French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-12-27

corps NrlIeS INCREASINGLY OF MS
Observations and Experiences in
France; Tells OF Peculiar Customs
of the French but Can't Tell Them
Anything About Saving Wood.
The letter herewith from Walter B.
Smith, somewhere in France the
| son OF Hon. and Mrs. w. A. Smith, of
nendersOnv1lIe, is quILe interesting
/ It's dealings with sOIdlery, peculiar
tiles and customs OF the trencn people.
Waiter is master engineer OF the
! I7th engineering Corps and a mem
Der of the reglmenJal stair. Before
enlisting in Jacksonville, Fla, last
June, he was with the traction com
pany OF that city. He o his examl-
| nation at Atlanta and after o a
month embarked at New York Tor
Europe. Walter enjoys life in Franc
but his people know not where since
the censor allows no lntlmatiOn or TO-
cation in the letters. He is douDtless
in Southern France, judging from MS
description of the growing mowers.
His letter will be of interest alike 10
friends and those who do not know
him personally but want some first
hand information about a soldiers lie
in france and the peculiar customs.
Nov. 16, 1917.
Dear Father:
know that my friends and those
who on account of age OF conditions
a never hope to cross over mere
would like to know a few OF those
things that a soldier will find. Your
gives the military condltlons
better than we could even if we knew
more than we do. The censors
ore yerv liberal and we can write al
all that we are to. OF course
We would not wish to give military e
information even if allowed. VIII
trv to give in a brief way those little
that may be of interest TO those
Who are coming or sending someone
do their bit" &,
We are allowed to tell of u parade h
through London, which was OF great Il
interest to us. The papers there nave L
the details with good descrlp-
ion. You see we get them all over
1ere even though they be a little late
ION can imagine even though you are. II
me of many, how it would feel to u
march before millions of people ana II
king, and to be their guest "
With a reception line ten miles long, II
~NA
nd a dinner at the end. "
There seems to be a strong con- ~
rast etwee England with her mui- :
itude OF brick houses, villages and h
of real old castles and the vast b.
tretch of green fields that bring the
OTIS of colOrs put more strongly; ana
with houses Of old stone sur W
by wonderful little walled IN lie
ardens with lazy windmills and at d.
country estates here and 1T
in a country whose natural land +
capa is more like the one we all love w
O much. In France you cannot help
ut feel the spirit Of the wonderful ro-
lantic and historical experiences that -
he has had.
Among many of those peculiaritles
make up the customs OF these Cd
people that have won the al ~
,iratlon OF the world, l will mention y
nlv a few that to me seem entirely u
,fferent from ours. If one is to ride
S the citizens OF the rural districts 40 D
must be in big two wheel carts, =
lany of them OF heavy aud cOmtorta-
le type. Often you Will see TWO ~
lree or four horses spike team pull "a
lg a heavy two wheel load but sell d.
Om do you see horses working VI
breast. Bread is sold from carts by Ne
iris who give slices Of bread instead 4
: change, when one buys by the loaf. "a
hose who work oxen have a yoke that -
attached to the horns by strips OF
iwhide and the animal is protected
Y strips of sheep skin aroun the
They think it funny that we .
Sc a yoke and bows around the oXs
eek. The farmers roll their. fur
1890 4Lo4 Lou. hooo fh~nu-n nm with |
n iron or wooden roller that is shap-
l like a spool, and when the ground
planted the field, while in ridges,
ley are round and as regular and
nooth as corduroy cloth.
1t is amusing to see a Frenchman
bread, cutting small pieces from
larger one which he holds just as
do an apple and the pieces are cut
nd eaten in small sizes and shapes
lat only one eating an apple with a
ocket knife can initiate.
When it comes to saving wood you
ould never guess that they hold the :
NV firmly between their legs and ;
owe the wood instead of the saw.
bought l would teach one the best ,
but there we're two saws n in =
ln end he convinced me that his ~
ticks came off quicker. j
Wine Served by Girls. q
We have often read that wine was I
) plentiful as water and it surely is c
)r they have it everywhere. In the T
and little village. You often see
hairs and tables on the sidewalks
like we nave in our drugstores {
over there but there are no soda /
Oys nor soda, but instead French i
iris serving wine. The French do &c
OF seem to be drHnkards for you sell ~
Om see one of them drunk. -
ShOWered With Flowers. =,
I have seen many places in France. n,
AVE marched in parades where flags 3e
ere flying from every window under ~
riches of ~evergreens and have seen
lousands of flowers strewn along the i
of our march. Through hundreds pI
. rn31nn nnI nnnn~% Ahnrnn@l. "a col a