Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-10-09
MAMRE BOY WRITES
INTERESTING LETTER
Sergeant David Swanson in France
Enjoys His Work and is Charm
ed With Country.
Somewhere in France,
Aug. 4, 1918.

GU Will AOunLIy.
Somewhere in France,
Aug. 4, 1918.
Dear Sister:
Peace.
l think perhaps it may be tine that
l write you few lines so a. It Won
may know am still on cal. |, and
that l am feeling fine. I w.ote to
Anna a few days ago so l guess you
Know that l am In France, the land
OF Sunshine and vineyards. For mill
tary reasons, cannot tell you in
what part of the country we are but
we are far from the battle line and I
think we will be so for some time yet.
l think I mentioned in Annals let
ter that our trip over the Atlantic
was practically uneventful in regard
to submarines and storms and didn't
even get seasick. Enjoyed the trip
very much and found it interesting all
the way even tho it took DAYS
to cross. was kept busy most of the
time In the ships hospital so could
not stay on deck as much as I would
have liked to but it was my business
to stay in the hospital so have moth
ing to complain about
We we're in England only-and
we were not sorry for we wanted to
get to france. When we landed in
France we stayed in a camp about
"a hours after which we got a two
day and two night ride in a box car
with planks for seats and the hard
floor for beds and hard tack and corn
ed beef to eat with coffee once a day.
Believe me, it is great sport being a
soldier over here but it is all in the
game and if others have stood as
much and more for four years, we
Americans can do the same if neces-
sary. We enjoyed even that journey
for there were many things to see.
The country is as beautiful as a park
almost all over, certainly the most
picturesque l have ever seen. All
houses are built Of stone and most
of them are many centuries old Saw
a number of castles some as old as
800 years and perhaps more and still
in good condition and habitable. One
castle we saw is used for a hospital
now.
Well, our French pullman stopped
at last and we had the pleasure of a
nine mile hike with a so lb. pack on
backs in very hot SUM-. We all
stood it better than we expected and
with the exception of a few we all
pulled up to where we are still stay
ing. Our regiment is spread over
a radius of about five square miles
with each Battery staying in a little
village. There are numerous little
towns of about dozen and a halt
houses and perhaps few more inhab-
itants. Consequently there is lots of
room in the buildings and most of us
live in them, altho a few sleep in
tents. l am sleeping inside myself.
There are plenty of forests and num-
erous cross roads so unless you are
little familiar with the country, it is
easy to get lost. tried to find some
of the other batteries one day and got
lost twice. Was lost for an hour and
a half the first time.
When you notice the habits and
costumes of the people in France you
feel as if you have dropped back in
history and civilization 200 years. l
believe they are actually that far
behind the times. Anyway in the rur-
al districts. Perhaps in the big cities
they are not quite so primitive. I
cannot begin to mention the things
that seem to the modern eye so quaint
and odd, for if should do the subject
justice, 1 would have to write book
and not letter, and am afraid that
would displease the censors too much.
However, the French people are very
glad to see the American soldiers
come and they will not leave any
stone unturned in doing what they
can for us. Altho it is pretty hard to
understand one another, they lose
no opportunity in showing that we are
welcome. It does not take long be-
fore we form sort of common lang
uage, consisting of broken words Of
both English and French mixed with
gesticulations and signs by which we
make ourselves fairly well under
stood. They are very anxious to teach
us their language and anyone who has
a mind to can soon pick up enough
French to make his way anywhere in
the country. BY studying a French
grammar and taking every opportunity
to talk with the people have picked
up fairly good vocabulary, and If I
stay here few months think will
be able to speak the French language
enough to get by in a pinch anywhere.
This afternoon another fellow and my.
self were out walking and met five
girls. We stopped and talked to them
for about an hour but of course we
used our grammars and dictionary
and hands and arms to great extent
but we had quite conversation with
them. That is the best way to learn
anything, to get to talking with the
people. OF course they laughed at
our mistakes but that don't bother us
at ALL We only laugh with them and
keep at it. l am sorry now that I
didn't take up French in the Y. M. c..
A. at Camp Lewis where / had such
good opportunities for it.
The money question is the biggest
problem as there are so many differ
ent kinds of money in circulation here.
We can make use of any kind of
money here and l have had, besides
American coins, English, French, Por-
tuguese and Belgian coins. There are
pennies, half pennies, sous, francs,
centimes and what-not and the con-
glameration, at first, makes one almost
dizzy. But we soon learn that too,
for you have to keep changing and
handling it constantly. They give you
plenty Of time to study it out for they
don't wish to cheat us.
Aug. 5-Was interrupted too much
last night to finish this letter so will
proceed this morning. A baby in this
village was pretty sick and got hold
of a bicycle and got the doctor and
then had to ride for the medicine and
by the time l got thru it was pretty
late.
Judging by the outward appearances
of most Of the people around here,
you would not think this country was