The Ordway new era., 1918-07-19
VOLUME xvI-NUMBER 10
With the Boys
Here and There
France, 6-16-18.

Dear Mother and Dad:
. Your letters have been coming
in more regular for the past few
weeks and Peggy's and Doras have
also been coming in most every week
and l tell you they are mighty well
come. The last one from you was
dated May IA. You have probably
been wondering why you haven't
heard from me more often but when
l say that 1 had my clothes off twice
in seven days you will understand
why. We have sure been going some
for the last month and when l have
had chance to rest / didn't feel like
letter writing.
There isn't anything new that I
can tell you about in regards to our
movements or plans for I'm pretty
much in ignorance myself.
We were billeted in a small village
for few weeks and l certainly had
an opportunity to study the French
people and their customs and habits.
1t was also a good place to pick up
few French words. and expressions.
and we all added some to our vOcab-
ulary. Most of the ooys are studying
little on the side and we are able
to get by fairly we'll in most con-
versations. Especially when it comes
to restaurant talk we get there in
good shape and have no trouble in
getting anything they happen to have.
However, in our social conservation
we don't make such a good showing g
d from the expressions and actions
o. the natives. 1 guess we get some
astonishing results out of our efforts.
A young lawyer from Denver and
| started out one Sunday for a little
In try ctr N q
house to ask for information and
nothing would please them but that
we stay for dinner, and before we
left we had spent the whole day and
very few Sundays I ever spent in a
more enjoyable manner.
A son of the family had enlisted at
the beginning of the war and is now
a Lieut.. and has sent home very
interesting collection which he has
taken off of German prisoners. He
had a complete Boch outfit, including
uniform, helmet, rifle, grenades and
all, and naturally it was the first item
to be shown us.
They were a typical French family
living in big roomy stone house with
its ever-present garden full of all
kinds of good things.
One thing don't believe I've ever
mentioned to you about there French
houses and that is the locks on their
doors. Every gate and door is always
locked with an immense lock and the
key used reminds one of the keys
used in U. s. prisons and when you
unlock one OF them you think you
are cranking Ford.
Once inside the house the main
thing that attracted our attention was
the fireplace that filled one end of
the dining room and on which the
dinner was cooked. I haven't seen q
stove outside of hotel since I've
been in France. We sat there and
watched the dinner cook and it had
been so long since we had seen a
regular family meal that 1 expect we
showed all too plainly our impatience
at the inherent French slowness. A
nice fat young rooster was trussed on
n spindle attached to clock work
affair. and as 1t slowly broiled there
in front of the log fire 1t made a
scene and sent out an aroma that
was treat for hungry soldier.
Another thing that showed the old
customs still prevalent here was that
when the angelus rung in the even
ing. every movement in the household
came to a stop and all bowed in a
silent prayer.
don't think ever told you about
all the new clothes we have over here.
In the first place the old campaign
hat that has been the distinguishing
mark of the American soldier for
wears is no more. and in its place we
have three lids that cause us more
trouble than any dainty Miss ever
had on Easter. One is nice little
blue denim hat that all the boys like,
but which we are not permitted to
wear only when we are in fatigues.
One is an o. d. cap without any visor