The Earl Campbell Story - Life in King during the war

Sep 15, 1917 This is a letter that Earl received from Merelda – Earl would have had carry the letter with him until he returned home in 1919. "Dear Earl, Just a few lines this a.m as Harold has a letter for you. So thought I write some more before he posts his. I rec'd your welcome letter last week dated Aug. 15 am glad you are well & behind the firing line & hope the weather keeps fine. We have had horrid weather here. It has rained every day for two weeks & has been very cold for Sept, but this morning looks as though it may clear up. The trees are beginning to turn their colour & everything looks like Fall . The Ex is over now. It was not so successful an affair this year as the weather was so nasty. I went down after all, did not expect to get, but Merle Hamilton wanted me to go with her - & stay at Rev. Mr. McKenzie's overnight. So went Friday a.m. missed the train Sat. night so went to Ash's at 78 Coldman Ave off Danforth you know Pearl Ash they are living in Toronto now. So we had a good time there and Mr. Ash brought us home Sunday pm in his car. Smeltzer's two boys – the goslings – were there also. Pauline & Floss were down also. They were with Merle –Henry, Hazel & Bud – but they wrote you last week, so guess you will know how they enjoyed it. Arch did not get down this year or Mother or Dad. Pellats party is coming up this week on the 18th So Arch is training for the races there. I'll bet you know how he makes out next time. If the weather keeps like it is –it will not be very nice. I guess I will write on both sides to make room. Harold & Kate are here now. They intend going to Cleveland for the winter & coming back next spring. Well, Earlie, you wanted some snaps of home will I asked Mary T to come over & take some of us while H & K are here & will send you them. I am sending you one taken the last Sun. Ed. Y was home. I guess you will know all of them. It was taken down by the old bridge below Hamilton's. That was washed away with the hailstorm last summer, they never built it up again, just have a little bridge farther up the creek. They intend building a cement bridge someday, when they get time. Say Earl, I don't look quite so old as the picture – ha,ha We sent away 15 boxes last week – Kate & I packed yours. Mother will be sending you one this week & King people will be packing soon the proceeds of Pellat field day goes to the King boys about 80 of them to send to…. I guess you will have heard that C. Williams is wounded – gunshot wound in leg – not serious. He was only in France about two weeks & Sam Armstrong is wounded again, too. The war looks good these days surly old Fritz will soon give up. The Yanks are sure doing some fighting now, eh? The Fritzies can't stand out against the millions of Yankees much longer. Well Earl, I can't think of much more to say just now, so will write again this week, when we send the box and will tell you about Field day. Bert Ireland rang up Sat eve to tell us she had a letter from you – was tickled to death & Clara had one also. They wure love to hear from you. Well I am going to wash this morning so I must get at it & Harold is ready to go to King to post this – so take Best care of yourself. With love from all at home – your old Sis. Merelda. Excuse lead pencil his time…Au Revoir

Sep 22, 1917 letter to Merelda

"Dear Merelda was very glad to hear you again. And glad Mother received her Handkerchief holder. Yes I get all your letters. Yours last night was written the 22nd of Aug. I wrote to May this morning after I got her address from you. I wrote to Harold the other day. I address it to King. Maybe he will be home to get it. How does he like harvesting again. So his back bother him yet. You must had had a awful storm around home would it kill the mangles and turnips. It is a good job the flood took Allan's bridge away. It will keep you away from Laskay for a while. And to go through Blake's is to long of away. … p.2 Clara sent me a slip of paper with poor Edith's wedding in. I did'nt seem to mind it tho. ha-ha.

Sep 25, 1917, Belgium letter from Earl to Pauline

"Mon Cher Pauline received your letter also Flossie's. I am glad you are getting all the Souviners I send home. That word Lucy Allan uses is a certainly long one. She will feel bad about poor Wallie being killed. Well suppose you had a high old time at Pellatt's. Did you do any running or are you getting to old to run. That was a very nice guy you had for the best one. McKennin is his name I think. I think I know him I met him 3 (?) years ago. Bill Wellman of my Coy is related to him someway. It is a shame about poor Edith getting married. What will I do now you will have to hunt me up one. The mail call just went so I ran like a son of a gun to see if there were any for me. I was glad to get two. One from May & one from Merelda. Merelda wrote it the 7th of Aug. It had went to the Hospital I was in and then to the Conv. Camp and then to another Hospital and then to the Base then up here to me. It was pretty well marked up. What did she put two cent stamps in it for? I got the slip about me being wounded in it. I get every thing that is sent from home. I will be looking for that box with the jar of Cherries and Berries in. Also the Black chewing gum. I had a letter from Abe Hollingshed last week. He is well He has been buried twice tho. I should write to Floss tonight. But it is getting so dark and late I guess I'll have to put it off for another time. I wish Mother would send me my sweater the Duch Belter one. That is if the war keep on for this winter. There won't be many Fritzies left next spring".

