https://wiki.mervwrites.net/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Paul 2026-10-29T10:05:33Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.45.3 https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTU.Mzk&diff=68 2025-09-30T19:37:34Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;I could descend into the dank, labrynthian darkness of the subway---- and be pushed into a train by the milling, mauling, hurrying crowds --- and be crushed and crammed among them--- uncertainly holding on to a strap --- vainly trying to read the morning paper, while the people coughed in my face and chewed gum in my ear. I wish I could hear the sounds of the trains as they roared through the black caverns-- and be swayed and toppled when they came to a screetching halt...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>I could descend into the dank, labrynthian darkness of the subway---- and be pushed into a train by the milling, mauling, hurrying crowds --- and be crushed and crammed among them--- uncertainly holding on to a strap --- vainly trying to read the morning paper, while the people coughed in my face and chewed gum in my ear. I wish I could hear the sounds of the trains as they roared through the black caverns-- and be swayed and toppled when they came to a screetching halt at a station. I wish I could climb the feebly lighted stairway and come out into the bleak, forbidding asphalt streets of winter. I wish I could walk in the cold shadows of the tall, grey buildings, jostled by the heedless passers-by, my collar turned up against the slanting sheets of wind-driven rain and snow. I wish I could walk in the grey and friendless places -- beneath the steel bridges and down to the foggy harbors of the river.<br /> <br /> And as I spoke thus, my voice kept rising until it reached a great frenzy that burst upon the silent hills and echoed with dull, thudding sounds like thunder in the air. And as I said them, I turned around to breathe those words of fire into the eyes of him who whispered me his question. But no one was there. From no mouth did those words come -- nor from any living form. And the only sounds were the sounds of the wind stirring among the leaves. But now the winds were full of sighs and pitying-- and words came out of it again-- and the words were ---- Vain you are--- and foolish. You are not more of a man than the rest of men. You do not know what good is--- or what it is you really want. You can never be satisfied. You will never know happiness. You are doomed. Then, all was silence once again.<br /> <br /> By now the sun had sunk beyond view and the day was lowering rapidly. With a heavy feeling within me, I trudged over to my jeep-- and rolled slowly down the hills to go about my business.<br /> <br /> excuse, please --- there's a cowboy picture up the road apiece--- and I'm off in a cloud of dust. by the way-- the suspicions of impending travels grow thicker very day--- but so far nothing is definite. I'll let you know as soon as I can<br /> <br /> more soon<br /> <br /> Mervyn<br /> <br /> Say – I just got a package of chocolate bars – did you send them - – as they say here – &quot;good on you, yank&quot;<br /> <br /> M.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTU.Mzg&diff=67 2025-09-30T19:16:52Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>jan 18<br /> no 14<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> The other day I had a little business to attend to at a nearby hospital. The hospital is situated a few miles away from the dispensary, and further inland. To avoid being lonely on the journey, I took a jeep along for company and we both went rattling merrily on our way.<br /> <br /> Soon, we were laboriously climbing upwards among the craggy hills, along the steep, winding, treacherous new guinea roads. Up and up we went, and as we ascended the whole countryside began to unfold beneath us. Finally, we came to the top of a very high hill--- the highest hill in all the countryside around. The view beneath was so compelling that I just had to stop and gaze upon it for a while.<br /> <br /> It was evening, and the sun was beginning to descend in a red glow. As the refulgent clouds passed over it lazily, great patterns of shadow and sunlight followed them across the hills and the valleys. The hills stretched up and down in every direction ---- rising gently in one place, steeply in another --- sloping downwards and dipping in and out of the ravines and meadows. All over was a deep, luxurious green, wildly sprinkled with many colored flowers. Some parts were even spreads of velvety grass -- others were dense clusters of giant trees that enclose the jungle. Far in the distance, moving out from the edge of the land was the illimitable expanse of the blue pacific. All was quietude and motionlessness, except for the graceful soaring and swooping of the birds. All was peace and pastoral beauty.<br /> <br /> While I was thus standing, from behind me came the whispering of a voice-- so low that it could barely be heard-- like a fading echo from a far away place. And the voice said ----- Here, indeed, is the true beauty of the earth and the reason for which it is made. Here is the timeless beauty that existed long before the coming of man -- long before he grew and became numerous, and hungry with the desires that torment him. Here it lies as it was before he tore it asunder to build his roads and his cities and to feed his insatiable appetites. Here alone, can a sould know lasting peace and fulfillment. What more could you possibly wish for than this which lies before you, now?<br /> <br /> Before I realized it, I was actually answering. I do wish for something more, I said. I wish for a nickel --- a dirty, worn nickel. I wish I could put that nickel into the slot, and turn the turnstile, and walk into the subway. I wish</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTU.Mzg&diff=66 2025-09-30T19:16:35Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;jan 18 no 14 dear mother, dad and sis The other day I had a little business to attend to at a nearby hospital. The hospital is situated a few miles away from the dispensary, and further inland. To avoid being lonely on the journey, I took a jeep along for company and we both went rattling merrily on our way. Soon, we were laboriously climbing upwards among the craggy hills, along the steep, winding, treacherous new guinea roads. Up and up we went, and as we ascended t...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>jan 18<br /> no 14<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> The other day I had a little business to attend to at a nearby hospital. The hospital is situated a few miles away from the dispensary, and further inland. To avoid being lonely on the journey, I took a jeep along for company and we both went rattling merrily on our way.<br /> <br /> Soon, we were laboriously climbing upwards among the craggy hills, along the steep, winding, treacherous new guinea roads. Up and up we went, and as we ascended the whole countryside began to unfold beneath us. Finally, we came to the top of a very high hill--- the highest hill in all the countryside around. The view beneath was so compelling that I just had to stop and gaze upon it for a while.<br /> <br /> It was evening, and the sun was beginning to descend in a red glow. As the refulgent clouds passed over it lazily, great patterns of shadow and sunlight followed them across the hills and the valleys. The hills stretched up and down in every direction ---- rising gently in one place, steeply in another --- sloping downwards and dipping in and out of the ravines and meadows. All over was a deep, luxurious green, wildly sprinkled with many colored flowers. Some parts were even spreads of velvety grass -- others were dense clusters of giant trees that enclose the jungle. Far in the distance, moving out from the edge of the land was the illimitable expanse of the blue pacific. All was quietude and motionlessness, except for the graceful soaring and swooping of the birds. All was peace and pastoral beauty.<br /> <br /> While I was thus standing, from behind me came the whispering of a voice-- so low that it could barely be heard-- like a fading echo from a far away place. And the voice said ----- Here, indeed, is the true beauty of the earth and the reason for which it is made. Here is the timeless beauty that existed long before the coming of man -- long before he grew and became numerous, and hungry with the desires that torment him. Here it lies as it was before he tore it asuner to build his roads and his citieis and to feed his insatiable appetites. Here alone, can a sould know lasting peace and fulfillment. What more could you possibly wish for than this which lies before you, now?<br /> <br /> Before I realized it, I was actually answering. I do wish for something more, I said. I wish for a nickel --- a dirty, worn nickel. I wish I could put that nickel into the slot, and turn the turnstile, and walk into the subway. I wish</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDE&diff=63 2023-02-02T01:33:17Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>As for post war employment ideas — I'm concentrating all though on what I'm going to do with myself. The Murray Dingell Bill — providing, in effect, for the socialization of medicine in the country — is now before congress and is very likely to pass. That makes it more imperative than ever that I take up a specialty if I hope to make any progress in medicine. Therefore, I'll have to take about three years of advanced training — postgraduate school and residencies — when I get back.<br /> <br /> I have now finished four months of service overseas — and, according to latest regulations — I have fourteen months more to go before I can get back to the states. The european war may very well be over this year — but the final duration plus six months is a long time off. I'll be very lucky to get back to work by Sept., 1945, to begin any contemplated advanced training. Three years after that I'll be thirty-two. That's a little late to be starting out in life to earn a living — and in the end it will not have been worth the trouble — but I don't see any other way out. Circumstances beyond my hand's reach are forcing the situation. Fortunately, I'll have the money to continue the studies — and there's an outside chance that the government, after the war — will give about fifty-dollars a month to anyone wanting to take a year of higher education of any sort. It sounds like a grovelling dependency on pittances — but history is getting very complicated these days — and a man is no longer very much master of his fate. However, I'm still healthy — and I can still get excited about the life process — so maybe there's hope.<br /> <br /> more soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDE&diff=62 2023-02-02T01:32:47Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>As for post war employment ideas — I'm concentrating all though on what I'm going to do with myself. The Murray Dingell Bill — providing, in effect, for the socialization of medicine in the country — is now before congress and is very likely to pass. That makes it more imperative than ever that I take up a specialty if I hope to make any progress in medicine. Therefore, I'll have to take about three years of advanced training — postgraduate school and residencies — when I get back.