The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1918-09-06
LETTERS FROM FRANCE.
Insessseing Reading From Ou,
Soldier Boys.

Clifford Harter to his sister, Mrs. RAJ
Sommers:
5 Somewhere in France, Aug. 2, 1913
Dear Sister,
Having received your letter Of Jul!
7th this Q. m. will start an answer
to day.
We are to be reviewed this p. m. By
the brigadier general. Have beer
having reviews nearly every day lately
1 received your installment-plan let
ter several days ago and certainly die
enjoy it, as well as the clipping Of
Carl Wilkerson's letter. ! also 70
ceived . letter from father and tne
June 2lst issue of The Star today.
l should like very much towrite
long letter for The Star readers oe-
scribing our Surroundings here ana ex-
istinR conditions. However, it Is very
necessary that We soldiers write moth
ing pertaining 70 military affairs or
conditions hsre that might be OF ad-
vantage TO the enemy should our mail
fan into the hands of pro-Germans.
Ard Uncle Sam takes pretty good care
that none Of us do write things OF that
nature, So, with this handicap, 1t is
not very easy to write - interesting .
letter 40 one would have . right to
EXPECT under different circumstances.
but will do the best can at describ-
inc the customs and characteristics Of
the country.
We are billeted here in q small
French village. The streets Of these
villages are rather narrow, the build
ings mostly of cement or brick with
tile roofs and floors. The roads ape
also narrow but mcadamised and
smooth, and shaded in many places by
rows of trees.
Trees of various kinds are plentiful:
pine, sycamore, dogwood, oak, hickory.
elm, buckeye, birch and ironwood, be-
sides several kinds which / have not
been able to learn the names of. Mag
nolia trees are plentiful; they are in
bloom now and are certainly beautiful.
Roses and all sorts Of other flowers
are abundant. The French seem to be
great people for fowera
haye seen many orchards but they
are not well shaped and thrifty looking
trees like the ones we have in the
Montezuma valley, the fruit 10 also OF
q poor quality.
Grapes are one Of the main crops and
nearly everyone has wine room where
they make their own wine. The light
wine, which is the only kind sold to
soldiers, is . sour wine and not very
much enjoyed by the Americans.
One sees many queer conveyances
here. The railroad cars, tho broad
gauge, are only about one-third the
size of the broad gauge cars in the
United States. The trolleys are cor
respondingly small.
Mules are worked to large crude
looking wagons with a sort Of yoke
similar to an OK yoke. Oxen are
worked with a yoke similar to those
used in the states, except that 1t nts
over the head and horns instead of the
neck.
Horses are generally worked either
single or tandem style, with an odd
looking harness. the collar of which is
made of wood padded next the shoulder
and running up to a peak at the top,
and often decorated with a row OF
..u I>oll, nv, oithor eide
Driving horses and burros are driven
to a sort of gig affair, high-wheeled
cart with large roomy box and seats.
Burro carts are common and it Is
rather amusing to see one OF these
gigs going down the street with three
or four middle aged madams in it and
drawn BY burro about the size of q
billy goat.
Automobiles are seldom seen but
bicycles are thick.
As to the dress of the French people
it is very much the same IS ours excep
that wooden shoes are worn by all tn
poorer class rs well as many Of tn
well to do. They wear . sort Of moe
casin inside of them. Last night
noticed Frenchman with the char
acteristic Van Dyke beard and mus
tache. dressed in nice blue serge suit
white shirt and stuff collar. with PAL
Of these awkward looking shoes on
The combination certainly looked odd
/ bought Q small pair Of an old French
man who makes them. He has small
room stacked full of them in the rough
I picked out pair and he finishes
them up for me. I made him under
stand that wanted them for . souve
mir and he put some fancy work Of
them. mailed them to you today.
In general way France is yer!
beautiful country. in . high state o
cultivation in the farming sections, .
= u