Oct 2, 1917, Belgium

"Dear Old Sis, … Suppose Dad & Arch has the wheat in. It will grow pretty good in that field because I did some good ploughing on them hills beside Harm's fence. I got the slip Pauline sent me Edie's wedding. Sorry to hear what she has done. But as you say there are two girls of the John Giplin tripe living on their place. Maybe I'll have a look in with them. So they can sing like nightingales eh. Well they will be nice to be out at nights with. I guess they will be tre-bon girls, tell them the next time you see them that I still love them yet. Did Harold and Arch run at Pellatts the 14th Sept. I am in pretty good shape for running now. Fritizies shell has me trained jake. Suppose you all were down at the Ex. How is Pauline getting along without Floss at home. I hear that both of them have fellows tell them I said they had to cut that kind of work out or I'll have to look into the matter. Have not received the box with the fruit in it yet. Tell Mother I want some money 10 dollars would do. She can take it out of my payment. Could she get it changed into English money in Toronto or in the Bank at King. It would be far easier for me to get it changed into French money over here if she could. Yes I got the 1 dollar you sent me. I tried to save it, but when I was at the Base I had to part with it. I still have the shin plaster yet tho. All my mail that was sent to me in the Hospital just arrived to me last week, nine letters. All were written in July tho. I wrote to May not long ago, also to Henry. I have not heard from Harold for a long time. Did you get the photo I sent you 5 of us chaps taken together. I will be sening you one of myself alone soon, I sent old Bert Ireland one, just so she would quit jogging my memory about it. Well Merelda I guess I wrote you enough this time, be sure and write soon. And tell the rest to. With love to all at home, Your loving Brother Earl.

How does Charlie Williams like working at Blake's. Do the girls feed him well. Tell him not to fall in love with Bert or Maggie and marry them. They would sure starve the poor fellow. That's all I am keeping shy of, ha-ha."

Oct 9, 1917

"Dear Merelda. I receive your letter of Sept 13th last night. I only got eleven pretty good eh. I had one from Annie & Clara and they were telling me about the time you & they had at the Exhibition. Clara sent me a bill of Pellatts big day. How did it come off. You all would be wishing it would be a fine day I suppose. Did Dad win the fat man's race or did he take tossing the caber. I suppose Mother, you & Pauline were in the Ladies tug-of-war team. Floss would win the girls race under 12 years of age. Did Arch and Harold do any running? If Arch would stay in at nights maybe he would win a few races. I hear from Toronto saying that he goes up the sixth quite often. That is the nights he does'nt go to Aurora.

p.2 "It will be looking like fall in Canada now. The mornings over here are quite chilly and towards night it starts and get cold. It makes me think of the mornings I use to go hunting at home. I will be glad when I get my Black sweater to war over here. Has Dad his winter cattle yet? It sure pay him to buy from Baker's. $100 dollars for a old cow is pretty good. Well Merelda I will close for this time. I have quite a few letters to answer. I'll let you know if I get the cellar of Berries &Cherries. Hope all are well at home with love to all. Bro Earl"

Oct 25, 1917 letter to Sister on p.2 Earl talks about Pellat's Field Day

'Dear Sister, … So Dad made second in the throwing the caber eh. He must be getting back to his young days again. I guess Elmer Orr is pretty hard to beat in the Sports. Arch did well to get 3rd in the 100 yds. He was up against two good runners. Tell him I said He was'nt to let that Finch beat him tho. What does Arch think of Miss Coonie out at Young St. I suppose she is some nifty eh. Pauline said in her letter that Annie Harman was inquiring about me. Good job I have her to fall back on since Edith left me to the dogs. I had a letter from May Teasdale today. She sent me some snaps of around home. And of herself & Edith. And one of Frank on horseback. He looks tre-bon with khaki on. Has Mother sent me my dutch-belter sweater yet. And the main thing some doe. (money). I expect to get 10 days leave this winter and I will need it up in Scotland & Ireland where I intend to go. I have not received the box you packed me yet. The one with the jar of honey in. And the gum Alex Walker sent me. I might have it by to-morrow night tho. Merelda, I'll have to close now the candle spilt allover my pad. And I am talking backwards. So take care of yourself. Hope all are well will write girls soon. Your Bro. Earl'

Oct 29, 1917 Belgium letter to Mother

'My Dear Mother…I just received a letter from Harold tonight. He was at Brandon When he wrote it. And was then going to Detroit and Chicago. He sent me a dollar which I am glad to get a hold of over her. Have you sent my black sweater yet. It will be a dandy one for this winter. I missed it last winter for it was very cold over here at times. I guess this war will hang on this winter allright. But I don't see how the Germans can stand it. Our bombarding is something awful. I would not want to be on the other side of it. Fritzie side. Had a letter from Jean Burns the other night. She said Jim & Wib were marked A.1. Poor chaps I wonder if they will ever get over this far. Let us hope not any way. I had a bet with Clarence Bowhey about when this war would end. He bet me last Spring that it would be over by the 1st of Nov. this year. I bet him it would'nt. So you see I have only two more days to wait for my fifty Francs. I was wishing all summer that I would lose it tho. Say Mother did you get them awful photo's of me. I may look tuff but I feel allright, ha-ha. If I ever get a leave to England I get a good one of myself. I can sure take a dandy picture because I am a nice looking fellow, allways was. Tell Alex Walker that black chewing gum was allright. It is great company while working under shell fire. I think it helps to steady ones nerves. Well Mother, it is near 8 o'clock time I was to sleep. I am writing this in my little dugout in the candle light. It is a fine home allright only room for us two. The only thing it is short of is a chunk of camphor, ha-ha. They nearly drag a fellow out the doorway. John Hacket . I will look for a letter from you soon. I will write the girls soon. Hope all are well at lhome. I am fine with love and good luck to you all.

Your loving son Earl.

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