<br /> <br /> I have now finished four months of service overseas — and, according to latest regulations — I have fourteen months more to go before I can get back to the states. The european war may very well be over this year — but the final duration plus six months is a long time off. I'll be very lucky to get back to work by Sept., 1945, to begin any contemplated advanced training. Three years aft that I'll be thirty-two. That's a little late to be starting out in life to earn a living — and in the end it will not have been worth the trouble — but I don't see any other way out. Circumstances beyond my hand's reach are forcing the situation. Fortunately, I'll have the money to continue the studies — and there's an outside chance that the government, after the war — will give about fifty-dollars a month to anyone wanting to take a year of higher education of any sort. It sounds like a grovelling dependency on pittances — but history is getting very complicated these days — and a man is no longer very much master of his fate. However, I'm still healthy — and I can still get excited about the life process — so maybe there's hope.<br /> <br /> more soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDE&diff=61 2023-02-02T01:25:21Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;As for post war employment ideas — I&#039;m concentrating all though on what I&#039;m going to do with myself. The Murray Dingell Bill — providing, in effect, for the socialization of medicine in the country — is now before congress and is very likely to pass. That makes it more imperative than ever that I take up a specialty if I hope to make any progress in medicine. Therefore, I&#039;ll have to take about three years of advanced training — postgraduate school and residencies...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>As for post war employment ideas — I'm concentrating all though on what I'm going to do with myself. The Murray Dingell Bill — providing, in effect, for the socialization of medicine in the country — is now before congress and is very likely to pass. That makes it more imperative than ever that I take up a specialty if I hope to make any progress in medicine. Therefore, I'll have to take about three years of advanced training — postgraduate school and residencies — when I get back.<br /> <br /> I have now finished four months of service overseas — and, according to latest regulations — I have fourteen months more to go before I can get back to the states. The european war may very well be over this year — but the final duration plus six months is a long time off.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDA&diff=60 2023-02-02T01:17:56Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 15&lt;br /&gt;<br /> jan 25<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received a v-mail letter from you just now — dated Jan. 12. This is very much better than air mails, which have been taking between 25 and 30 days to get here. V-mails can't contain very much, but the great difference in time makes them worthwhile.<br /> <br /> our spirits have been all hopped up again, although nothing concrete has happened. We are scheduled to move up along the line — but to remain in new guinea. Presumably, we will finally open a hospital at this new place. But the experience of the past months cautions me not to get excited until the thing is actually done. We may sit around for months at the new base before anything happens.<br /> <br /> I'm a little tired, to say the least, of the constant moving about from place to place. With materials — lumber, nails, etc, etc., — relatively scarce wherever one goes — and with the fact that one must make everything for himself — it takes a long time to get comfortable and to make even a modicum of conveniences and neatness in one's surroundings. Just when I've about made myself cozy in one place, I'm off to the next. I'd like to settle down in one place for a while and not go hopping about like a mexican jumping bean.<br /> <br /> Incidentally, about half of our nurses just arrived at this place yesterday. They have been assigned to one of the hospitals at this base — presumably on temporary duty. They are not going further with us now — but the expectation is that they will follow as soon as we're set up. However, one can never know what will happen.<br /> <br /> So far I've received two books from Ruth — the neitche that rhoda sent — and a package of chocolates from you. so I suppose you may as well go ahead and send the camera. However, I'll probably have another APO soon — so that'll mean more delay in the mails.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDA&diff=59 2023-02-02T01:14:17Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 15&lt;br /&gt;<br /> jan 25<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received a v-mail letter from you just now — dated Jan. 12. This is very much better than air mails, which have been taking between 25 and 30 days to get here. V-mails can't contain very much, but the great difference in time makes them worthwhile.<br /> <br /> our spirits have been all hopped up again, although nothing concrete has happened. We are scheduled to move up along the line — but to remain in new guinea. Presumably, we will finally open a hospital at this new place. But the experience of the past months cautions me not to get excited until the thing is actually done. We may sit around for months at the new base before anything happens.<br /> <br /> I'm a little tired, to say the least, of the constant moving about from place to place. With materials — lumber, nails, etc, etc., — relatively scarce wherever one goes — and with the fact that one must make everything for himself — it takes a long time to get comfortable and to make even a modicum of conveniences and neatness in one's surroundings. Just when I've about made myself cozy in one place, I'm off to the next. I'd like to settle down in one place for a while and not go hopping about like a mexican jumping bean.<br /> <br /> Incidentally, about half of our nurses just arrived at this place yesterday. They have been assigned to one of the hospitals at this base — presumably on temporary duty. They are not going further with us now — but the expectation is that they will follow as soon as we're set up. However, one can never know what will happen.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDA&diff=58 2023-02-02T01:10:41Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 15&lt;br /&gt;<br /> jan 25<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received a v-mail letter from you just now — dated Jan. 12. This is very much better than air mails, which have been taking between 25 and 30 days to get here. V-mails can't contain very much, but the great difference in time makes them worthwhile.<br /> <br /> our spirits have been all hopped up again, although nothing concrete has happened. We are scheduled to move up along the line — but to remain in new guinea. Presumably, we will finally open a hospital at this new place. But the experience of the past months cautions me not to get excited until the thing is actually done. We may sit around for months at the new base before anything happens.<br /> <br /> I'm a little tired, to say the least, of the constant moving about from place to place. With materials — lumber, nails, etc, etc., — relatively scarce wherever one goes — and with the fact that one must make everything for himself — it takes a long time to get comfortable and to make even a modicum of conveniences and neatness in one's surroundings. Just when I've about made myself cozy in one place, I'm off to the next. I'd like to</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTY.NDA&diff=57 2023-02-02T01:07:31Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;no 15&lt;br /&gt; jan 25 dear mother, dad and sis received a v-mail letter from you just now — dated Jan. 12. This is very much better than air mails, which have been taking between 25 and 30 days to get here. V-mails can&#039;t contain very much, but the great difference in time makes them worthwhile. our spirits have been all hopped up again, although nothing concrete has happened. We are scheduled to move up along the line — but to remain in new guinea. Presumably, we wil...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>no 15&lt;br /&gt;<br /> jan 25<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received a v-mail letter from you just now — dated Jan. 12. This is very much better than air mails, which have been taking between 25 and 30 days to get here. V-mails can't contain very much, but the great difference in time makes them worthwhile.<br /> <br /> our spirits have been all hopped up again, although nothing concrete has happened. We are scheduled to move up along the line — but to remain in new guinea. Presumably, we will finally open a hospital at this new place. But the experience of the past months cautions me not to get excited until the thing is actually done. We may sit around for months at the new base before anything happens.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=56 2023-02-01T14:49:27Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Welcome to '''''Transcribe Mervyn''''', the wiki companion to [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''].<br /> <br /> * Learn how to [[Transcribe Merv's Letters]] with Scripto.<br /> * Go to a shared spreadsheet of [https://lite.framacalc.org/transcribe-mervyn-9yzp letters to transcribe] and claim a letter, or mark a letter you've transcribed as complete. Your transcriptions won't show up for visitors to ''Merv Writes'' until the site administrator has imported them, so be sure to indicate when you've completed a transcription.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=55 2023-02-01T12:31:53Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. After requesting and receive account credentials, log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named '''''Edit This Transcription''''' button beneath the box. '''''Important: Your transcription content is not automatically saved at regular intervals. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving manually, your content will be lost. For lengthy transcriptions, consider copying the text you've entered and pasting it in a separate file before saving, in case your internet connection is lost during the saving process.''''' (Again, though, if you've saved periodically along the way, you won't risk losing much if there's a glitch in your final save.)<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. <br /> <br /> * Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. <br /> * Don't normalize spelling (e.g., don't change &quot;colour&quot; to &quot;color&quot;) ; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> * Don't correct misspellings or typos, or supply missing words; again, transcribe what Merv actually wrote.