ISHPEMING — “We have several letters for our boy Billy, but he asks that they not be printed because the war department is rather against it. Anyhow, Billy says he doesn’t want the notoriety. He tells us he is well; that he hasn’t been sick a single minute since he left home; that he is very busy on very particular work; that he has been disassociated from his old regiment for a time; that he often works all night in dangerous service; that the fight is going to string out for a time, but that finally the cause of the allies is going to triumph; that the Hun is going to be driven right back to Berlin. He sends his regards to all the boys, to all friends and asks that everyone does his share in helping.” (Iron Ore, May 4, 1918)

Although the war department and Billy himself didn’t want letters published in the Iron Ore, that did not stop his father. The next letter printed came a mere three weeks after the previous one.

“Dear Dad: – This is being written to you somewhere in France. I haven’t had a letter in three weeks, and I know you write me several every week, which goes to prove how lame the mails are, although deliveries are not always easy these days. The postal clerk would find it a little different here than in the old town. In the latter the mail carriers often talked about the coldness of their jobs, but were the boys here now they might find fault with the hotness of things.

I have been getting a bit of exercise during the last several days in the personal handling of jackhammer, and single and double jacks, cutting and breaking rock. I work eight-hour shifts and certainly am sleeping well nights. I also have ben getting the kinks out of my back and the stiffness out of my arms by helping on the timbering of some very particular ground. We are using oak; and oak isn’t white pine or cedar when it comes to avoirdupois, but it’s the real thing when it comes to holding up the overburden. You see we not only have to plan on holding up the back, but also must figure on the shell shocks, and Fritz sends over some big ones occasionally that shake things up considerably. One has to be close by to note the effects when one of the big fellows lands and breaks. I have met a considerable number of western miners here and our gold old Lake Superior district is also well represented, and, when it comes to boring it and digging in and putting in the timbers I see none that quite equal the boys from the hematite and copper districts of good old Cloverland. There is clover about here in a few spots, probably, but one hasn’t much time to be looking on and the Huns are going into the dead straw piles at an awful rate. ” (Iron Ore, May 25, 1918)

Billy dated his letters, so we know that the following letter was written on the 11th of May, but not published until the 3rd of June. Mail took a long time.

“Dear Dad: – I received two letters and a copy of the Ore today and have just finished reading them twice. Yesterday I received a letter from Tom Clancey and one from Hermie, which is doing fairly well for one week, considering I hadn’t any mail for five weeks previously. I am going to write Tom in a day or two. I am now back with the 107th regiment, being stationed at headquarters, but probably shall be here only briefly. I am going to get over to Company C in a day or two to ascertain how the boys from home are getting along. I know they must be doing well as several of them have recently been promoted. Thomas Cole was raised from corporal to sergeant, as was “Mike” Sterling, of Negaunee. Paul Leininger and Elmer Berquist have been made corporals. Melvin Collick and Edwin Chapman were each made corporals several weeks ago, while Ray Conners, of Negaunee, was made supply sergeant of the company.” (Iron Ore, June 3, 1918)

“Dear Dad: – Mail has been coming to me pretty well of late. Have your No. 36 since coming across. Papers come slow. Have letters recently from Leigh Swift, “Bill” Blamey, W. E. Garner, Tom Clancey, “Bill” Whale and others. Mighty glad to get them. This is a wonderful spring day, just the sort for a few rounds of gold or a fishing trip, but over here we have other things to do and to think about. Several days ago I made 130 miles in a truck, in one day, raveling through some of the finest country I have ever seen. We went to one of the supply bases for dynamite, bringing back about two tons which we may be able to use to good advantage against the kaiser some day in some place.

Spring plowing is at its height in some places while in others the grain is two feet high. Saw fields in which the rye was four feet high. I noticed quite a lot of alfalfa and it looked fine. Women and boys are doing the greater part of the plowing and other work on the farms, and there undoubtedly is a very good reason for this well understood. I saw a few oxen, but most of the pulling is done by horses hitched together in this manner. Potatoes are now being planted here, about the same as at home.” (Iron Ore, June 15, 1918)

“Dear Dad: – This is one of those fine mornings when one can say ‘what so rare as a day in June.’ We are having wonderful weather as of late and the old times here say it will last until August when another rainy spell can be looked for.

We had a big time on Sunday when Company C held its first reunion. It had to be postponed for several days for good and sufficient reasons that I am not permitted to tell about. If you are a good guesser you may try. I visited with a number of the boys I had not seen in months. The fellows from home are all looking fine, being as thoroughly sunburned as myself, due, somewhat to our style of headgear. I am sending John one of my caps, which will give you an idea of our caps. Of course there’s a reason for the shape. The home boys all show the results of the fine training they have received. They are all making good and will be favorably heard from some day. We had a regular old-time picnic, with baseball and other sports and a big feed at noon. We made the trip there in motor trucks.” (Iron Ore, June 29, 1918)