Valdez daily prospector., 1917-11-09
SOLDIERS LIFE
 IN SUNNY FRANCE
Brother of Mrs. Walter Elliot Relates Experiences at Front-Censor
 Deletes Much of Letter

The following letter was written from Somewhere in France to Mrs. Walter Elliot, by her brother, Mer- ritt H. Davis, who is on the firing line on the western front. MT. Davis is a graduate of Clarion, Pa, Normal, this year, and at the time of his en-. listment was a Professor in the faR ulty of the Clarion High School. He is a brother of Prof. Frank G. Davis, principal of the Valdez schools last year.
 My Dear People: I hope that by this time you have the card l wrote some days ago. If you have not l suppose you are looking a little anx- iously for a letter. The government is busted with such stupendous task now that I do not wonder that the mail is delayed Any mail coming this way will be handled quickly, think, so do not fail to write, and l shall write as often as possible.
 Tt hardly seems possible that l am in France, but I guess I am. Our voyage over was safe and pleasant. although I heard that we were re- ported lost. trust the rumor did not reach you. (Deleted by censor.) My idea of it was greatly changed by the reality. It has the most beautiful fields and valleys that I have ever. seen. They show better care than have seen evidence of in 22 states of the Union. Not a weed is to be seen. I think I am safe in saying that (de- leted by censor) of the (deleted by censor we saw, are of red brick.
 We did not pass through (deleted by censor) to have an abundant har- vest this year.
 ..On arriving in (deleted by censor) our present location. Travelling fa- cilities are not so good as in the States. France has better trains than has England. The English coaches are a little more than third the length of our Pullmans. They are divided into compartments capable of accommodating about persons. and each compartment has connection with the outside only at the side. They are Imaginable.
 "Deleted by censor) hearty along the line although I suppose they are getting used to American soldiers.
 "One does not see many Frenchmen of military age on the farms. but they are by no means neglected by reason of that. I think that the tributes that have been paid to the French women are all deserved.
 We did not come through the most picturesque part of France. but one could see that it has much natural beauty. The part in which we are To- cated looks more like dear old Penn sylvania than any place I have seen since I left there. The crops and fruit are almost the same and the surface is also like it.
 Five of us fellows got pass on Sunday and took walk out of town. On the way back we stopped and raked and pitched on big load of hay for some old people. It seemed like old times for some of us. They gave us some fruit which was mighty good. You should see the soldiers work for these people for drink of wine or a couple of apples or plums. There is a severe penalty on taking the fruit except as a gift.
 We are in a little old fashioned town, which by now is (deleted by censor.) We occupy all the vacant rooms, hay lofts, etc., for the time be- ing and are getting very comfortably situated The town is not very clean and our first task is to clean it up and make it a fit place for the Sanitary Division of the U. s. army to live. We are doing that with a vengeance. We . have had no drills as yet but we wear our fatigue clothes about all day.
 The townspeople are simple, hos pital lot, many of whom have been driven from towns on the border. Our conversation, if any, is halting, but we are picking up little French al- ready and we have scarcely been here a week. It will be many day before we speak 1t fiuently. think l shall study 1t pretty hard with a view to adding 1t to the things I can teach when return, if I should take up that profession again. It is hard to req lize that we are (deleted by censor) judging from the life here. i~
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