Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-22
Earl Headrick Writes
His Mother from France

Mrs. Jennie Wooley, of 344 South
25th street, has received the following
letter from her son, Earl Headriek, who
is with the American expeditionary
forces in France:
On Billet, Jan "a, 1918
My Darling Mother: just received
all of your letters in one bunch and
was sure glad to hear from you. We
are all settled down now and have the
place which is a vacant chateau fixed
up just like home. The place is large
and warm-nearly every room has a
fire plare in it. The place has evident
ly been occupied by very wealthy
people. All the remaining fixtures are
of the very best. The grounds are
very pretty and kept up by a care
taking man who lives adjoining us.
We are very careful of everything
We are having plenty to eat, in fact
eco of us) under Lieutenant Compton,
who you know. OF course it is just
like great big family and we could
not ask for a better officer. He talks
to us just like a father and is here to
see that the boys keep straight. He
called me into his room last night and
we had quite talk about dear old
home and mothers in general. If all
the boys follow his advice they will
come home all 0. K. Yes, Mother, |
am like yourself I have feeling
that I will come back to you all safe
and sound. 1 am trusting in the One
above and have no fear of the future.
Be of good cheer. I will come home
to you soon and be a much wiser boy.
1 appreciate more than ever now what
a mothers love means, but we always
did love you, Mother, even if we did
get little angry sometimes. Tell Mrs.
Bach not to worry about her boy for
l am going to bring him back with me
if he comes over here. I spoke to
some Of the head men about that death
trap the Germans have. Am glad you
us of it. Don It worry about
it. If we make an advance in German
country everything will be assured of a
safe advance or there will be no ad-
vance. Police Cooper did right in
wireing full details to Washington, D.
c. | bought myself a little French
watch the other day. 1t keeps fine
time. Jewelry is much cheaper here
than it is in the U. s., and I am sure
going to get some nice things when I
come back. They don t use much gold
over here. they think silver is prettier.
Also the money is mostly silver in the
metal, but all denominations are more
widely represented on paper They
have paper money as low as 25 centims
which is about sc in our money. A
franc is the French dollar and is
worth about zoe. 1t takes 100 eentims
to make a franc. They have coin
they call Napoleon. 1t is make of
gold and is worth 20 francs. The
paper money goes up to 100 francs and
that is as far as we ever seen. I went
on pass to large French city. 1t was
far from being modern like our Amer
lean cities. The women wore very
pretty clothes and were very pretty
Themselves but not nearly as pretty as
the girls of the dear old q. S. A.
Harold Ransom is separated from me
now and / miss him very much. He
IS with the mounted section and / am
with signal platoon. 1 and another
fellow went out sketching this morn
ing and got some fine pictures. We
visited an old ehateau that was built
n the seventeenth century. The care
-aker seemed pleased to show us all
through the buildings. The weather is
rainy yet, but the sun commences to
how itself about every other day and
he roads are drying up pretty fast.
hope we are in this vicinity when the
,rapes are ripe for they are sure fine.
f Lieut.. Compton is not to severe
With his scissors this letter should
each YOU in first class shape. Now.
ny darling Mother. I win close and
eal this letter with a million kisses.
Write me often and if / don't receive
he letters it won't be your fault for
-ou viii write me when all others
all and forget me, and I viii write
ust as often as can and tell you all
he news. Hoping this finds you well
nd that 1 VIII soon be home with
'Ou again, as ever your loving son,
EARL HEADRICK.
Headquarters Co. 162nd Infantry,
American Expeditionary Forces.