The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-21
HAVING EXCITING TIMES.
John Jay Writes That He Is Pleased with
America Tobacco.

From John Jay, q former resident o.
Barre and who is member OF the 6tf
company of the l0lst ammunition train
of the American expeditionary forces
now serving Somewhere in France,
Ralph George OF Elmore street has re.
ceiyed the following letter:
France Dee. 20, 1917.
Dear Ralph. Received your box to-
day. and you cannot imagine how glad
was to receive it. II is hard to get Amer
lean tobacco over here, and | am awfully
grateful to you for il. If | can get TO
any town or city, | am going to get you
some souvenirs that you will be pleased
with. | cannot promise how soon | will
be able to get into some town, and ! do
not know what can be bought over here.
! A little bird must have told you what |
needed These are my last two pieces OF
writing paper. and God only knows
where my next would have come from, ii
YOU hadn't sent me some and the hand
kerchiefs. Say, | haven't seen a hand
kerchief since | left the states, so you
see | am tickled to death with them, and
cigarettes. All the boys think | am rich,
when they see me smoking real honest
American cigarette Believe me, this Is
no eineh over here An American private
gets 20 times as much pay a day as a
French private. An American private gets
ST 90 a day and French soldier gets %
confines, equal to five cents. and this il
not counting the $1,000 from the state of
Vermont or the extra $500 month for
foreign service. With this extra money
an American gets nearly 80 times as
much pay. All the French soldiers think
we are rich; but then. an American will
spend five dollars and never think any
more about it, while French soldier
will look at nickel a week before he
let's ii 90. The Lucky Strike tobacco you
sent will go good in my jimmie pipe and
for roilings. Believe me, | am as happy |
tonight as fish in the sea. We are not |
allowed to write much of anything; we
cannot write anything about our camp or
where we are or where we expect TO 20 |
from here About all that we can write I
is about our personal self. and that isn't I
much, | was laid up with bum wrist |
for three weeks, but | never want To
come as close to again as when |
put my wrist out Of commission. All the |
good times | ever had and all the wrong |
things / ever did crowded into my mind |
in about 30 seconds. 1t sure was close
shave, and I thought that ] was done
for and ready to cash in my checks.
Oh, yes, it gets very unhealthy over
here at times and plenty of excitement,
and always something doing. We never
wish for any excitement, but we get it a
good many times when we don't want it.
can dodge lead like a jumping jack
now What are you doing for excitement
nowadays / have written You several
letters, but | cannot tell if Won have re-
,eived any OF them yet or not. ! have
thought of you a good many times since
We parted and wondered what you were
up to. | am not much of writer, and
have not been very steady, | know,
,nt you are still my old pal, just the
anne, and I wish you were with me
,ut never mind, am coming back and !
i'm going to come out to see you Just as
oon as | land in good old Z. S. A. 1t is
.oing on year now since | left Barre,
md we have not met since, but ] hope !
hat IL will not be year longer before /;
We meet again. Well, there isn't any 4
more to write this time, SO here goes for
good nights rest. Jack Ia
Sixth CO., l0lst Ammunition Train, q
Expeditionary Forces, via New 4
FORK 4