<br /> * Do insert space between words that Merv may have run together when typing, as the typewriter, rather than Merv, may have been responsible for the missing space (e.g., do change &quot;nothappy&quot; to &quot;not happy&quot;). <br /> <br /> In general, strive to accurately transcribe what Merv actually wrote, warts and all, but don't fuss about creating a one-to-one correspondence between the marks on the page and your transcription. It's fine to intervene modestly to capture Merv's likely intention (e.g., by separating words that he most likely did not mean to run together), but you shouldn't seek to ''improve'' what he wrote by introducing corrections, and you shouldn't ''supply'' words that he did not actually write or type.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTE.MzA&diff=54 2023-01-31T02:38:16Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Dec 20<br /> <br /> Dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> I've been holding off for the last few days in hope of receiving a letter from you. But our mail service is so disrupted by the constant moving about, that I received no mail from you last week.<br /> <br /> The vicissitudes of army life are upon me once again. Local living circumstances have been improving steadily recently. The officers finally have a roughshod table to eat on and are being served in a porcelainware service available to us for that purpose. The food itself has also been improving. We've been having fresh meat almost ever day — hamburgers, roast beef, swiss steak, french roast — our cook bakes excellent pies for us and often — we've also been having a surprising frequency of fresh eggs and real potatoes — all sorts of canned vegetables — oranges and applies — and even such delicacies as french dressing, ketchup, etc.etc.<br /> <br /> In addition to all this, I've been working like a beaver fixing up my tent — putting a floor in, building utility shelves, desks, bookcases etc until we now have the place almost inhabitable. It all remains very very primitive — for all the attractiveness it may seem to have in the above description. But it does contribute a modicum of livibility to these uninhabitable surroundings.<br /> <br /> And now comes the rub — Just when I am beginning to cease complaining I am today notified that starting tomorrow I will go on detached service some miles from here in one of local ring-worm and constipation palladia — in short, a dispensary — and I have to move out lock, stock, barrel, typewriter and pajamas. This will not, of course, change my address — so that mailing problems are not added to the situation.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTE.MzE&diff=53 2023-01-31T02:19:23Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;Nothing else of note is taking place. After the novelties and the adjustments of the first couple of weeks are over — there is nothing left for us to do but sit around here in a sort of semi-uselessness for the next year or so — and wait for the war to end. I spend practically the whole day in reading — a pleasant enough occupation at that. Now I&#039;ll have to interrupt my reading every few minutes to put merchurochrome on pimples and then go back to the book again....&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>Nothing else of note is taking place. After the novelties and the adjustments of the first couple of weeks are over — there is nothing left for us to do but sit around here in a sort of semi-uselessness for the next year or so — and wait for the war to end. I spend practically the whole day in reading — a pleasant enough occupation at that. Now I'll have to interrupt my reading every few minutes to put merchurochrome on pimples and then go back to the book again.<br /> <br /> For diversionary activity — there is little more than the ocean. We take a brief dip or two most every day — but that consumes only a short period of time. The movies are almost prohibitive. They are all outdoors — and they are projected from 16mm film (smaller than the regulation cinema size) and the crowds are so great that one can see the actors only very inadequately. Most of the pictures are poor — the specialties being our gang comedies and others of equal imbecility. Besides, every performance that I've gone to so far has either been rained out — or interrupted by the machine's breaking down. So I've just stopped going to movies.<br /> <br /> We've been getting the daily local — Guinea Gold — more regularly lately. It's only a four-paged little sheet (of the size of the once famous Y Scout) and it contains only the barest headline news but it's good to have. For a while we wern't getting the least information on what was going on in the various war zones — not even of the one in our own backyard.<br /> <br /> more again soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTE.MzA&diff=52 2023-01-31T02:05:13Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;Dear mother, dad and sis I&#039;ve been holding off for the last few days in hope of receiving a letter from you. But our mail service is so disrupted by the constant moving about, that I received no mail from you last week. The vicissitudes of army life are upon me once again. Local living circumstances have been improving steadily recently. The officers finally have a roughshod table to eat on and are being served in a porcelainware service available to us for that purpos...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>Dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> I've been holding off for the last few days in hope of receiving a letter from you. But our mail service is so disrupted by the constant moving about, that I received no mail from you last week.<br /> <br /> The vicissitudes of army life are upon me once again. Local living circumstances have been improving steadily recently. The officers finally have a roughshod table to eat on and are being served in a porcelainware service available to us for that purpose. The food itself has also been improving. We've been having fresh meat almost ever day — hamburgers, roast beef, swiss steak, french roast — our cook bakes excellent pies for us and often — we've also been having a surprising frequency of fresh eggs and real potatoes — all sorts of canned vegetables — oranges and applies — and even such delicacies as french dressing, ketchup, etc.etc.<br /> <br /> In addition to all this, I've been working like a beaver fixing up my tent — putting a floor in, building utility shelves, desks, bookcases etc until we now have the place almost inhabitable. It all remains very very primitive — for all the attractiveness it may seem to have in the above description. But it does contribute a modicum of livibility to these uninhabitable surroundings.<br /> <br /> And now comes the rub — Just when I am beginning to cease complaining I am today notified that starting tomorrow I will go on detached service some miles from here in one of local ring-worm and constipation palladia — in short, a dispensary — and I have to move out lock, stock, barrel, typewriter and pajamas. This will not, of course, change my address — so that mailing problems are not added to the situation.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTA.Mjc&diff=51 2023-01-30T23:32:26Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 6 Dec 4<br /> <br /> dear mother dad and sis<br /> <br /> my typewriter is my own again at last. It came the traumatic way — having been dumped deep into the hold of a ship, fished out with a crane and bouned downon a warf, thrown into a warehouse, lost, recovered again, dropped into another hold dragged out once more — but finally fell to my anxious arms, unbroken and as capable as ever. It is ready now to tell whatever story could be gleaned from so few days abidance in the tropics.<br /> <br /> we are located in the proverbial 'somewhere' along the new guinea coast. We will remain in this locality permanently (that is, so far anything in the army can ever be permanent) but the actual site of our intended hospital has yet to be selected. This, presumably, will be done within the net few days by the base surgeon, base commander, base commanding engineer, and any other base fellow who can manage to stick his nose into the situation. Then it will be consturcted by ourselves in conjunction with the local unity of engineers. The hospital 'set' itself we already have. It's a complete predestined, pregathered, prefabricated and prepackd unit of australian make. It contains everything from prefabricated buildings, surgical, medical, x-ray and laboratory equipment, and electrical generators, laundry and kitchens down to the last spoon, flush toilet (complete with paper holder), scalpel, bulb, faucet, pencil, eraser and aspirin tablet. I don't know how long it will take to put up but I judge about six or eight weeks. It all sounds quite attractive, and those who have seen similiar constructions in this area (an area consists of lots and lots and lots of miles) speak enthusiastically about them. the constuction does not include buildings for us, the hospital personnel. We will continue to abide in the manner of our nomadic forebears even unto abraham, in tents. Only now they make them fireproof. However, there will be more of little amenities (I hope) than we have at present — platforms, electricity, running water and a place to sit down and eat. Yet, it would do well to remain cautious in your enthusiasms for me, even as I myself.<br /> <br /> In the interim, we are camping out, and in no uncertain sense of the word, but we do have a truly select spot. We're situated at the very water's edge. The coast, hereabouts, has no beach whatsoever, the dense jungle and foliage arrested in it's expanse only by the waves of the pacific. The land in our particular spot is elevated about two feet about the sea level, and from my tent I can actually jump into the water. Don't ask me what happens when the storm comes. I dismissed that thought in a flash and with a shudder the moment it came to me.<br /> <br /> Our tents are the pyramidical type — ala Lehmann, but pitched directly on the ground. I have the same tentmates I described to you previously and we've fixed up the place as much as is permitted by a lack of lumber, limited tools, feeble talents and the realization that we may be to our new site (even before the actual hospital is constructed)</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=50 2023-01-30T13:32:55Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named '''''Edit This Transcription''''' button beneath the box. '''''Important: Your transcription content is not automatically saved at regular intervals. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving manually, your content will be lost. For lengthy transcriptions, consider copying the text you've entered and pasting it in a separate file before saving, in case your internet connection is lost during the saving process.''''' (Again, though, if you've saved periodically along the way, you won't risk losing much if there's a glitch in your final save.)