Arthur Mower
WWI Letters
World War I letters of Arthur Mower, son of John L. Mower, who died 22 Oct 1918 of the flu in Omaha, Nebraska. Original spelling preserved.
Letter #1
Salt Lake, June 30, 1918
Dear Father and Mother:
I am feeling OK and hope this finds you all OK. I enjoy my work. The man who runs the eatin house doesn't feed us very good now. We have it different from the soldiers at the big camps. Here a man has a contract with the government and he is certainly trying to make money. I have used all my money up for washing clothes and other necessities and wish you would send me some. This I hate to ask but we do not have pay day until July 15th. If you send this you will haft to send it Tuesday morning.
I have taken out a $10,000 soldiers Life insurance which costs me about $6.00 per month which is taken out of my monthly wages. This is made out to mother.
Most of the boys here have all ready commenced to get a little tired of military life. I saw Sheriff burns and Morley down town last night. Mr. Morley said both of Bone Pritchetts had been put in 1st Class. Only 2 boys out of our squad of 8 use tobacco. We get off now on Satu. Usually at 11:30 AM until Monday. So I may come down home some Sat afternoon and return Sunday. We have it easy up here but the regulations are strict. I am on K.P. this week which of course means Kitchen Police. We boys all take turns at this. I am enclosing you a couple of pictures of desperados who you must look out for. These pictures are very poor. Will have some decent ones taken when we get our uniforms. Well, home is far better than the army most the boys say and it is true. It took 6 troops trains to haul the 20th infantry away from Fort Douglas They left here Fri. morning. The are only a few prison guards left at the fort now.
We gave a salute for a dead soldier here Thurs a farmer "U" boy who had died in France. Tell mother not to worry about me. Your Loveing Son
Private A. F. Mower
Co B U of U Training Detachment
Salt Lake
P.S. I guess you got that letter regarding my shoes and shirt.
AF Mower
Don't get scared of these pictures.
Letter #2
July 24, 1918
My Dearest Relatives:
I thought I would write you a few lines to-night. I am feeling fine and hope this finds you all OK. I certainly am enjoying my work here the times goes flying by and we only have 2 more weeks left after this. If you have already sent me $5.00 I haven't received it. But I guess you didn't receive word in time. If you leave it I wish you would send me another $5.00 next week. Please mail it next Wed. or Thurs. so that I can get it Friday. I would appreciate this very much so that I could come home the following Saturday. I hate to ask this of you but I cannot get home unless you do this. This would make $10 with what you sent me this week. I heard we were to have our first pay day in August after that I don't think I will need any money from home. If any of you get sick just send me word as this will probably allow me 5 days at home but you would have to telephone or write a delivery letter to me. This would be a good chance for me to come home on furlough which is 1 cent per mile and I would appreciate this. I saw Bro. Terry and Conrad in town to-day I met them at Liberty Park. They said Flossie was feeling fine. We are going to have a big review to-morrow at fort Douglas for Gov. Bamberger and the big men of Salt Lake so look out for our photos which may appear in the Tribune Friday morning I went through the state capital to-day. It is a swell building. The furnishings in the Governors rooms costing $60,000 alone. We had to-day as a holiday. Jack Stewart came into town to enlist in the navy to-day. Was sorry to learn of the bad condition of the hay this year. If I don't come down a week from Saturday, I ant you folks to come and visit me and I want you to do this any how week after next. We will probably pull camp between August 10 & 15 but we don't know whether we will go to Fort Douglas or east or west. Well the more I am in the Army the more I feel our temple work should be done and I hope you will see to this. Well I shall write again about Sat. Conrad. Brother Terry and myself are going to the state capital to-night for the celebration. So good by and God bless you all espically by dear parents.'
