Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-05-15

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true to life, and the brightest colors
Must be something in the climate or
cO1oring matter in materials used, it
isn't paint, and hele it is mainly red
brick. Here in France it is grey stone
mainly and cement. Hay matched
roofs are common. I remember
painting Of a country road with a row
Of very high trees on each side, j. g.
branches high up on the trunks-have
seen dozens of such roads.
About a block from here is an old
I cement building with matched roof
and evidently ia th9 years it has filled
with dust and dirt and now the entire
roof is mass Of green grass. Per
| haps at one time Napoleon thought it
fine structure. You know we are oc-
/ cupying his old buildings along with
some others more modern that are not
| as good. The U. S. new ones Of course
are the real thing and soon our cleo
trio lights will burn and we can take
bath-frst one most of the boys
! have had in month. AS matter Of
fact l don't see that the French have
much actual need for water. They
don't drink it and it's too beastly cold
! to battle or wash clothes in. Bath
tubs and telephones are useless lux
uries.
Just read Mats letter. For that I'll
ado what | did. Well l did have a
bath last week. Filled a cement tank
in an old slaughter house and scrubb-
ed and dOuced and shiyered. This a.
m. it was SO muddy and rainy that 1
didn't wash my dishes in the two or
binary pals of hot water provided
outside for 200 of us to wash in, but
got cup full Of cold water, cleaned
my teeth, washed my face and hands
and mess kit in it, j. e. a portion Of
water to each operation anyway /
wasn't very dirty
The roof above us isn't leaking
very bad" Drops on my pOncho in
two places and runs off onto the floor
where it soaks in quickly. We have
paraffined paper windows. When one
wants some light why stick your fist
| through-makes it convenient.
You asked about the sox, helmet,
ETC., fitting. They honestly fit fine. I
wear a 6 or shoe and the sox are not
too large. The government wool sOX
are enormous and harsh The light
cotton sOX are fine and can get any
size. The face hole in the helmet is
plenty large Don't let little things
like that worry you. We can fix any
! irregularities that may come about.
You think we are dumb heads and you
may laugh when | come home and you
see some Of the things I've made out
Of nothing and a needle and thread.
This a. n. Nat made beautiful hall
tree for our overcOats and rain coats
out of an electric light fixture, coat
hanger, wire and raw hide lace,
while | put very serviceable cover
on q bunch Of loose sheets Of a French
dictionary, made out Of stiff paper and
adhesive tape stole from an M. d.
! Some times we have to plan and man
euver for days ahead to find or steal
what we need but we always get 'em.
/ Micky Con the next cot to mine) and |
have fine platform for our shoes,
bags, instruments, ETC. 1t is made
from an old French cot Micky ''ac
Quired" it and we drove it into place
with heavy oak plank that we bOr-
roWed over two streets. We all have
plenty Of candles for light and they
haven't been issued by the govern
ment; neither did we Guy them. "Suf-
fcient unto the day is the need there
OF" and when that day comes we are
generally Jake at the rat-hOle." We
have all poked fun at some Of fathers
feats Of carpentry around the house
but they did the work and [ know
where he learned it ALL
sew and sew and sew and if |
have to knit l can do that also some
way or other. Don't worry if the
number Of stitches aren't just right
or a thing isn't washed. Well make it
right. We've been taught the last few
weeks not to waste a thing, not even
a corner of a slice Of bread-it goes
into our mess kit or pocket for lunch
or the next meal We eat plenty but
waste nothing. That's a strange les
son for American boys.
All buildings are of stone, cement
and brick in England and France.
Lots of trees but not allowed to cut
them for lumber. Good sized trees
are cut square off about half way up
and bOughs trimmed away then each
year the sprouts are cut off for fire
wood (fagOts.) In this way they get
the golden egg each year without kill
ling the goOse-a thrift methought
of in wasteful, extravaganza America.
To these peasants all Americans are
miIliOnaires. A POilu earns from 1772
to 35 cents a day, not enough to pro-
vide clothes or feed for Sammy, so
no wonder they think we are made OF
money when we spend a whole dollar
at a crack and never blink. They al
ways take the money though and lots
of them cheat
Our hang-out is stone building
and very old The room is about 15x
%, bare walls and cement floors.
There are four plain board tables and
wooden benches, common lumber but
very clean and smooth from coolies of
years of service. In one end of the
room there is tn most ungOdly self
playing piano with the funniest jiggy
tunes, and also big casks of different
wines. On the back wall there is
small set of shelves with different
brandies used mainly as sweeteners
for the wines back Of the 8-foot bar.
The dog has some puppies and the cat
comes and sits at the table with us.
l call kitty, kitty, kitty, and she never
moves I'll have to learn it in Fran