I got a call to report in the army on Oct. 28, 1918 and I had to sell my Ford Roadster that I had bought from Frank Nelson. He was the Ford salesman at that time. He lived at that time where Dick Foster lives now and Nelson's daughter guided me as I never drove a car before, down where I worked for Charles Miller on the old Bill Barr farm, two miles south of the Sanger's Road, in March and I had to sell my Ford to Forest Greisel and the day before I had to leave I delivered the Ford. He was sick in bed and told me to run it in the garage and jack the wheels up on a block, as he didn't know how long he would be laid up. So I took my bundle of clothes and hiked for Lowell and took the bus for Crown Point to stay overnight at the hotel east of Main Street and I had to meet the captain at the Court House Square at 6:00 o'clock Oct.18, and we had to take the street car to Gary and catch the troop train for Camp Custer, Michigan, and the train stopped at every crossroad all the way and picked up troops and all we got to eat was a crate of celery as we got near Kalamazoo, Mich.
It was hard for me to leave my folks in the yard crying, as they thought they would never see me again but I kept my courage and I have had plenty of experience. I took my little camera and 8 exposures with me and I heard it was risky of taking it if the officers catched me so I exposed them all and sent the camera home and the films to Clyde King in Lowell and he sent them to me and they are all good and I still have it and I took a number of pictures this summer of my flowers and myself around home.
I have taken pictures since 1912. Always fixed them myself. Mostly post card size -- 4 x 5, 3½ x 4½, 3¼ x 5½.
Guy G. Haskell
P.S. In my parlor at home I have 3 large pictures of the Army -- the Beginners reaction, my Company picture and American Shield 30,000 soldiers.
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