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Western Union Telegram

According to Paul B's diary, the troop train on which he was riding arrived in St. Louis about 6:30 p.m. on May 4. Sometime in the two hours they were in St. Louis, perhaps at 7:25 p.m., Paul sent the telegram reproduced below to his father in Danville. The telegram was to alert his family that he would be passing through his home town at "1 (a.m.?) or later Wabash."

Telegram from Paul B dated 4 May 1918

The second timestamp on the telegram, 8:49 p.m., may indicate the time it arrived in Danville. And, as the delivery slip below indicates, there was an attempt at 9:45 p.m. to deliver the telegram to the Hendrickson home at 1211 Dakota St. Unfortunately, no one was home. There was a 10 cent special delivery charge (indicated on the envelope reproduced immediately below), perhaps for the ultimate delivery of the telegram.

Envelope for telegram

There is no hint in the following letters from his mother and father whether they were alerted to his arrival by the telegram. Regardless, at 5 a.m. on May 5th Paul spend about 10 minutes with his mother, Cecil Rife and his sister Fleda and her husband Arthur Starr. A newspaper article reported the visit but did not mention his mother or Cecil Rife. Paul's diary further relates that he rode in the train's engine to the "Junction" where the train stopped and Paul was given a few minutes to talk to his father.

Delivery notice for telegram

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