The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-03-07
WITH THE BOYS ON
THE OTHER SIDE
RALPH SHERMAN SAYS HE is EN-
JoYlNG FRANCE.
CHANGE IN DIET ACCEPTABLE
J. w. PegIer Gives Graphic Picture OF
Meal Time In Restaurant Near
tie Front-"Twice AS Nice
AS Paradise" ..
(By Ralph Sherman.)

(By Ralph Sherman)
! Oskaloosa boy in France with A, e.
I, 413 Telegraph Battalion S. C. Feb
.s---I forgot to number the letter which
mailed last week but it was number
2. / hope you did not miss it. am
only thinking of writing about once q
week as any oftener would make you
get them all at the same time any
way.
you see we have moved this week
and now | have little idea where we
are. We got our last bit of water
travelled over safely. 1t was as dan
gerous as the other but shorter, fol
which we were all thankful We had
camp for a few days where we re-
posed in tents in regular army style
The nights were cool too but man
aged to keep very warm and really
enjoyed it. The weather has bee,
beautiful each day in France Today
has been without cloud in the sky,
Ind about noon it is very warm, but
the nights are quite COOL We had
quite long journey by rail but have
no idea where we went. We were
fortunate and got third class car
riages. Troops are often sent in box
cars marked thirty-six to forty men or
eight horses.
France Is Attractive.
France has more the appearance of
the States in the country. That is,
the farms are larger Everywhere
the absence of men in civilian clothes
is noted. The uniform is every
where. But things are going on as
usual and l guess there is plenty of
food
We like the French people. They
are very friendly and though / can
friendly toward them. Quite few
speak English.
This is very nice city where we
are located. Have noticed several
American articles, as Eastman Cam
eras We have very comfortable bar.
racks indeed A permanent structure
with iron beds, springs and nice mat.
tresses. They are electric lighted
and each room has one or two small
stoves but coal is very expensive so
not much is used
We are being fed by our own cook
and it is good to get back to U. S. A.
feed after so much English.
| presume by the time this is written
my first has surely reached you Don't
worry if it is little slow at times.
! will write regularly unless prevent
ed in some way always and can think
of nothing to prevent me. Will be
glad to have the Herald occasionally
and candy when you car affCrd it,
Enjoy Change of DieE.
By J. w. Pegler, United Press Cor.
respondent, With the An erican Expe-
dictionary Army. France, Feb. 1.-THE
ain hall of the little village hotel
SMELLS like some lumberjacks' bar.
racks.
Outside, the ground is three feet IN
dor snow. Inside, ten of tho fifty
Sammies crowding the room have
stripped off their soggy field shoes
and their first layer of socks. The
socks are hanging on the grill around
the stove, drying in the heat of the
beaming wood fire.
"Phew! gimme my gas mask" de-
mands the flip young bugler from To
peka, "Golly, gimme a gas-mask or
something"
They keep on crowding in-Sarl-
mics from fifteen miles around They
have come every way, afoot, in side
cars, on bikes, in ration wagons, by
train and by gun-limber with the ar
tillery. 1t is Saturday night when
company commanders release few
Sammies in turn for &c hours town
leave"
No Gilded Surroundings.
This little jerk-water village doesn't
offer much in the line Of amusement.
There is movie that starts at $50
and quite at $3.50, There is good
sized, lively Y. M. c. A. hut and there
are few cafes where Sammy can
learn to sip coffee with his Poilu pal
who can't be wooed from his red wine
or after-dinner cognac. And there's
the hotel where Sammy gets restau-
rant meal in the grande dining room
the roughly furnished, barn-like room
with its oil lamps. Fluttery French