<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. <br /> <br /> * Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. <br /> * Don't normalize spelling (e.g., don't change &quot;colour&quot; to &quot;color&quot;) ; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> * Don't correct misspellings or typos, or supply missing words; again, transcribe what Merv actually wrote.<br /> * Do insert space between words that Merv may have run together when typing, as the typewriter, rather than Merv, may have been responsible for the missing space (e.g., do change &quot;nothappy&quot; to &quot;not happy&quot;). <br /> <br /> In general, strive to accurately transcribe what Merv actually wrote, warts and all, but don't fuss about creating a one-to-one correspondence between the marks on the page and your transcription. It's fine to intervene modestly to capture Merv's likely intention (e.g., by separating words that he most likely did not mean to run together), but you shouldn't seek to ''improve'' what he wrote by introducing corrections, and you shouldn't ''supply'' words that he did not actually write or type.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=49 2023-01-30T13:24:50Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named '''''Edit This Transcription''''' button beneath the box. '''''Important: Your transcription content is not automatically saved at regular intervals. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving manually, your content will be lost. For lengthy transcriptions, consider copying the text you've entered and pasting it in a separate file before saving, in case your internet connection is lost during the saving process.''''' (Again, though, if you've saved periodically along the way, you won't risk losing much if there's a glitch in your final save.)<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. <br /> <br /> * Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. <br /> * Don't normalize spelling (e.g., don't change &quot;colour&quot; to &quot;color&quot;) ; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> * Don't correct misspellings or typos, or supply missing words; again, transcribe what Merv actually wrote.<br /> * Do insert space between words that Merv may have run together when typing, as the typewriter, rather than Merv, may have been responsible for the missing space (e.g., do change &quot;nothappy&quot; to &quot;not happy&quot;). <br /> <br /> In general, strive to accurately transcribe what Merv actually wrote, warts and all, but don't fuss about creating a one-to-one correspondence between the marks on the page and your transcription. It's fine to intervene modestly to capture Merv's likely intention (e.g., by separating words that he most likely did not mean to run together), but you shouldn't seek to ''improve'' what he wrote by introducing corrections.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=48 2023-01-30T13:07:59Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit This Transcription'' button beneath the box. '''''Important: if you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost.'''''<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. <br /> <br /> * Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. <br /> * Don't normalize spelling (e.g., don't change &quot;colour&quot; to &quot;color&quot;) ; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> * Don't correct misspellings or typos, or supply missing words; again, transcribe what Merv actually wrote.<br /> * Do insert space between words that Merv may have run together when typing, as the typewriter, rather than Merv, may have been responsible for the missing space (e.g., do change &quot;nothappy&quot; to &quot;not happy&quot;). <br /> <br /> In general, strive to accurately transcribe what Merv actually wrote, warts and all, but don't fuss about creating a one-to-one correspondence between the marks on the page and your transcription. It's fine to intervene modestly to capture Merv's likely intention (e.g., by separating words that he most likely did not mean to run together), but you shouldn't seek to ''improve'' what he wrote by introducing corrections.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTA.Mjk&diff=47 2023-01-30T00:22:55Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;tent absently watching the rushing waves break at out feet — or looking reflectively out to sea until out against the horizon misty visions of the west coast of America rise slowly into the clouds. The climate in new guinea is, as you expect, not very salubrious. It is always extremely damp and it rains at least once very day during the dry season. Further inland it gets extremely hot but in out spot on the shore it has been so far quite tolerable. There is always s c...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>tent absently watching the rushing waves break at out feet — or looking reflectively out to sea until out against the horizon misty visions of the west coast of America rise slowly into the clouds.<br /> <br /> The climate in new guinea is, as you expect, not very salubrious. It is always extremely damp and it rains at least once very day during the dry season. Further inland it gets extremely hot but in out spot on the shore it has been so far quite tolerable. There is always s cooling breeze from the sea, and so far it has been quite cloudy most of time — so that I haven't been near so uncomfortable as I was a Gruber. However, the hospital will probably be some miles from the seaside and I'm expecting the worst. The ampness is maximal at night and we find our clothes actually wet when we dress in the morning.When sitting still we're fairly comfotable but the slightest exertion provokes profuse perspiration.<br /> <br /> Malaria, of course, is endemic in this country — in fact it's perpetually epidemic among the natives, and there is the usual prevalence of dysentery and other infections derived from insects and water. But we've been shot with every imaginable immunization — and we have mosquito nets, a very effective mosquito repellent (much better than the old citronella and greaseless and odorless) and we take atabrine regularly. There is also an extensive program of malaria control (cleaning out swamps, making sure the boys follow the regulations in taking their medicine, etc.) conducted by special malaria units who wen to a training school at home to learn their business. They have signs all over the place in the roadside advertising vein such as Stay Happy All Day the Atabrine Way — Use Your Repellent and so forth. With adherence to the cautions prescribed, there is very little likelihood of falling prey to these various ills. Incidentally, instead of the usual insect spray — they have the same insecticide mixed with a very volatile gas that is lighter than air. The stuff is put in a bomb so alled, and when the opening is uncovered (a pin-point hole) and held upright, a rapid stream of spray comes out and spreads all over.<br /> <br /> All told, our health is excellent and spirits high. And for some silly reason I've been enjoying this more than anything else I've experienced in the army — even though this is a primitive existance that my metropolitan nose tends to look down on with disdain.<br /> <br /> I would like to have a filter for the camera — one of those dojiggers that make it possible to take picturs of clouds etc. Macy is the place no doubt.<br /> <br /> more again soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTA.Mjg&diff=46 2023-01-30T00:08:00Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;at any time. We have, as I told you, cots, airmattresses and pillows, our lamp, chairs and the results of our own handiwork— i,e, a few lopsided tables and benches and bars across the tent pole for hanging our clothes, putting away odds and ends and writing. Our kitchen is a tent with a few gasoline ranges inside and the usual collection of pots and pans that go with the army unit. the ranges are rather complicaated affairs but they do everything — roast, boil, fry...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>at any time. We have, as I told you, cots, airmattresses and pillows, our lamp, chairs and the results of our own handiwork— i,e, a few lopsided tables and benches and bars across the tent pole for hanging our clothes, putting away odds and ends and writing.<br /> <br /> Our kitchen is a tent with a few gasoline ranges inside and the usual collection of pots and pans that go with the army unit. the ranges are rather complicaated affairs but they do everything — roast, boil, fry and bake. Our baker has in fact made us both buscuits and cake already. We eat out of the mess kits and sit down to table on any piece of ground that has less than ten million ants per square millimeter.<br /> <br /> The food is practically all canned. But it is plentiful (there's enough food around to feed the whole army for the next thirty years); there is always an abundance of fruits and vegetables and meat. Canned fruits and vegetables are quite satisfactory of course. the canned meats are palatable but hardly tasty. They consist mostly of stews and beef sausages, etc. On two occasions so far we have had frsh meat — frozen been transported, I understand, all the way from home in the refrigerated state and ketp so at this base until distributed. We've also had fresh eggs — although much powdered eggs are used here. Powdered eggs are not very palatable, nor is the powdered milk which is abundant. There is no fresh milk but we have had evaporated (evaporated incidentally has twice the caloric value per ounce of fresh milk). So far we have had none of the dehydrated foods although they're supposed to be using a great deal of them. Fresh bread is available to us daily. All things considered, the diet is adequate in nutritive content, and it's sufficient in quantity. it is uniformly high in quality, and although it is never delicious it is palatable. It is always well seasoned with salt, soil and various crunchy and succulent insects. <br /> <br /> Water is obtained from one of manay pumping stations in the area and it is highly clorinated before drinking. It is kkept in a large canvas tank (the surface evaporation from which maintains a certain amount of cooling). All our washing is done in our helmets and I can never quite make up my mind whether to wash my hands first and then brush my teeth, or wash my face after I brush my teeth and spit in it.<br /> <br /> The toilet facilities consist of an elaborate contrivance known as a straddle trench — just a ditch in the ground and there's nothing to hold on to.<br /> <br /> Incidentally, there's even an ice house at the base — though we haven't seen any yet. But we'll get some — and beer, to boot, we've been told, as an xmas gift from the army. By the way, we get a regular allotment of cigarettes — three cartons per month — free.