Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-13

The following letter is from Sergt. D.
S. Chalmers whose home is in Albion
1t was written while he was enjoying a
H-day furlough at Nice. Sergt Chal-
mers is a motor mechanic in the Sign IL
Corps:
Hotel O'Connpr,
Nice. France,
Oct. 10, 1918.
Dear Nelma Il think that I can write
you a decent letter now without having
to refer to anything prohibited for ma
terial to write about.
/ left camp Tuesday afternoon ana
came by way of Paris Lyon. ana Mar
sailles arriving here Friday, Oct. Is, in
the evening so have had one day 10 bur1
around in a perfectly wonderful place
even if it did rain There are five in our
party, that is, there were coming by
train. All trains were crowded aud n.y.
journey was rather strenuous. We had
day and night in Paris. l went or
to see Smith. He tried to get his leave
to Nice but was turned down. ! was
sorry as I would have liked to have
had him as a companion on the trip.
have two jolly companions and me are
coming fine. We are stopping in a so,l
hotel and have a large room with two
beds. You bet it is good to get out CT
the humdrum OF things and forget them
by crowding in a number of the most
beautiful sights in the world. We are
centrally located. Get plenty Of fruit
and fish to eat. A complete change for
us. We get plenty Of sleep in go-.l
beds. wake when we are ready, 90
where We please and it's just great
after nine months grinding.
Just a bit about our trip from PARIS.
We left at 7.45 A. NJ. and arrived hare
at 80 p. NJ. the next day. IT was q
fatiguing journey as We had no sleeping
accommodations except second class
coach which is not as comfortable AS
our day coach. Nevertheless we On
joycd every moment of our trip looking
at the new county as the train role
through it, Villages OF white houses
with red tile roofs and chimneys. rich
green fields, pastured chateaus, drives
always lined with green trees. fields
fenced with green hedges. brooks AMI
rivers lined with trees winding Their
way tO"dIuS tie loWeT lcNeIS all appear
to the tourists eye as "A beautiful pic
ture, Especially as here all is ancient
and quaint but always artistic
1t would surprise YOU to see the farms
that some of the peasants get living
from. They terrace the hills which are
too steep to climb py walling parai "a
rock walls and making the earth Level
between them. They plow with a spade
or grub hoe l should c"l it as they can
not plo., among the olive trees whI.l
line every terrace. To look at a hill YOU
would say it was a set of steps Some
places are SO inaccessible that even a
jackass can not get there and in such
cases the peasants lug the produce, etc.
necessary to cultivate their terrace on
their heads or shoulders l have often
wondered how we in America would like
to live as they do. We climbed and got
the view from one of these hills. We
saw some fresh figs drying ON racks IF
bamboo in the sun and we descended
the heights to their level without d.
lay The old man who was owner told
us to help ourselves winch we did ami
pockets with delicious figs. We mad
hard work to make him take the money
but he finally did. He told US he was
50 years old His oldest son was kiiie
in the first battle of the war and ne
pointed TO a boy not yet 10 years of age