Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-05-02
OUR 30 VS.
Write from
OV ER TIL E r E

Copy of letter received from Bullet
Elmer Thyng on the 18th day OF April
1913 which he wrote to his brother
Henry Thyng at Fort Preble:
France, April 3, 1918.
Mon Cher Frere:
Comment allez-vous? Tres Ben,
Jespere. Well old scout you don't
know how glad was to receive that
box from you. Everything comes in
just right. You can thank that chap
that put in those other gifts also II he
is still there 1t is showing here today
and it r,ls like day in November at
home I like France very much and
have been having a good time here. We
are at the front now but at present
things are rather quiet.
l am situated in little tarred paper
camp with W. Michaud and another
fellow who is a clerk. We are at pres
ent at French Hdqrs Michy has been
transferred to the bicycle branch and
am here with my horse. We are called
"liason agents" or in other words dis
patch riders.' I like it very much. We
have a nice little stove and really life
Is worth living-it seems like camping
out up in Maine. We are on French
rations and they feed very good but IN
an odd way. First in the morning each
man gets a half loaf OF bread, equal
to Ice. loaf in L. s., cup of coffee and
= or cheese whichever We prefer. AT
noon we get two courses which consists
of fish or mussels AID meat with either
French fried potatoes or mashed pota-
toes. At night we get an issue of
canteen Of coffee and a first course of
soup in which are potatoes, carrots,
parsnips, cabbage. onions, bread and
meat. 1t is the best soup l ever ate.
This first course is the same every
of meat and some vegetable with some
times side dish of beans, which by
the way are excellent. We also get
either cheese of jam Gromage or con-
fiture) Nous avons un bon casinier.
1t is dinner time now so will have 20
ring off. After dinner I have got a IL
mile trip on mon cheval SO will finish
this letter after l return.
(Tues)
Well as you see ! didn't finish the let
ter last night as | intended. l was
pretty tired because the roads were all
ice and it made it very difficult. Be
lieve me my knitted helmet, mitts and
socks came in handy yesterday. Had a
good supper when ! returned-mess XII.
full of vegetable soup Qst course) and
boiled ham and what we call a boiled
dinner" at home for supper with rice
pudding as a dessert. This is besides
our bread. I guess that is feeding Nest
l. que pas monsieur?
Oh boy. This is the life. I suppose
you are still at Fort Preble, and look
ing for a chance TO come across the
puddle. STICKY" Randall and May
Slosberg are over here. They used TO
visit the regiment about every Sunday
The sun is out now and the snow IS
rapidly disappearing. l have received
no mail from home since they got my
cablegram but am expecting some
every day. We get three or four papers
written in English every day and there
fore have good news, especially war
news, tons les jous. Isn't this some
should send the letter back to me and
have me decipher it.
S-10-1S
Again ! take up mon crayon to scrib-
bic off few more lines. | am still we'll
and enjoying life. 1t is Sunday here
and talk about day in spring, just like
May in Maine. The birds are twitter-
ing about singing joyously just
came back from a walk to NJ Co.'S dug
outs. l found a violeL, some dandelion
blossoms. and another small flower
which resembles our daisy, but little
smaller and a fringe Of pink on the end
of the petals. Tres jolie, n'est-ce-que
pas?
Well old scout | suppose you are look
ing forward to our trip up in the woods
The law will be off on moose when / get
back to the L. S. and we can plan
good trip up in Washington county.
Only one thing do / ashland that is to
leave bacon out of the menu-I refuse
to go anywhere with bacon as a sub
stantiate. Guess probably you have had
enough of it too. Are you getting good
chuck now?
These French aru;nlss.t people for
cheese I've had reut 50 if different m
kinds but cannot say like all OF it as
some I think is on the Lmburger plan.
Say old boy l wish you could see our
regiment now. You wouldn't recognize
It, Soldiers. every man. and they know
what their duty is. Talk about Eight
ing spirit Our bunch sure has got it.
VIII ring off hoping to hear from you
soon.
With love,
Elmer T-bvn~