The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-02-28
ERNEST MILAN WRITES OF INTERESTING
EXPERIENCES in FRANCE, AND GIVES SOME
IDEA OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WAR
somewhere in France"
Sunday. 1000 q. m.
january Is, 1917.

january Is, 1917.
Ny loving folks.
Well I am still feeling fine and en-
joying things. The last two days the
weather has been warm or much mild
e. and haven't worn my osercost.
the first days that haven't worn
my overcoat since have been In Eu-
rope. II certainly is a relief, makes
me feel like a new man.
France has the worst weather Of
any place have ever heard Of. moth
inx but rain and snow and 20 change
Hse. Il has taken me all this time to
4 Hbme acciimated.
But TO look and think about IL,
France is really n wonderful place
Paris Ia wonderful. The church of
Notre Dame where Napoleon was mar.
ried Is amazing. II took almost a cen
tury to construct II. I will not ut.
tempt TO describe the place to you
"a my poor description would do the
place mn Injustice. ALSO the ~Univer-
sfty OF Paris and the Panethaon or
something like that where all the IA
nous men OF France are buried. The
French and English cities are SO cut
mp with narrow streets and side
streets and squares that until you get
onto the hang OF things. the best prop
osition Is TO get on the corner OF some
square and wait for a taxi driver to
look you UP who speaks English. Taxi
FIRES are about the only thing in Eu-
rope that Is cheap. ! rode around Paris
all one day for two dollars.
Ny, but We have had n tormenting
and amusing time with this language
! will never forget the first town we
Lit in France. there were several OF
us tofYicers) together and there was
not one who could speak darn
word OF French. and everybody that
we met couldn't speak a word OF Eng.
lirh: all the signs We went thru try
ing TO make them understand that we
wanted n botei. and nil the signs we
made in the hotel. asking for towels
and bath room. II was simply n
scream. As I look back on fl now II
was 40 funny but then At the time I
used to get 30 sore couldn't talk as
in my opinion the French couldn't m
derrtand anything. The next morning
We went into q restaurant for break
fast and one of the officers started
20 crow like q rooster. meaning he
wanted some eggs. we'll he continued
the. performance for about five min.
utes and finally tho waiter who had
previously said nothing. spoke up and
aid: -oh. you must want cggs". in
perfect English. That was funny. and
go IL has been since ! have been in
France ! have eaten everything from
fried snails to French nash. not know.
inE what ] was ordering: about tho
only thing have been right on from
tae start Is the charges or taxation--
-olly. how they do stick Americans
ior things. about five prices above
the amount the French pay. The
whole trouble is this. before the war
tavoE le Gare) the only Americans
these people met up with were OF a
,ronied Glars tourists. scholars etc.
therefore they came TO the conclusion
tha; all Americans were rich and also
they know how much We receive for
pay and are charging accordingly
But ! am getting along fine now. hav'
fng picked up considerable OF the Ian
guagc and can read the price marks
on goods and pay accordingly.
The wind has started to blow 90
presume we will have n storm. but !
don't mind. In fact. I'd be lost with.
out II.
know what I'm tklking about
when ! say that the American women
are the most wonderful women in the
world. They are the fines, dressed
women In the world and the best I'd
give anything almost. TO be where
could talk TO one OF them once In a
while and 70 to n dance where they
are all dressed up In pretty gowns and
the men In full dress and clean. oh
my God. what would give to feel
clean once more; just to he able to
get into tub and lay there and soak
just to be able to walk into lighted
room where you can see everythine
and everybody and where everybody
Ia gay and jolly. could grow old
over hero in a month II wouldsallow
myself to. but I'm too young and have
too much to see to do anything foolish
like that But there are men in my
battalion who aren't much older than