<br /> <br /> As for so many months now, we have nothing to do all day. But in the morning we get up with the sun rise and dash out of bed into the cool refreshing sea — and it is delightful. The water is never cold but always pleasant. Most of the day proper is spent in the usual routine of gabbing and reading or sitting out in back of the</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTA.Mjc&diff=45 2023-01-29T18:18:27Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>dear mother dad and sis<br /> <br /> my typewriter is my own again at last. It came the traumatic way — having been dumped deep into the hold of a ship, fished out with a crane and bouned downon a warf, thrown into a warehouse, lost, recovered again, dropped into another hold dragged out once more — but finally fell to my anxious arms, unbroken and as capable as ever. It is ready now to tell whatever story could be gleaned from so few days abidance in the tropics.<br /> <br /> we are located in the proverbial 'somewhere' along the new guinea coast. We will remain in this locality permanently (that is, so far anything in the army can ever be permanent) but the actual site of our intended hospital has yet to be selected. This, presumably, will be done within the net few days by the base surgeon, base commander, base commanding engineer, and any other base fellow who can manage to stick his nose into the situation. Then it will be consturcted by ourselves in conjunction with the local unity of engineers. The hospital 'set' itself we already have. It's a complete predestined, pregathered, prefabricated and prepackd unit of australian make. It contains everything from prefabricated buildings, surgical, medical, x-ray and laboratory equipment, and electrical generators, laundry and kitchens down to the last spoon, flush toilet (complete with paper holder), scalpel, bulb, faucet, pencil, eraser and aspirin tablet. I don't know how long it will take to put up but I judge about six or eight weeks. It all sounds quite attractive, and those who have seen similiar constructions in this area (an area consists of lots and lots and lots of miles) speak enthusiastically about them. the constuction does not include buildings for us, the hospital personnel. We will continue to abide in the manner of our nomadic forebears even unto abraham, in tents. Only now they make them fireproof. However, there will be more of little amenities (I hope) than we have at present — platforms, electricity, running water and a place to sit down and eat. Yet, it would do well to remain cautious in your enthusiasms for me, even as I myself.<br /> <br /> In the interim, we are camping out, and in no uncertain sense of the word, but we do have a truly select spot. We're situated at the very water's edge. The coast, hereabouts, has no beach whatsoever, the dense jungle and foliage arrested in it's expanse only by the waves of the pacific. The land in our particular spot is elevated about two feet about the sea level, and from my tent I can actually jump into the water. Don't ask me what happens when the storm comes. I dismissed that thought in a flash and with a shudder the moment it came to me.<br /> <br /> Our tents are the pyramidical type — ala Lehmann, but pitched directly on the ground. I have the same tentmates I described to you previously and we've fixed up the place as much as is permitted by a lack of lumber, limited tools, feeble talents and the realization that we may be to our new site (even before the actual hospital is constructed)</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.MTA.Mjc&diff=44 2023-01-29T18:14:33Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;dear mother dad and sis my typewriter is my own again at last. It came the traumatic way — having been dumped deep into the hold of a ship, fished out with a crane and bouned downon a warf, thrown into a warehouse, lost, recovered again, dropped into another hold dragged out once more — but finally fell to my anxious arms, unbroken and as capable as ever. It is ready now to tell whatever story could be gleaned from so few days abidance in the tropics. we are locate...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>dear mother dad and sis<br /> <br /> my typewriter is my own again at last. It came the traumatic way — having been dumped deep into the hold of a ship, fished out with a crane and bouned downon a warf, thrown into a warehouse, lost, recovered again, dropped into another hold dragged out once more — but finally fell to my anxious arms, unbroken and as capable as ever. It is ready now to tell whatever story could be gleaned from so few days abidance in the tropics.<br /> <br /> we are located in the proverbial 'somewhere' along the new guinea coast. We will remain in this locality permanently (that is, so far anything in the army can ever be permanent) but the actual site of our intended hospital has yet to be selected. This, presumably, will be done within the net few days by the base surgeon, base commander, base commanding engineer, and any other base fellow who can manage to stick his nose into the situation. Then it will be consturcted by ourselves in conjunction with the local unity of engineers. The hospital 'set' itself we already have. It's a complete predestined, pregathered, prefabricated and prepackd unit of australian make. It contains everything from prefabricated buildings, surgical, medical, x-ray and laboratory equipment, and electrical generators, laundry and kitchens down to the last spoon, flush toilet (complete with paper holder), scalpel, bulb, faucet, pencil, eraser and aspirin tablet. I don't know how long it will take to put up but I judge about six or eight weeks. It all sounds quite attractive, and those who have seen similiar constructions in this area (an area consists of lots and lots and lots of miles) speak enthusiastically about them. the constuction does not include buildings for us, the hospital personnel. We will continue to abide in the manner of our nomadic forebears even unto abraham, in tents. Only now they make them fireproof. However, there will be more of little amenities (I hope) than we have at present — platforms, electricity, running water and a place to sit down and eat. Yet, it would do well to remain cautious in your enthusiasms for me, even as I myself.<br /> <br /> In the interim, we are</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=43 2023-01-29T13:50:47Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>This is the wiki companion to [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''].<br /> <br /> * Learn how to [[Transcribe Merv's Letters]] with Scripto.<br /> * Go to a shared spreadsheet of [https://lite.framacalc.org/transcribe-mervyn-9yzp letters to transcribe] and claim a letter, or mark a letter you've transcribed as complete. Your transcriptions won't show up for visitors to ''Merv Writes'' until the site administrator has imported them, so be sure to indicate when you've completed a transcription.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Letters_to_transcribe&diff=42 2023-01-28T13:17:54Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Use this [https://lite.framacalc.org/transcribe-mervyn-9yzp shared spreadsheet] to claim a letter you'd like to transcribe. Claiming a letter will help avoid transcription conflicts and overwrites. When you're done transcribing your letter (that is, all image files associated with the letter), put your name in the &quot;Transcribed by&quot; cell and enter the date in YYYY-MM-DD format. (The sheet will convert the date to match those already entered.)</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Letters_to_transcribe&diff=41 2023-01-28T03:15:24Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Letters will be added to the top of the table as they are added to [https://mervwrites.net Merv Writes ].<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot; style=&quot;margin:auto&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Letter Title !! Date Added !! Transcriber !! Date Completed<br /> |-<br /> | Like the Great Thoreau || 2023-01-26 || Sam || 2023-01-27<br /> |}</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Letters_to_transcribe&diff=40 2023-01-28T03:12:43Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Letters will be added to the top of the table as they are added to [[Merv Writes https://mervwrites.net]].<br /> <br /> {| class=&quot;wikitable&quot; style=&quot;margin:auto&quot;<br /> |-<br /> ! Letter Title !! Date Added !! Transcriber !! Date Completed<br /> |-<br /> | Like the Great Thoreau || 2023-01-26 || Sam || 2023-01-27<br /> |}</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Nw.MTg&diff=39 2023-01-27T23:55:56Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>it's lying around somewhere. There is no immediate hurry for them. especially if you intend first to send the ones I asked for originally. These can wait for the following month.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, may I suggest something for your own entertainment at this time. I recently came across a volume by Margaret Mead (she works for the museum of natural history) entitled &quot;Sex and Temper-ment in Three Primate Societies&quot;. I know that it is available at the 96th st public library. It is lacking in the usual desirable minutae on the subject -- but in its broader outlines, I'm sure you'll find it both instructive and to your liking<br /> <br /> I know no more to say. Only that the hour of imminence is again up us. More again soon, but don't mind a brief lapse in my correspondence again - &lt;br /&gt;Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Nw.MTY&diff=38 2023-01-27T23:52:45Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Nov 24 no#3<br /> <br /> Dear mother dad and sis:<br /> <br /> No word from you this week. But the vicissitudes of the mail are the heralding notes sounding forth impending vistas to open on the already broad expanse of experience that floods a young man unpredictable life.<br /> <br /> My diary is no more remarkable than ever. Hale &amp; hearty, I still trestle the earth, for all the fact that my arm is somewhat sore from the initial injection of cholera vaccine. I'm also on prophylactic atabrine medication but that's a harmless enough dose to take.<br /> <br /> The adventure of the day, only just completed , was a two hour escapade in the long, dark</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Ng.MTU&diff=31 2023-01-27T00:54:57Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>destination. One is our chaplain. After much thought on the matter and in the final analysis, the best way to describe him would be to say that 'he's a nice guy'. A Lutheran some forty odd years --- he's a very even tempered fellow -- of impeccable ministerial behavior and remarkably tolerant of every one else's conduct. His religion is one wholly of faith and not of philosophy, and he is willing to accept anybody elses convictions as as being as worthy as his -- that is for the anybody else. He's pleasant, quiet, enjoyably talkative -- and we kid the life out of him. The other is one of the boys from the hospital at gruber, a young married man who was just beginning his career in pediatrics before being called in. He doesn't exactly scintillate -- but he is undoubtedly the brightest boy in the group -- A good doctor,<br /> a rather honest character, he possesses wholesome, if somewhat rudimentary, cultural interests so I have someone at least to share some of my thoughts now and then. The fourth is a dentist - an unusually silent, neat. uncontributive and unobtrusive fellow who impinges so<br /> little on our society that it is as though there were only three of us. And if you've ever shared one of these tents with five or six<br /> other room mates you would appreciate the keen luxury of only three in a tent. All in all the company is sedate and satisfactory though hardly instructive.