Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-11-08

Mr.. and Mrs. F. S. Wiemeyer, of
this city, have received an interesting
letter from three st. Louis friends in
France doing their bit for Uncle
Sam. The boys are Robert Hecker,
Leighton Evatt and a Mr.. Delaney.
The following is a portion of the
letter, giving an interesting insight
in the U. S. soldiers life "over
there"
Dear Friends:
ROUEN, France, Oct. 5, 1917. =
did not really know what the word
appreciation" meant until / got this
far from the land "Of a Thousand
Smiles" 1t certainly will feel good
to walk down the streets with every
one talking your own language.
Just imagine youself going to a shop
to purchase something and sometimes
having to draw pictures of your
wants. And being a poor artist sell
dom get the thing l go after.
1t is certainly worth the price Of
admission to attend a French dance.
Just imagine yourself on a fairly good
dance floor, 1 shall have to apologize
for the music, and some real good
looking French Miles. that you can
not parle with. But when, by chance
some Of the boys come in who can talk
a little of their language, you have
| the honour of a dance. You are
| dancing about the floor to the tune d
a French valse and all this time yor
still cannot talk to her . Well, lei
me tell you-it certainly makes yor
long for that Little Gray Home il
the West"
Winter has set in and it has grown
chilly; a damp chillness which neces.
states a fire. So we have been dis
turbed the last day or two getting oul
stove up. And some stove it is
Not any Wilson heater. A littlt
shrimp which apparently wouldn'
give two calories of heat, but which
when we got her going had US al
surprised. Hecker was one of the &C
tive members in putting it up and HI
used some good American express
ions that were a joy to hear. Gu
electric lights have been OF the bun
the last two days too and we hav
been using candles and some old OF
lamps for lighting. We had to laug'
last night trying to typewrite wit
the wind blowing the candle flame a
around. As l said before, it is
great life if you don't weaken. S
far We haven't weakened.
Well, now, Aunt Ethel, don't worr
about US running away with tn
French girls. They are the ones tha
do the running away with the fellow
I think a whole lot of them and hay
r several good friends among then
But don't think we will ever forg'
: the ones we left behind by any mean
( When it comes to that, w all take OF
I hats off to Uncle Sam and the your
ladies he produces. They are \
; Plus Ultra in that line as in all otI
ers.
Excuse me for my enthusiasm, b
| am so chuck, jam full of PATRIOTS
{ for my dear old motherland, Anne
: ique, that you will have to forgive n
for being blinded to the many virtu
n Of our sister countries.
y Now you have asked us what
wanted. The U. S. provides us wi
all the food and clothes we need a
i looks after us in every material WI
but doesn't look after our bad habi
: Unfortunately, Bob and l have the b
habit of smoking American cigarett'
. Perhaps you have heard the horril
tales of French cigarettes To
y, frank with the French, that is SON
/ thing that is rotten. The Engli
cigarettes are not 81 bad, but
IS don't seem to be able to get used
le them. Cigarettes for us are about
necessary as beans and bully beef, a
so if you a send along several pat
ages of them we won't be able
m thank you enough. 1t does e fl
lie ny to be asking for them, but sir
III you have so kindly volunteered to h,
e. us out and since it is impossible
Of us to obtain the much needed wee
|, here, it certainly will be a big boz