The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-26
SOLDIER LIFE IN FRANCE.
Described in Letters from Corp. Leslie Z
Wilson to His Mother.

Mrs. James NJ Wilson of Essex stree
CONTINUES To hear favorable news iron
her son. Corp. Leslie II. Wilson of
company, l02d L. S. infantry. He saile'
for England early in the fall and is nov
in France. From England he wrote o
an enjoyable voyage and stated he wa
in excellent health, and continued in hi
reference TO the voyage by saying;
Most every day we had some sort Of
exercise and they helped keep our healtl
good We also had boat drill, that IL
we were assigned to life boats, and the
drill was designed to see how quickly We
could get TO our boats so that in case
anything happened we could leave the
ship rapidly. Every precaution was tax.
EN- at night to keep the ship in darkness
We were not even allowed to strike a
match after dark. Our trip through the
submarine zone was very exciting. We
were made to stay on deck, and we had
to have our life belts on or near Ms at all
times. At night all had the privilege OF
the dining room to play cards and as a
smoke room. We were furnished amuse-
ment by singers, and there was music
aplenty There Were some very dis
tinguished passengers on board. who
came down one evening and gave us very
interesting tales"
From France Corp. Wilson writes as
follows:
I'VE have arrived safely in small
village, somewhere in France, which, /
guess, we shall have to call home for
some time. We are bileted with some
French people, that is to say, in small
rooms that are not used by the people
themselves. They get something like
penny day for everyone they billet.
We are all in the best of health, and /,
myself, never felt better Don't worry
much about me, for we will not see much
action until the middle of next sum
mer, and by that time we do not know
what will happen. We are quite dis
lance from the front, and we have got
to be trained in every branch of the
service. This, | know, is going TO be
very interesting. We are living in stone
houses that We're built, bet, before CO.
lumbus went to America. They are rath
er cold too"
Late in November Corp. Wilson wrote
as follows, the letter being received only
4 few DAYS ago: 1T has Just come to
mind that month from to-day will be
Christmas, SO ! am writing few lines,
which | hope you will receive before |
hen, rs | know that it will please you. !
4 month seems a very long time to carry |
. letter over there, but when we think |
If all the boys on this side, it takes |
quite a while in which TO censor their |
etters, and | guess the censor officers |
hink that some of the fellows do moth
NC else but write. There is no limit /
o the number of letters we can write. In
act. we are encouraged to write and
specially 10 our homes ] think that
here are quite number of our letters
ost in transportation, so if you do not
eceive my letters regularly, don't think
hat anything has happened to me.
"The worst part OF the weather here
: keeping our feet dry and washing,
which takes about a week TO dry The
avs are very short. 1t is dark when
7e get up, which is about a. m, and
bout $3.50 p IN. we have to light can
les in order to do our clerical work
We have good grub and plenty of it.
We eat in long buildings built for the
urpose which makes il much more
leasant than eating out doors in the
Ain. This four dining room is going
. be made into a company recreation
pom for the boys in the evenings, |
ave heard that there is quite lot of
laiI for us up at headquarters, and
ish they would hurry and get it over
ere ! have not received any since the
rst day we arrived here. Reading mat
n is very scarce, so if you have any
lpers or magazines wish you would
md them along"