The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-09
LETTER FROM FRANCE.
James Blackwell Tells of Experiences
in France and Comments on The
Country and People.

in France and Comments on Inc
Country and People.
Somewhere in France, Aug. %.
Dear Papa:
Your letter of July 25th reached me
on August 21st and I was sure glad
TO get it. Seemed as if was never
going to hear from you at all, but II
arrived at last, SO am going to answer
| it this morning while have chance-
wish I could have been at nome
while that crowd was there. know
| they had a good time, for they alway:
do.
! You certainly gave me job when
you asked me to tell you all about the
country. people, etc. over here. l. can
only tell you what. have seen IN Inc
parts of France that have been
through.
! We landed in France about ten
o'clock one morning and marcheo
five miles to an English rest camp.
| owe call them restless camps). we
left after a few days. While we were
there we were confined to the boun-
dries Of the camp and could nor gee
out unless an officer was with US Inc
| officers carried US on hikes throush
the surrounding country and II Ger
tainly was beautiful. all the heios
were enclosed with fences made OF
stone, and every little patch OF grouno
was planted with something Or had
crane harbor on it. The princlpa.
things that saw growing was wheat
oats and Irish potatoes.
Well, we left this camp one even
| ing and marched to the station Whefe
we were loaded into box cars about Il
third as large as ours, and marked
40 hon1mes au chaveaux," meaning
! that YOU could load 40 men or
horses in the car We put about 80
! men to the car-they put me IN the
| baggage and ration car where l far-
| ed fine, took Stretcher and liked II
up to sleep on and you can bet 1t was
| lots better than sleeping on the floor
! fo1. those cars certainly do rock
don't think the Alcolu r. r. could dc
any worse than they do I wish you
could have taken that trip with me
I have never seen prettier scenery IN
my life; there was not much forest
| but lots of meadows where any num-
| ber OF COWS were grazing and they al
seemed to be fat and in good condl-
ton.
When we finally arrived at our des,
| tination we found that we had to take
another hike of three miles Cup hill
all the way) to a pretty little village
| where we were to be billited fol
awhile. You should have seen that
bunch of boys when they turned then
loose None of them could speak {
word of French and all they could dc
was to stand around and gaze, bu
there is no downing them: the mos
aries and would get with some o.
| these people that could speak few
words of English, SO it was not long
before they had picked up enough
French = get them a bottle of wine
and something to eat at the cafe. The
boys were tickled to think that they
could get wine whenever they wanted
it, but the novelty soon wore off, ant
| they very seldom drink any now.
The people over here dress yer!
nice; in fact they seem to take more
| pride in "dolling" up than anythin;
else. To see them coming from
church reminds you Of home. I fins
the people very friendly, they thinl
that there is nothing like the Amer
leans and never seem to tire of talk
ing about them. They seem to wan
to make our stay over here as pleas
ant as possible. If all Of them go t.
America that say they are thinl
we shall have nation of French.
wish you could see the way the.
farm; their ways are about thirt.
years behind ours. They never hitcf
horses two abreast, but put them ons
! in front of the other. The mar
walks along with the lead horse ani
drives with one rein. Wooden shoe
are all the rage when they are work
ing but I don't see how they manag'
| to keep them on. I know 1 woul<
loose mine every step that made.
The greatest industry in this vilag
seems to be the manufacture of bas
kets and the sale of wine. They Ger
tainly make some pretty baskets. The.
raise the willow that they use ant
when it gets about five feet high the.
cut it down, take the bark off of it
then soak it in water until it is pliablt
when they weave it into baskets.
Well, I suppose you are tired O.
such a rambling letter SO I will no
infiict you any longer. We are still il
the SAME place that I have been writ
ing you from all the time. Hope we
| will move soon for l am so now tina
I do not feel natural unless l am or
the 60 Have made Chicago. New
| York, London, and Paris (only wen
| through the outskirts Of the last two)
Hope the next large city I make viii
| be Berlin. All this travelling in tht
last four months has certainly KEEP
ne on the go.
| Give everybody my love, and if yol
see Margaret give her my best; also
give my regards to Mr. Cuttino.
| Tell Mama I will write her in da!
or two Good bye for this time.
Your devoted son,
James G.. Blackwell.
Hdq. 1O5th sp Tn. American E. =.