<br /> <br /> Of course, as I said, this is only a stopping off place --and the stop is almost over. the motors are being tuned up again and the wheels of movement will soon be making their first grinding frictions against the earth's crust. The destination is again across a watery expanse<br /> so there will be a period of no mail -- but a much shorter period this time.<br /> <br /> more again in a day or so.<br /> <br /> Say, I almost forgot. If you re keen on sending me things -- I'll give you a real nut to crack. Tropical rains are a bountiful thing -- and a<br /> pair of galoshes would be very handy. I wanted to get a pair before leaving but for once I let myself be talked out of i t. Everyone advised against it -- and I can't get them here. If you can't buy them in the shops (galoshes, rubber overshoes or anything along that line -- not just plain rubbers of course) perhaps Rhoda gets near enough to the Fort these days to inveigle one of here friends to buy a pair of Arctics (that's what they call them) from the quartermaster. Shoe size is 6 1/2.<br /> <br /> Love&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Ng.MTU&diff=30 2023-01-27T00:50:25Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;destination. One is our chaplain. After much thought on the matter and in the final analysis, the best way to describe him would be to say that &#039;he&#039;s a nice guy&#039;. A Lutheran some forty odd years --- he&#039;s a very even tempered fellow -- of impeccable ministerial behavior and remarkably tolerant of every one else&#039;s conduct. His religion is one wholly of faith and not of philosophy, and he is willing to accept anybody elses convictions as as being as worthy as his -- that is...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>destination. One is our chaplain. After much thought on the matter and in the final analysis, the best way to describe him would be to say that 'he's a nice guy'. A Lutheran some forty odd years --- he's a very even tempered fellow -- of impeccable ministerial behavior and remarkably tolerant of every one else's conduct. His religion is one wholly of faith and not of philosophy, and he is willing to accept anybody elses convictions as as being as worthy as his -- that is for the anybody else. He's pleasant, quiet, enjoyably talkative -- and we kid the life out of him. The other is one of the boys from the hospital at gruber, a young married man who was just beginning his career in pediatrics before being called in. He doesn't exactly scintillate -- but he is undoubtedly the brightest boy in the group -- A good doctor,<br /> a rather honest character, he possesses wholesome, if somewhat rudimentary, cultural interests so I have someone at least to share some of my thoughts now and then. The fourth is a dentist - an unusually silent, neat. uncontributive and unobtrusive fellow who impinges so<br /> little on our society that it is as though there were only three of us. And if you've ever shared one of these tents with five or six<br /> other room mates you would appreciate the keen luxury of only three in a tent. All in all the company is sedate and satisfactory though hardly instructive.<br /> Of course, as 7 said, this is only a stopping off place --andthe<br /> stop is almosto v e r . the motors are being tuned up again and the wheels of movement will soon be making their fi r s t grinding: frictions against the earth's crust. The destination is again across a watery expanse<br /> so there will be a period of no mail - - but a much shorter period this<br /> time.<br /> more again in a day or<br /> Say, I almost forgot. If you re<br /> a real nut to crack. Tropical rains<br /> sending me things - I' 11 give bountiful thing -- and a<br /> pair of galoshes would be very handy.<br /> wanted to get a pair before leaving but for once I let myselfbetalkedout of i t . Everyone advised against it - and I can t getthem here. If you can't buy them in the shops (galoshes, rubber overshoes or anything along that line -- not just plain rubbers of course) perhaps Rhoda gets near enough to the Fort these days to inveigle one of here friends to buy apair of Arctics (that's what they call them)from thequartermaster. Shoe size is 6 1/2.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Ng.MTQ&diff=29 2023-01-27T00:42:39Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 2 nov 19<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received another note from sister before she left for Indiana --- and a letter from home posted nov 4.<br /> <br /> I'm supposed to seal my letters even though they are subsequently censored -- that's proper procedure. However, the presumption is that my mail is only spot checked from time to time. If they re reading all of it I'm probably being investigated by the FBI. You see, one of my tentmates was indiscreet enough to voice his intentions of voting Republican in the next presidential elections so I suppose we're all on the hot list now.<br /> <br /> I finally have some pictures for you. They just arrived from Gruber and were taken in Muskogee last July. One of them is<br /> rather satisfactory don't you think. Don't expect many more from this locality. The process of taking them, having them censored and finally mailed on, is very long and complicated.<br /> <br /> In the classic manner of army life -- there's still nothing doing. Today for the first time I enjoyed the distinction of a morning's service in the camp dispensary. The camp's rightful medical officer is ill --- thereby my heritage. The usual succession of negligable nonsense of course -- but it took my superficial wits out of the suffocating bondage of doing nothing day after day.<br /> <br /> For the rest I've been reading - voluminously -- everything I can lay hands on, spending most of the day lying in cramped comfort -- belly up -- across my cot. There are too, I suppose, moments of deep and philosophical meditation -- known in the vernacular as talking to yourself -- but they' re not worth mentioning.<br /> <br /> These various staging areas - -such as we are in now - are very poorly furnished with recreational facilities. There are only the free outdoor movies each night ---- and we have to go them of course in as much as one old fashioned kerosine lantern per tent doesn't dispel enough tight for anything but undressing. It's a standing joke out here -- whenever one asks why there isn't better food or more reactional facilities, -etc., etc., -- to answer, &quot;don't be a hog, now -- you know all those things are reserved for the boys overseas&quot; . The neighboring town has as little to offer .. the restaurants are hardly conducive, there are no attractive dance spots or supper clubs -- liquor is very difficultly obtainable and sports of any sort are very few. Finally there are far too few women for the vast soldiery quartered hereabouts -- and our nurses-- a rather unsavoury lot -- are camped separately about twenty-five or more miles away from us. However, celibacy is no new diet for me - - and although it occasionally produces some reactive agitation in the deeper tissues --<br /> I manage to get along fairly well --- amusingly better, in fact, than most of my long married confreres so recently and abruptly torn from the indulgent luxuries of the connubial couch. They give me many a roaring laugh.<br /> <br /> My tentmates are worth a note or two. I selected them quite carefully out of a group -- and I say this for your ears and your alone --- which didn't have too much to offer. There are four of us in the tent, and we hope to be able to stick together wen we finally reach our final</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Ng.MTQ&diff=28 2023-01-27T00:40:26Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>no 2 nov 19<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received another note from sister before she left for Indiana --- and a letter from home posted nov 4.<br /> <br /> I'm supposed to seal my letters even though they are subsequently censored -- that's proper procedure. However, the presumption is that my mail is only spot checked from time to time. If they re reading all of it I'm probably being investigated by the FBI. You see, one of my tentmates was indiscreet enough to voice his intentions of voting Republican in the next presidential elections so I suppose we're all on the hot list now.<br /> <br /> I finally have some pictures for you. They just arrived from Gruber and were taken in Muskogee last July. One of them is<br /> rather satisfactory don't you think. Don't expect many more from this locality. The process of taking them, having them censored and finally mailed on, is very long and complicated.<br /> <br /> In the classic manner of army life -- there's still nothing doing. Today for the first time I enjoyed the distinction of a morning's service in the camp dispensary. The camp's rightful medical officer is ill --- thereby my heritage. The usual succession of negligable nonsense of course -- but it took my superficial wits out of the suffocating bondage of doing nothing day after day.<br /> <br /> For the rest I've been reading - voluminously -- everything I can lay hands on, spending most of the day lying in cramped comfort -- belly up -- across my cot. There are too, I suppose, moments of deep and philosophical meditation -- known in the vernacular as talking to yourself -- but they' re not worth mentioning.<br /> <br /> These various staging areas - -such as we are in now - are very poorly furnished with recreational facilities. There are only the free outdoor movies each night ---- and we have to go them of course in as much as one old fashioned kerosine lantern per tent doesn't dispel enough tight for anything but undressing. It's a standing joke out here -- whenever one asks why there isn't better food or more reactional facilities, -etc., etc., -- to answer, &quot;don't be a hog, now -- you know all those things are reserved for the boys overseas&quot; . The neighboring town has as little to offer .. the restaurants are hardly conducive, there are no attractive dance spots or supper clubs -- liquor is very difficultly obtainable and sports of any sort are very few. Finally there are far too few women for the vast soldiery quartered hereabouts -- and our nurses-- a rather unsavoury lot -- are camped separately about twenty-five or more miles away from us.<br /> 'owever, celibacy is no new diet for me - and althoush it<br /> occasionally produces some reactive agitation in the deeper tissues<br /> I manage to get along fairly well --- amusingly better, in fact, than most of my long married confreres so recently and abruptly torn from the indulgent luxuries of the connubial couch.