The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-09-26
From James Bennett in France.

Aug. 8, 1918.
Dear Mother: Win now try and
know am well and working every
day. | am beginning to feel better
than | did at first. am getting
used to the climate now. have
had cold all the time that | have
been over here. 1t is so damp all
the time, and it rains about every
in the most of it. Well how is ev-
cry one at home, all well | hope?
| got letter from Oscar the other
day. He says he is feeling fine and
dandy and likes it fine over here.
don't know where he is for. he did
not say. Well, ! suppose they will
or are they going to have it? met
another fellow that used to work in
him. - His His name is Watkins. He
worked for the fellow that built the
elevator. He plays in the band that
the harvest is all done there by now.
| am glad you had such a good crop
crop here too. Some of the best
wheat | ever saw, but they are so
slow harvesting it that they lose: a
lot. They still cut their grain with
cradle: It sure looks funny not not
an old scythe. How is Juanita and
the kids? | sure would like to see
them Tell Pa, Ma. and Willie
hello and l will write to them later.
Well | will quit hoping to hear
from you soon, Yours with love,
Pvt. James Bennett,
Aug. 10, 1918.
Dear Mother: Will now answer
your most welcome letter | received
a day or SO ago. Was sure glad to
hear from you and to hear you were
all well. l am feeling fine and like
It fine over here. The weather is
pretty hot there now isn't it? II
don't know what was the matter
with the mail, it was about three
weeks that we never received any at
all. ! guess they have SO much they
can't handle it. The letter | got
a :, f letter from Minnie, too. We'll how
hope? How are the kids? / sup
pose they are growing like weeds.
| sure would like to see them. | got
a letter from Oscar last Sunday. He
is feeling fine, he says: He is
about 10 miles from where | am,
chance to see him. l can't tell you
where he is for they will not let us
tell where we are at, but as long as
know he is well 1 feel satisned and
we can tell you where we were
when en-, we get home VIII la have p 1T
Fu ton you OUTFIT Mfe are going se o away from
this camp. | don't know where they
are going. 1t will seem lonesome
without him for | could go over and
talk with him about every night and
could pass the time pretty good.
You find out all the boys addresses
once in a while. sure would like
to see Red Freeman. suppose his
mother is about worried to death,
isn't she? Well I'm glad you have
got such good prospect for crop.
Well they have fine crops over here,
too. They raise about everIytlhing
any of that here. You ask me how
the people look over here. Well the
most of them dress about the same
as they do in the States, but the
poorer class wear wooden shoes and
they sure look funny. The houses
have never. seen frame house
since l have been over here, that is,
that belong to the French, and lot
of them the barns and houses are all
built together. There is one place
close to us that sure is grand
place. Inc FrenCnH1an LndC OWLS IL
is rich old duck, l guess for he
owns all the land around it.
don't know how much he owns, but
it is an awful lot That is the way
with all of them over here. One
man has it all and the rest work for
him, and they don't make verv much
at that. Is Ern still thinking of
going up north to harvest this fall?
Wish l was there to go with him
for they pay good wages this year, |
expect. What is Miller doing now,
still on the bridge gang? Tell Pa:
and Ma hello and Willie, too, and
| will write to them later. Well
have wrote about all l know for
this time so here is hoping to hear
from you real soon, Yours with all
my love, Pvt. James Bennett,
Co. B, goth Engs., American E. F.
France, A. P. o. No. 772, via New
York.