Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-03-07
LETTER FROM
FRANCIS McDERMoTT
Somewhere i'm France.

Somewhere in France.
Feb. 4, 1913
Dear Mother: DO you remem-
Der seven months ago today !?
We had some time that day. Did
you think would be writing you
4 from somewhere in France seven
months from that day? l sure
! did not. did not think I would
be that lucky to be over here
50 soon. We have been here
nearly six months and have been
running the French roads for five
months. ] suppose you think
lit strange we do NOT gel the same
illind of eats he other boys write
lhome they are getting. Well This
lis the reason.M. belong To the 4
! Division of the French army and
we gel. their rations. They arc
not as good as Unle Sam puts up.
I, ! received three boxes today, soap,
lCandy, tobacco and fruit cakes,
also the little cakes and lot OF
stationery. 1t sure was fine
every bit of it. Say that sugar
l wouldn't forget that. If get
two more pounds of it and sell il
| would come back home nice
bird. The best way | know how
to thank you is to tell you tho
only time we get anything like
it. III has TO come from home
sweet home. SO you know how
we appreciate ii and how thank
ed every one You know before
left Chicago / had a tooth eX-
lracled. Well just wanted &c
tell you il wasn't my sweet one
There is something funny abou
that tooth. 1t doesn't ache an.
more or not as much. You notice
say how we appreciate ii. Well
everything John or AXtel gets j.
part mine and everything get j:
all mine. No, ! mean part theirs
Now iii take that back, bccaus,
wcll<for inslance--the closing o
my girls letter, | would divid
that but there is not much there
so We'll | can't very we'll divide i
up. You know what mean, tina
pencil love. We get quite Il bit D
that over here. That is since w
landed here. DO you remcmhc
when | wrote you and told yol
about the speech the Colono
made to US when the regimen
was first organized? He told u
That railroad mon We're Mantc
moro than any other class of me
and that was what the Frcne
general wanted at once. The G.
N. w. road is giving each ma
i'm co. T.. one dollar for the mes
ilund. There are about 1870 mel
so you see we have quite an au
lowance for extras. When W
first came here We could buy 20
WORTH OF flour at IL time. TIL;
would make gravy, but since the
have put out the bread cards W
cannot u'ly a bit OF flour. do M
know whether we can buy any {
mol With he money the isailroa
Company allows us. mother | a
FEELING fine. The last boxes | 10
crlved We're. such surprise
Elc. | thought had all tlai w;
coming to me. The soap was az
ccptahle. ii is only 5 cents b;
,over here. The boys arc havil
what we call Sammic hacker
tSomc men from the states wan
ing To send some particular mi
something writes linn and lint
iOut all about him. You know so
Inf adopts him and then these mi
keep him supplied With differe
things. Ono guy sol a letter fro
an apparently rich man, but
wanted TO know all OF his pa
history. ! haven't any person
] hacker vet but made The fcllo,
tbclicve | did. Anyway it is Nigh
fine feeling 10 know That all t
people i'm the good old u. $. y. a
back of we follows and alwa
ready TO give us glad hand. w
mother, must close for now a
! 90 to work. With lots of love a
kisScs TO all. Your son,
Francis