<br /> They give me many a roaring<br /> laugh.<br /> My tentmates are worth a note or two. I selected them rquite carefully out of a group - and I say this for your ears and your alone -o- which didn't have too much to offer.<br /> There are four of us in the tent, and<br /> we hope to be able to stick togather wen we finally reach our fibal</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Ng.MTQ&diff=27 2023-01-27T00:34:48Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;no 2 nov 19 dear mother, dad and sis received another note from sister before she left for Indiana --- and a letter from home posted nov 4. I&#039;m supposed to seal my letters even though they are subsequently censored -- that&#039;s proper procedure. However, the presumption is that my mail is only spot checked from time to time. If they re reading all of it I&#039;m probably being investigated by the FBI. You see, one of my tentmates was indiscreet enough to voice his intentions...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>no 2 nov 19<br /> <br /> dear mother, dad and sis<br /> <br /> received another note from sister before she left for Indiana --- and a letter from home posted nov 4.<br /> <br /> I'm supposed to seal my letters even though they are subsequently censored -- that's proper procedure. However, the presumption is that my mail is only spot checked from time to time. If they re reading all of it I'm probably being investigated by the FBI. You see, one of my tentmates was indiscreet enough to voice his intentions of voting Republican in the next presidential elections so I suppose we're all on the hot list now.<br /> <br /> I finally have some pictures for you. They just arrived from Gruber and were taken in Muskogee last July. One of them is<br /> rather satisfactory don't you think. Don't expect many more from this locality. The process of taking them, having them censored and finally mailed on, is very long and complicated.<br /> <br /> In the classic manner of army life -- there's still nothing doing. Today for the first time I enjoyed the distinction of a morning's service in the camp dispensary. The camp's rightful medical officer is ill --- thereby my heritage. The usual succession of negligable nonsense of course -- but it took my superficial wits out of the suffocating bondage of doing nothing day after day.<br /> <br /> For the rest I've been reading - voluminously -- everything I can lay hands on, spending most of the day lying in cramped comfort -- belly up -- across my cot. There are too, I suppose, moments of deep and philosophical meditation -- known in the vernacular as talking to yourself -- but they' re not worth mentioning.<br /> <br /> These various staging areas - such as we are in now - are very poorly furnished with recreational facilities. There are only the free outdoor movies each night ---- and we have to go them of course in as much as one old fashioned kerosine lantern per tent doesn t dispel enough tight for anything but undressing. It's a standing joke out here - whenever one asks why there isn't better food or more reactional facilities,-etc.. etc.., -- to answer, &quot;don't be a hos. now -- you know all those things are reserved for the boys overseas&quot; .<br /> The neighboring town has as little<br /> to offer .. the restaurants are hardly condusive, the re are no attractive dance spots or supper clubs -- liquor is very difficultly obtainable and sports of any sort are very few.<br /> Finally there are far too few women<br /> for the vast soldiers quartered hereabouts- and our nurses<br /> - a rather<br /> unsavoury lot -.<br /> are camped separately about twenty. five or more miles<br /> away from us<br /> 'owever, celibacy is no new diet for me - and althoush it<br /> occasionally produces some reactive agitation in the deeper tissues<br /> I manage to get along fairly well --- amusingly better, in fact, than most of my long married confreres so recently and abruptly torn from the indulgent luxuries of the connubial couch.<br /> They give me many a roaring<br /> laugh.<br /> My tentmates are worth a note or two. I selected them rquite carefully out of a group - and I say this for your ears and your alone -o- which didn't have too much to offer.<br /> There are four of us in the tent, and<br /> we hope to be able to stick togather wen we finally reach our fibal</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=26 2023-01-26T18:44:49Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>This is the wiki companion to [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''].<br /> <br /> * Learn how to [[Transcribe Merv's Letters]] with Scripto.<br /> * See a list of [[letters to transcribe]].</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Letters_to_transcribe&diff=25 2023-01-26T18:39:30Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;Nothing here yet, but this page will eventually list letters currently in need of transcription.&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>Nothing here yet, but this page will eventually list letters currently in need of transcription.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=24 2023-01-26T18:38:34Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>This is the wiki companion to [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''].<br /> <br /> * Learn how to [[ Transcribe Merv's Letters ]] with Scripto.<br /> * See a list of [[ letters to transcribe ]].</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=23 2023-01-26T18:36:44Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit This Transcription'' button beneath the box. '''''Important: if you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost.'''''<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=22 2023-01-26T17:57:09Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image in a viewer that will let you zoom and navigate within the image.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. There's a login link right at the top of this page. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit This Transcription'' button beneath the box. '''''Important: if you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost.'''''<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks, indentations, or end-of-line hyphenation. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=21 2023-01-26T14:26:49Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image. Clicking again will enlarge the image so that you can get a very close view of the words on the page. <br /> <br /> '''Important:''' If you click to enlarge the image after you've begun transcribing, you'll lose any unsaved changes to your transcription. You can avoid losing your work by always remembering to save it before enlarging the image. But there's a better way.<br /> <br /> * When the image you wish to transcribe first comes up, right-click on it and open a second view of it in a new tab or window in your browser. You can then transcribe in one window or tab and move to the other when you need to enlarge the image for a closer look. '''It's still a good idea to save your transcription work periodically, though, as described below.'''<br /> * For peace of mind, you may want to consider composing your transcription in a plain-text editor (e.g., TextEdit on Mac, Notepad on Windows), pasting it into the transcription box, and then saving. Make sure that your editing application is truly in plain-text (not rich-text) mode. Formatting that you do in rich text (e.g., underlining) will not carry over to the transcription box when you copy your transcription there.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. There's a login link right at the top of this page. Log in with the username and password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''[edit]'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit This Transcription'' button beneath the box. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost. For peace of mind, you may want to consider typing your transcription in a plain-text editor (TextEdit on Mac, for example, or Notepad on Windows), pasting it into the transcription box, and then saving.<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks or indentations. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;code&gt;[illegible]&lt;/code&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.MTA&diff=20 2023-01-26T13:29:49Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>I'm still sitting in the same place — fighting a rapidly losing battle against the mosquitos. I kill them in droves but they have more replacements than the Russians &amp; Germans combined. They come over like dive bombers hourly — and when they pass on — all is devastation in their wake.<br /> <br /> More again soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.MTA&diff=19 2023-01-26T13:29:28Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;I&#039;m still sitting in the same place — fighting a rapidly losing battle against the mosquitos. I kill the in droves but they have more replacements than the Russians &amp; Germans combined. They come over like dive bombers hourly — and when they pass on — all is devastation in their wake. More again soon&lt;br /&gt; Mervyn.&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>I'm still sitting in the same place — fighting a rapidly losing battle against the mosquitos. I kill the in droves but they have more replacements than the Russians &amp; Germans combined. They come over like dive bombers hourly — and when they pass on — all is devastation in their wake.<br /> <br /> More again soon&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Mervyn.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.OQ&diff=18 2023-01-26T13:26:36Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;5. I certainly would like to have my Times subscription continued. It&#039;ll be awfully late getting here (I received only one since arrival) but lots of information I have no other way of getting. I worked with Dr. Wincar when I was at the Bronx — and, altho I never devoted too much time or interest with opthalmological surgery — I think he&#039;s quite a competent surgeon for that sort of operation. The operation is usually quite simple and I&#039;m sure everything will be all...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>5. I certainly would like to have my Times subscription continued. It'll be awfully late getting here (I received only one since arrival) but lots of information I have no other way of getting.<br /> <br /> I worked with Dr. Wincar when I was at the Bronx — and, altho I never devoted too much time or interest with opthalmological surgery — I think he's quite a competent surgeon for that sort of operation. The operation is usually quite simple and I'm sure everything will be all right.<br /> <br /> However it gets done, Rhoda must have her allergy treated and by a competent man. No equivocalities permitted.<br /> <br /> I received all the snap shots. The ones of Rhoda sent from Chicago are the best of her she's ever taken.