The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-12-13
IN FRANCE. Nov. 3. 1917.
My Dear Friend Lee:

My Dear Friend Lee:
1t Is as dark aS II stack of black cats
tonight and too far to walk over there
to the Y. NJ. G. A.. where ! could get
pen and paper and table to write on,
so will pass away part of the evening
by writing in my bunk 10y candle-light.
/ have got bunk just like many of the
double hunks you have seen and slept
in at some lumber camp. Our com
pany has three huts as we call them,
and each hut has hunks for about 90
men.
We are still on the same work and
at the same place where we We're when
| wrote YOU last time. ! suppose You
have received it; this is the second
letter. and | told you ! could not tell
You very much on account Of the CEN
sorship hut ! might tell you that we
have worked nearly every day rain or
shine. and of course being the first
of the engineer regiments tn arrive in
France YOU can imagine what engin-
eers would be doing when there are
many thousands of our boys to follow
and that the United States is not call
ing on France for Il single article that
can possibly be brought from the
States and that when we say we are
them for any labor or supplies of any
kind; they have all they can do with
out doing anything at all for us
wait minute till roll a cigarette
Some mail which left the States
about Oct 11th or 10Th arrived today
and we got good supply of Bull Dur
ham and brown papers in the mail
funny thing about tnc brown papers,
You know they are made in France
but | have never been able to buy any
i'm the city here. guess the French
men never use them and they are made
for export only.
our camp Is several miles out from
the city and | generally 90 in on Sun
day. which is about the same as any
other day In France. No one could
tell the difference hardly. as most OF
the stores and saloons are open on
Sunday. About the only thing that is
closed is banks and things like that.
Was In the city yesterday. which was
Sunday: wanted to see one of the boys
in my squad who is sick IN our hos
pita we have there he has Il bad case
Of the grippe; his name is Fred Phil
lips and hp knows "A good deal of our
part of Idaho. Two years ago he was
working for some people around Noli-
mer and out close to Harris Siding
on the Nezperce road; he is big,
/ heavy farmer boy and ! think he en-
, listed as a bridge carpenter.
| have not heard n word from any Of
YOU at Fem since your last letter
and hope YOU are not going to forget
o. To- write to me this winter. You be
! sure and do 50 aHd tell all Of the boys
10 PIT in an hour or So on bad winter
q nights writing to me for | sure do ap
: preciate hearing from Fem people
and YOU can't write too many times tC
i Il soldier when he gets over here for he
:, will be tickled to death 10 hear from
the States. and after he has taken in
all the sights and the newness has
:, worn off, he don't care anything about
i the city here for there is nothing thai
he likes.
Now for instance. take city here
the same size as Seattle, no hotel tha
has lobby. The hotels in Franc,
are similar to our rooming houses il
u America. The saloons, which are call
Il ed cafes. are more like our reStauanti
and they have little tables out on th'
u sidewalk. and if You want drinl
, YOU sit down ut the table and general.
e have to wait about ten minutes hefor
l. you can get waiter and ten minute
more to get your change. Wine, O
y course. is the big drink for the French
but we don't care much for the Frencl
wine. and as we can't get bourbon W
drink Scotch highbals generally, bu
rs ! don't want very many of them.
N Prices are high over here fran
~ is worth about Is cents in our none,
in and meals COS or an average of abOu