The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-02-28
LIEUT.. JOSIAH
BLA|SDELL WRITES
FROM France

ter was received by Mr.. and Mrs. j.
c. Blaisdell, parents of Lieut.. Josiah
G. Blaisdell, of the 164th Inf, A. E..
F., France. 1t will be read with great
interest by the Lieutenant's many
friends in this section of the state:
Somewhere in France, Jan. 81, 1918.
Dear Folks:
This is the noon hour and all of the
rest of the office force have gone to
dinner 50 will take the time to write
you on the typewriter. 1t is wonder
full the transformation that takes place
in town when bunch of troops hits
it. Two weeks or so ago, when we
came here, we found very quiet
town of the French peasant class
everything was dead. No one seemed
in hurry and the chickens got their
dinner in the street. Since our ar
rival here large amount of this has
changed. Military autos pass back
and forth in front of our headquarters
all the time. Telephones are being
installed-motor trucks have arrived
motorcycles are to be seen passing
back and forth all of the time, and in
stead of being dead old French coun-
try town, it is bustling little city.
I am sure the people in the shops have
seen more money than they ever did
before. The minute Americans hit a
town think the prices of everything
go up about 100 per cent-a room /
could have rented for 40 Francs
(t7.00) a month would cost me now
about 100 Francs a month-not an
exorbitant price to be sure, but the
difference in price is all out of proper
ton. Most Of the inhabitants here
wear wooden shoes for everyday
wear-on Sunday, however, they BIOS
som out with leather shoes. / think
I will purchase pair of wooden shoes
to take home with me when I come.
They would be quite novelty in Mi
not. The people seem to roll along
in these shoes, as, of course, there is
no give to the soles, which are about
an inch thick. There are some very
fine horses here, but one sees few
geldings = stations are worked the
same as any other horses. was told
that the French people perform an OPP
Grafton on the horses head, removing
a certain nerve, which takes the mean
ness out of the horses.
The streets in this town are very
irregular, l don't think there is a
straight street in the place-at least l
have never seen one In some places
the sidewalks are Is feet wide while
in other places only foot or so. The
shops are all small and not very mob
by-for the most part they are run by
women. The butcher shops are very
nice, that is, clean, and the meat is
dressed beautifully, and believe me,
the women are some meat cutters. AS
vet I haven't seen a confectionery
store. Instead of eating candy in this
country the children eat French pas
try. can vouch for the fact that it
is fine stuff as I have eaten quite lot
Of it. 1t is all very rich and one or
two cakes are all that one cares to
eat. A soda fountain is unknown
here-instead of drinking Coca Cola!
etc., people drink beer and wine.
do not think the beer or wine is any
where near as strong as that we get
in the States. It is impossible for
either officers or men to get strong
liquors; the French law prohibits the
sale to military persons.
Tonight at seven o'clock am gong
to take a French lesson at a sort OF
High school. If you want to give the
people in the States a good tip, tell
them to learn French if they are ever
coming over here. 1t is certainly a
valuable knowledge in this country
and if one can talk French he is sure
of getting good j,o on this side OF