The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-14
MARSHFIELD
Wayne Sanders Writes Concerning Life
in France and the Country.


in France and the Country.
Z. G. Darling has received the follow
ing letter from his nephew, Wayne San
ders, who Is in France with the l0lst am
munition train II gives an excellent
idea of some of the conditions in that
country and the life of soldier.
"We left our old stall the last of June
and took a Today trip across France, or
part way across. Some of the time we
Travelled by road, some of the time we
rested and travelled by train one day
and one night. Ii was fine trip and
one that / enjoyed We saw lots of
pretty country, new and strange scenes.
Where we are now is, / think, the
best part Of France that we have been in
yet. Everyone seems to be thrifty.
Everywhere around here are large pieces
of wheat or oats, or sometimes potatoes,
The land is cultivated to a much greater
extent and with better results than in
Brittony, where we were for three
months. We had camp there about 30
miles from Rennes, city of about $4,000
population.
"The town that we occupy now has
been abandoned by the French people
and so we have it all to ourselves. II is
a very small village, one that Albany
could hold three of and then have room
for a bandstand The men are sleeping
out in the field in pup tents. The cap
tain took possession of the mayors house
of six rooms. Downstairs is the Office,
kitchen, with everything Just as the
housewife left it, and bedroom which
the first sergeant occupies Upstairs, the
captain sleeps in one room, the lieuten-
ant in another and ! in the third. II is
a nice little place. The front yard is
flower garden and back Of the house is
real garden, with potatoes, beans, peas,
lettuce, etc, which we may use. 1t is q
fine place. The only thing we lack is a
bathroom. The only place to take bath
around here is Ia the river Marine, II is
not very wide, but quite deep
1--WE are up st the top OF hill and
have a splendid view of the surrounding
country. II reminds me some of good
old Vermont, with its hills and valleys,
trees and plant life. We see the fields Of
grain in the valley, dotted here and
there with small villages, and the river
Marine winding its way in and out among
them.
To-day is Sunday and French holi.
day American soldiers behind the lines
also have holiday, but we in the lines
work the same as usual A soldier never
knows Sunday from any other day. He
works Just as hard and sometimes harder
on Sunday than on week day. The
war isn't stopped for a small thing like
that.
But wonder when the war will end.
We have been over here eight months
and the chances are that we will be over
here for eight months longer. Some Of
us never will go back, but a lot of us
will, and then what a time we will have
when once more in the u. S. A,
81 can speak French very little | sup
pose that is because ! have had no little
French girl to teach me. leave the
French girls quite severely alone. Don't
have much to do with them.
From what ] hear prices are pretty
high and food is not too plentiful back
home. Over here we get pretty good
feeds. For dinner we had beefsteak, new
potatoes and gravy, bread and butter
and coffee. This morning we had flap
Jacks and karo. Oh, of course, we have
some punk meals, but in the general,
they are pretty good, | haven't noticed
anyone getting very thin, anyway. On
our trip we had bareback to eat and
plenty Of it. We didn't each much,
thong, when we could buy French bread
IT must bring this letter to q close !
am awfully behind in my correspondence,
owing about ten letters. Don't know
as / ever will get caught up, will look
for another letter from you in about two
months. Wayne"