<br /> <br /> There is absolutely new news from me</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.OA&diff=17 2023-01-26T13:19:39Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>much — if any — is being cut out of them.<br /> <br /> As for what to send me: 1. &lt;u&gt;Don't&lt;/u&gt; — &lt;u&gt;Don't&lt;/u&gt; send any cigarettes. So far, we are able to get a carton per man per week — (which is more than I use) — and at a cost of four cents per pack.<br /> <br /> 2. Please do send me a few packages of typewriter paper — and some fairly nice stationary (with large sheets). Paper is almost unobtainable around here.<br /> <br /> 3. Send me a copy of 1. &quot;Fathers &amp; Sons&quot; by Turgenev and 2. Don Quixote, by Cervantes They are both available in the modern library series at Macy. I know that I do have a copy of the latter in the classics collection but I would like to read it now — and it will only get ruined. Anyway the modern libraries are very cheap.<br /> <br /> 4. Food of any sort — candies — nuts — etc are unnecessary. I don't particularly care for any of it. Besides the transport service is having trouble getting a hospital together for us and can't be bothered with that stuff</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.OA&diff=16 2023-01-26T13:17:33Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;much — if any — is being cut out of them. As for what to send me: 1. &lt;u&gt;Don&#039;t&lt;/u&gt; — &lt;u&gt;Don&#039;t&lt;/u&gt; send any cigarettes. So far, we are able to get a cartonper man per week — (which is more than I use) — and at a cost of four cents per pack. 2. Please do send me a few packages of typewriter paper — and some fairly nice stationary (with large sheets). Paper is almost unobtainable around here. 3. Send me a copy of 1. &quot;Fathers &amp; Sons&quot; by Turgenev and 2. Don Quix...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>much — if any — is being cut out of them.<br /> <br /> As for what to send me: 1. &lt;u&gt;Don't&lt;/u&gt; — &lt;u&gt;Don't&lt;/u&gt; send any cigarettes. So far, we are able to get a cartonper man per week — (which is more than I use) — and at a cost of four cents per pack.<br /> <br /> 2. Please do send me a few packages of typewriter paper — and some fairly nice stationary (with large sheets). Paper is almost unobtainable around here.<br /> <br /> 3. Send me a copy of 1. &quot;Fathers &amp; Sons&quot; by Turgenev and 2. Don Quixote, by Cervantes They are both available in the modern library series at Macy. I know that I do have a copy of the latter in the classics collection but I would like to read it now — and it will only get ruined. Anyway the modern libraries are very cheap.<br /> <br /> 4. Food of any sort — candies — nuts — etc are unnecessary. I don't particularly care for any of it. Besides the transport service is having trouble getting a hospital together for us and can't be bothered with that stuff</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.Mw.Nw&diff=15 2023-01-26T13:08:16Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;No 1. Nov. 15.&lt;br /&gt; Monday. Dear Mother &amp; Dad &amp; Sis, Received three letters from home and one from sis in Chicago — since my own letter the other day. The mail comes in helter-skelter fashion with no regard at all for the sequence in which it was written. So when I received a letter writtten on Oct 30 — saying that Rhoda had dinner at the Fershings[?] — and nothing more — it took me some time to figure it all out. Two days later I got the letter of the 23rd sa...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>No 1. Nov. 15.&lt;br /&gt;<br /> Monday.<br /> <br /> Dear Mother &amp; Dad &amp; Sis,<br /> <br /> Received three letters from home and one from sis in Chicago — since my own letter the other day. The mail comes in helter-skelter fashion with no regard at all for the sequence in which it was written. So when I received a letter writtten on Oct 30 — saying that Rhoda had dinner at the Fershings[?] — and nothing more — it took me some time to figure it all out. Two days later I got the letter of the 23rd saying that she had the trip to Chicago. And, today comes the post card written in Boston.<br /> <br /> Most relieving of all — though — was the news that you had already received some of may mail. In the future I'll number all my letters, as per above — and I wish you'd do the same. Also — please let me know which of my letters you've received so that I could keep track of it all — and some idea of how</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=.NQ.MTM&diff=14 2023-01-26T12:54:44Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;The desk is another outstanding example of the beauty &amp; grace of line so characteristic of Schacht executions&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>The desk is another outstanding example of the beauty &amp; grace of line so characteristic of Schacht executions</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=13 2023-01-26T01:26:17Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image. Clicking again will enlarge the image so that you can get a very close view of the words on the page. You may want to consider right-clicking the image when it first comes up so that it opens in a new tab; that way, you can toggle between (1) the standard view and the box where you'll do your transcribing and (2) the enlarged view, where you can closely examine any words that are hard to make out.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. There's a login link right at the top of this page. Log in with the username/password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''edit'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit This Transcription'' button beneath the box. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost. For peace of mind, you may want to consider typing your transcription in a plain-text editor (TextEdit on Mac, for example, or Notepad on Windows), pasting it into the transcription box, and then saving.<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks or indentations. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;pre&gt;[illegible]&lt;/pre&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=12 2023-01-26T01:15:02Z

<p>Paul: </p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''document''. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image. Clicking again will enlarge the image so that you can get a very close view of the words on the page. You may want to consider right-clicking the image when it first comes up so that it opens in a new tab; that way, you can toggle between (1) the standard view and the box where you'll do your transcribing and (2) the enlarged view, where you can closely examine any words that are hard to make out.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. There's a login link right at the top of this page. Log in with the username/password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''edit'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit this transcription'' button beneath the box. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost. For peace of mind, you may want to consider typing your transcription in a plain-text editor (TextEdit on Mac, for example, or Notepad on Windows), pasting it into the transcription box, and the saving.<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks or indentations. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;pre&gt;[illegible]&lt;/pre&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. '''Remember to click ''Edit this transcription'' to save your work!'''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul https://wiki.mervwrites.net/index.php?title=Transcribe_Merv%27s_Letters&diff=11 2023-01-26T01:13:55Z

<p>Paul: Created page with &quot;Each &#039;&#039;item&#039;&#039; on the [https://mervwrites.net &#039;&#039;Merv Writes&#039;&#039;] website is a letter, aka a &#039;&#039;&#039;&#039;document. When you visit a document&#039;s page on the site, you&#039;ll see the &#039;&#039;files&#039;&#039; (aka &#039;&#039;images&#039;&#039;) that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you&#039;ll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading &#039;&#039;Transcribe This Item.&#039;&#039; Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter). Clicking the link to an image will bring u...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>Each ''item'' on the [https://mervwrites.net ''Merv Writes''] website is a letter, aka a ''''document. When you visit a document's page on the site, you'll see the ''files'' (aka ''images'') that make up the document. If you scroll down below the images, you'll see metadata about the item and, below that, the heading ''Transcribe This Item.'' Beneath the heading is a link to each file (image) constituting the document (letter).<br /> <br /> Clicking the link to an image will bring up the image. Clicking again will enlarge the image so that you can get a very close view of the words on the page. You may want to consider right-clicking the image when it first comes up so that it opens in a new tab; that way, you can toggle between (1) the standard view and the box where you'll do your transcribing and (2) the enlarged view, where you can closely examine any words that are hard to make out.<br /> <br /> You must be logged into Scripto in order to transcribe. There's a login link right at the top of this page. Log in with the username/password that were sent to you. When you're logged into Scripto, you'll see, beneath the image you wish to transcribe:<br /> <br /> &lt;pre&gt;Current Page Transcription [edit] [wiki] [history]&lt;/pre&gt;<br /> <br /> Click ''edit'', and a transcription box will open below. Type your transcription in the box. Periodically save your transcription by clicking the large, not-very-intuitively named ''Edit this transcription'' button beneath the box. If you navigate away from your transcription without saving, your content will be lost. For peace of mind, you may want to consider typing your transcription in a plain-text editor (TextEdit on Mac, for example, or Notepad on Windows), pasting it into the transcription box, and the saving.<br /> <br /> For each image, transcribe only what is on the letter surface it represents. Don't worry about reproducing line breaks or indentations. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. Don't normalize spelling; instead, transcribe the words as Merv wrote them.<br /> <br /> If a word or letter is illegible, type &lt;pre&gt;[illegible]&lt;/pre&gt; at that point in your transcription.<br /> <br /> Every time you click ''Edit this transcription'', your transcription will be saved. So don't feel that you have to completely transcribe a file in one sitting. You can come back to the file at a later time, click ''[edit]'', and resume transcribing. ''''Remember to click &quot;Edit this transcription&quot; to save your work!''''<br /> <br /> Individual image transcriptions will be periodically sewn together by the site administrator so that the document (item) page for the letter shows a running transcription of the entire letter, combining the transcriptions of the individual pages.</div>

Paul