The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-03
PRICES TAKE A JUMP.
officers Have to Make List of Prices
"0ver There"

/ The following is the letter which was
received recently by Postmaster w. II
Finn OF ST. Adams from his son, Eu.
/ gene Finn, who Is with the American
expeditionary forces Somewhere in
| France:
Dear Father. While am at leisure
thought | would drop you few lines to
let you know that ! have received two of
your letters to date. was certainly
very glad to hear from home. ] will tell
YOU something about our trip across the
Atlantic and our travels through France,
Well, all Of us arrived i'm France safe
~ after our long trip across the Allan
tic. and we sure did have some trip. But
cant tell you much about it for Uncle
Sam won't allow us to tell much. France
is a pretty country. No wonder those
guys fight like they do. For they have
got something worth scrap and no mis-
take. 1t is prettier than the United
States but the United States are grander.
That's the difference between us. There
are hills and deep valleys and all kinds
OF trees. and you never saw anything
like the grain and vegetables that they
grow here. Now and again you come
across castle upon hill with high thick
walls and great parks around it, The
roads are good and awfully pretty with
a row of trees on each side Most of
our fellows are in barracks or in billets
They are awfully old villages and they
were run down when we came, but now
they are clean and sanitary There are
about 400 people in village. not count
ing our men. But hardly any men eX-
cept old men, who are too old to go to !
the trenches, OF course we have a few !
French soldiers here too, who teach us |
10 drill, or are back on leave to help |
get in the crops
Well, the men live in billets, which |
IS the French system for taking care of |
soldiers. The officers live in houses
where the French people live but that's
because they can be counted on not TO
'aise rough house The bilets are
big old houses that have not
been lived in for some time. | live in a
larraek but Walter Is billetted out All
he food we eat comes from the United
States. Ii the French soldiers could get
heir teeth into the Kind of food Uncle 4
sam gives his men. they would fill up
or week and then smash the tar out of
he Germans. The poor French soldiers !
ever get a show like we do We beef
nd roar about it some times but the !
ospel truth about il is that we feel {
etter than other soldiers in the world {
When our soldiers started in TO buy ]
hings to cat. throwing money away 20 4
It them know how friendly we felt and s
hat we had the price, prices took :
imp. II was Just like home to see how a
hey did Jump. High prices made it bad
or the French people who live here d
hey have but little money so they a
Duldn't buy what they wanted. when {
bunch of Americans were ready 20 pay O
ny price they asked. SO the officers "
topped in and fixed up list OF prices IL
nat could be charged that would be fair ?
} everyone. n
! suppose, dad. you know that Amer q
an cigarettes are scarce over here and q
little fruit cake or pound cake and a
tile candy wouldn't 20 bad. Lots Of 4
her fellows have received cakes over y
re and cake is a thing of the past over y
re. l.
Well dad, T guess / VIII have to close :
w. my regards 10 and all the q,
Ks and friends Eugene c. Finn.