Your Loveing Son
Arthur L. Mower
Letter #3
Fort Omaha, Neb 9-5-1918
Dearest Mother and Father:
We arrived in Fort Omaha about 5 o'clock this morning on the Union Pacific Rail road train No. 20. We left Salt Lake at 5:25 Tuesday evening over the U.P. arriving in Ogden about 1 hour later but don't feel like I ever want to see Ogden again as the people didn't show us a very good time. We arrived in Evanston, Wyo about 11 oclock P.M. which is the first division out of Salt Lake. Our car changed trains at Green River Wyo in the night which is the next division. We had a sleeper and they are certainly fine cars to ride in. Yesterday morning when we awoke we were nearly to Rawlings, Wyo. We arrived in Cheyenne about 1 oclock and the Red Cross showed us a good time about 5 oclock we arrived in Sidney Neb and about 1 hour later we were in Julesburg Colo. The Union Pacific goes into Northern Colo for a little ways here returning into Nebraska. We had a fine lunch in Cheyenne. I don't like the country west of Cheyenne as between Weber Canyon, Utah and Cheyenne all one sees is desert, snow sheads, tunnels and mountains but after you leave Green River or Evanston you don't see many mountains. From Green River to Rawlins it is all desert. There are a few coal camps Rock Springs, Kemmer and others. One entire Railroad yard depot and all is built under a snow shed. At Rawlins the train begins to climb Sherman Pass but still to Cheyenne it is nothing but desert and I understand why it is that there are so few people in Wyoming east of Cheyenne we struck the plains. The plains are very beautiful you can see great fields of corn, wheat and potatoes along the way. The are many thousands of head of cattle and horses on the plains and large fields filled with hogs hundreds of head of them. Nebraska is certainly a great state most people live out on the farms so there aren't so very many large cities. Omaha is a very beautiful place it has perhaps 225,000 or 250,000 nearly twice as big as Salt Lake. Council Buffs Iowa is just a cross the Missouri River from here. Fort Omaha is a very beautiful place. There are many thousands of man from every state of the union here. When I heard the old pioneers talk of the plains I never dreamed that I would ever see them. Charles Oldham (the boy who had his father drounded in Mt. Pleasant) is a long with us and we came as partners. I haven't seen Henry here as yet and I wish you would get his address and send it to me. I am between 1300-1400 miles by rail from home. We received pay day before we left Salt Lake. I mailed you a folder from Cheyenne. We had them guessing us about the "Mormons" this morning. Well we don't realize the necessity of religion until we enter something like this. I always think of my dear parents and brothers and sisters. I like it fine here. Well, when you write to me and get Win's adress send it. I guess you had a big time at his dances. I would like to have stayed to his parties. It will seem odd for him to be in California and me in Nebraska next to the Iowa line which here is the Missouri River. Give all my best regards and may Gold bless you all is the wish of
Your Loveing Son
Arthur L. Mower
P.S. We were quarantined when we arrived this morning so we can't leave camp. It is the rule to quarantine all troops when they arrive at a new camp.
My address is
Arthur L. Mower
Co 60 Air Service Troops
Florence Field
Fort Omaha, Nebraska
Letter #4 Fragment
Not dated from Omaha Nebraska
Has Andrew gone to war yet? If you haven't sent the writing paper, please don't as we get all we need.
Tell me whether you received my money and the suit case or not. I am sending you some Omaha Sunday papers.
Over 4800 cases of influenza in Omaha City according to the papers and yesterday afternoon in about 2 or 3 hours we saw 5 funerals go by. I hear they have the Spanish "Flu" in Utah. Well answers soon. May God bless you every one until we meet again after this unhappy war is over is the wish of your Loveing Son and Brother
Arthur L. Mower
Wish you would send me some apples or fruit (raw if you can) Hope Mother is feeling OK.
Letter #5
Florence Field Oct 16, 1918 [6 days before his death]
My Dearest Folks: Received the most welcome cake and the envelopes the other day and was glad to hear from you. I am getting well of the Spanish "Flu" now and almost well only had it about 3 days but was quite sick one night. My fever went up to 105. My the flu is bad here from 10 to 30 are dying every day in Omaha and many are dying at the fort. Two more men from the 46th died in the hospital night before last but of less than 150 men in our company 44 are in the hospital and 25 were sick in tents last night.
The ones who can fear this disease according to the Drs. Are those who are diseased and heavy tobacco lungs
2 air ships came here yesterday to be used in concotion with the balloons.
This company is all prepared to leave and all men who are well will leave (with enough from other companies to fill up) in a few days or not more than 2 weeks.
Don't think the war will last much longer according to the Omaha dailies.
Omaha is certainly a wicked city.
Well man thanks for what you sent me and tell me if you received my suit case and money order. Good Bye and God bless you all. Write and tell me about mother.
Your Loveing Son,
Arthur