CEHBates_Dec1918_015b

[Imprinted: ALASKA ARIZONA CALIFORNIA IDAHO MONTANA NEVADA OREGON UTAH WASHINGTON

STANDARD FORMS BUREAU [centered]
277 PINE STREET [centered]
TELEPHONE SUTTER 4560 [centered]

H. L. A. BATES
SECRETARY-MANAGER

TRADE MARK
STANDARD

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.,]

Dec 19th 1918

My dear old Sned:

We received your letter of Nov. 12th yesterday, so
you see what a long time elapsed, and what a Godsend
to us your cable was telling us you were well. I think
Mother and I would have been in the lunatic asylum
had we not received your cable, and had had to wait
until now to know that you had passed Nov 11th unhurt.

Dec 20th. Lesley has been discharged and arrived home last
Monday. He went to Auburn last night to get a certificate
from the School Board and expects to be back tonight. He
does not know yet what he will do, but we have
understood that male teachers are in demand. While
we were at dinner last night, Jos came in unexpectedly.
He is through at Nelson, but may go back to the Willows
Ranch to go into the hog end of the game. He was
tremendously interested as we all were in your
letter, which I have had copied and have sent to
Nor, Dick, Grandmother Rixon and Henry Culloden, all
of whom will be anxious to see it. You certainly have
been having your share of fighting and hardships and
it was [word crossed out] Divine Providence that stopped the fight
before you had to go through the wire. Mother says "the
poor dear boy, not having a bath for over two months,
and not having taken off his clothes for over a month."

It certainly was tough, and after this anything
better will seem like luxury to you. In the last
Army & Navy Register which came last night, it
gives the names of those receiving the D.S.C. and among
them is Col Bearss and Major Lewis for their work