The Coconino sun., 1918-09-20
Letters From Coconino Boys lover There"

IRVEN FRANCIS FINDS
 FRANCE AMUSING|
 In recent letter to MT. M. J. Rior- dan, lrven describes many strange and primitive customs among the French people:
 Aug. IA, 1918. MT. M. J. Riordan, Dear Friend: .. l
 Received your most welcome letter yesterday and was certainly glad to hear from you. l am getting along fine in this country, so that haven't any complaint to make. We are now camped in a beautiful place. 1 am in an ammunition train which is made up of Texas boys, so you see l am with boys who lived in state next to mine and so it is much easier for me to get along as understand their ways, which is the good part of it all.
 This is certainly an interesting country; everything so green and the weather is the same as that of Phoe- nix. 1t will be about month before the grapes, and then can get back to the old game of mine, which is bor- rowing on the sly, or, in other words, just helping myself. The French peo- pie are the most polite and generous people that l have met. Any soldier can go into their houses and they will always ask you to have something to eat or want you to sit down, and then the trouble comes when they start talking to you. You said in your letter that 1 ought to be able to talk the barley VOC stuff. Well, Mir. Riordan, l can talk, but all l can say is 'hello" and "give me Nsome bread" which is all l want to know--although when I see these pretty French girls I get out my little red dictionary, and then l begin looking up words, at the same time trying to keep her interested so that she won't get disgusted and run off, but the latter is where l fail. l am not interesting enough, although we have good time. As for the coun- try, it seems shame that these pec- pie in these parts only plant it in grapes instead of putting it into whea1 or something that they could live or and also make more money.
 Today I noticed something that amused me very much, and that was the French people thrashing wheat They have their wheat in bundle; which is tied by some more hay made into sort of rope. They scatter the wheat out in a circle, laying the heads all the same way. They then have a big stone roller, which would weight anywhere from 400 to 600 pounds. They put two oxens which follow around an old fellow; following the roller there is five or six other people with long sticks which have leather joint in the middle, and they pound the wheat. After this they take forked sticks, which they use for pitchforks; they then put the straw into pile. After doing this they get their brooms-and you know what kind they are. After sorting the wheat | they grind it into the said flour. I have done little of this, just helping out for the sport of it, as all Arizona fellows do. It is sure an amusing SlRHI tO see HOW tneSc pcOpic Hdiuie their oxens. They handle them as we would pet horse or some other kind of pet. On Sunday they go calling or out on a spree with their horses or burros, which they hold in their esti- nation the same as our auto. have only been puzzled at one thing since coming to this country, and that is how they can put such loads on these two-whel carts of theirs. They put more on one wagon which has only two wheels than the men in the States can put on four-wheel farm wagon. 1 am now going up for corporal mechanic in my company, which l am almost certain I can get. Fletcher Fairchild is in the same company. He is getting along fine and enjoying the best of health. We are getting the best of grub over here, so on that we can't complain.
 We'll, Mir. Riordan, I guess had better close for this time, as l am out of news, and it is almost time for taps, which means lights out, so | will close for this time.
 Give my best regards to all. Hoping this finds all of you in best of health, and hoping to remain your ever friend, Yours sincerely,
 IRVEN FRANCIS.