15th. I hope you get away from South Carolina in a hurry because all the boys sure do hate that place.

Thursday night at camp we met Mr Fried from Camp Jackson, brother of the little visitor of Weber's from St. Louis. He was a lovely boy, left for his home on Friday. There was a very nice crowd in the aud. Not as jammed as before they gave out the passes to the chaperones. We went out in the Ford well packed, eight with the driver. Cecelia can not take the machine because that miserable bridge on the Poplar Level road finally broke down, and you have to go down on the side of the road to get around it, very dangerous Willie thinks.

Friday night Cecelia and I went to choir practise [sic], heard that Blase Heintzman has gone to Alabama to work. I bet both he and Louis are very sorry they ever quit Geher and Son[.] [T]hey have hardly worked since.

(Tue. P.M. Jan 28/19) We were all sadly disappointed today. [T]he letter did not come as we expected. Aunt Addie is over today to cook soap. I do not know if I told you that Papa has finally gotten help, the cutest little colored boy almost too small but very willing. They were amused at him the other day. [H]is brother came to see him and they went to the room and had a game of cards without saying a word. Mr. Lee Zimlich had helped Papa get his potatoes to town. [W]orked for about a week but has now gone in the milk business.

Wed. Jan 29/19

The girls had an awfully hard time getting the tickets for Saturday night. [T]he Daughters of Isabella had charge of it and of course the Daughters all wanted them. None of us are members. Uncle Frank finally got two cards from a Mrs. Arbegust which entitled them to admission. It was a sandwich dance. [E]very girl had to bring a box with two sandwiches and anything else she wanted to put in it, tied with red and yellow ribbon. [T]hey stacked all these boxes on a table and had a grand march. [A]s the boys passed they took a box, the girls had their names on them and they then looked for the girl[,] ate with her and danced the next set together. Later in the evening they had a night cap dance[.] [E]ach boy was given a lit candle, all lights were turned out and the girls went out of the hall. [T]hen they came in with the paper night cap[s] and tied them on the boys who were sitting on the floor with their candle[s]. [Q]uite novel was it not? There was a mob there as usual. Willie went in to get them and the Traubs, and he said the women were standing on the radiators in the back of the hall to see over the crowd. John and Mary Shelley were there too, Amos and Dina, Alexina, Margaret Brown and others.

Sunday we had another beautiful day. Papa, Cecelia and Mary F. went to vespers[.] [A]fterwards they took Joe Karcher along and went for a ride out as far as Jacob Park, then out the Bardstown Road. I had to go to town on the five o'clock car to First & Walnut. Aunt Maggie had Father Simms and another of the priests down to supper and wanted me to help. [S]he had a very nice supper. It was Uncle Frank's 60th birthday, but do not tell anybody, he is afraid the girls will not look at him if they hear he is that old.

Monday night Cecelia and I went to the Presentation Academy to a musical entertainment of the St Helena Club. [W]e sat with Pauline and Mary Senn and and Marie Taylor. The Senns are not wearing mourning for their Mother. Willie and Uncle Frank went out on Sixth St. to pray the rosary for Tommy Clines mother who died on Sunday. They came by and got us afterwards.

Cap't Geher stopped in to see us yesterday. [H]e expects to be here a couple of months. Last night we entertained our Aunt Adeline. Joe Kurzendorfer had an accident this morning. [H]e put up a gas range on Williams St. lit the oven to try it, must have had the valve turned on because it blew out and burned his face badly. He has more trouble of all kinds, always something happening. [H]as as much trouble with his Ford machine as he had with the Commerce. I saw Tom Discher at noon. [H]e inquired for you as usual. I also met Mrs. Geher. [S]he is going to leave on the 5th for another visit to St. Paul, Minn. [T]hose army people do travel around enough.

I do not know how you will like the pictures. You know our scenery and backgrounds are not very good in the winter. Cecelia has gone to her club at Pikes this afternoon in the Highlands. Elsie Harpring has not been at all well the last few weeks. [W]e had given the girls two tickets for last Saturday afternoon but they could not go. Mr. & Mrs. Rudolph Harpring have a baby. She is at Sts. M & E Hospital. Rud is at some little country town.

Nearly six, so I will have to close hoping that we soon get a letter.

I remain Yours lovingly
Clara