Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-09-12
GOOD LETTER
FR()NFRANCE.
Ebbit Arpin Writes His Sister From
Somewhere In France

that he writes home to his sister MIS-.
Floy Davies who at present is max
ING her home with Mrs. Clarice Arpin
in this city. We take pleasure in
reproducing part of the letter which
she received recently from him.
A. E. y.
August 2, 1918.
Dear Floy:-Just got your letter of
July today, you see I am going to
answer promptly.
l received a cablegram from father
a day or SO ago. He says that Jack
John Davies) expects to be over here
'Toot Sweet" Has he left? L>n
very anxious to see the old boy, but
I dislike to see him called away from
you. However, don't think of him as
being lost, when he goes, as the
chances are better than $3.50 for COM
ing back.
I saw 1t. Douglas Campbell, the
celebrated Ace, down at Biarrity a
while ago. was with him for several
days. He says that there is no place
like the front. They are treated fine
live in a swell Chateau, have fine beds
lots Of good grub and live high life
as far as comfort goes and only have
to fly about four hours a day.
What does non-flying status mean
1t means that at the time I was com
missioned | had not completed my
Brevet tests, which correspond to our
r. NJ. A. tests. Having completed my
Brevet, put in request for an order
for flying status with a 25 per cent
increase in pay for flying. I expect
the order in a day or so. l applied
for it about a month ago
John and Henry Humphreys and I
each have a bicycle which by the way
cost 400 francs each. We get % hour
pass every week end which we make
use Of by touring the country. Some
times we make a one hundred kilomet-
er trip. In this way we get to see the
country around the camp. For vari-
alton we sometimes get on a train and
when we reach good sized town
which we think is far enough away to
suit US, We get Off and look it over.
Buying a ticket TO ride on one Of these
French trains is entirely optional, pro
viding you work It right. Az that is
necessary is q life insurance policy or
a copy of active service order, or any-
thing which is written in English and
has been stamped a couple Of times
with rubber stamp so that it looks
official Most Of the Frenchmen can't
read English SO when you go thru the
depot to get on the train, and they
ask for your ticket, just pull out your
stamped scrap of paper put on digni
fed look and walk by the gent. Some
times he will try to make you think
he can read it and will punch it in the
corner a couple of times with a ticket
punch. When you get off the train
they take up the tickets so the per
formance has to be repeated, ducedly
inconvenient don't cha know, but it al
ways works. The same stunt works
with taxi drivers. Just pull out your
paper and climb in and tell him to hur-
ry up. or "Allay veet." He will give
you salute and away you go. When
you get to your destination tell him
"Merci bien" and that is all there is
to it. He is satisfied because you are
a soldier whom he has helped on Off
cial business, for the good of the SER
vice. ~ are satisfied because he
brought you where you wanted to go,
so why argue? Of course you're
little conscience" gets to pricking
you too hard, why just buy a ticket
(if on train) for about ten miles or
so and only work icon" game at
one END; or if in taxi just tip the
driver a franc or so. The store keep
ers rob fellow for enough to make
up for what he doesn't pay on the
train so that just about squares things
up all around.
Now don't Judge Us harshly, as we
have been cooped up for nearly nine
months straight. It has only been
since our good old commissions came
that we have had a chance to breathe
little of the foreign" atmosphere"
Honest, we are getting so now that we
feel almost human, and can go in the
front door of a swell cafe without look
ing sideways for someone to collar US.
We can also order what we want to
eat and drink, and when the "Garcon'
brings the check we can actually
smile" as we read the amount in three
figures, and reach down in our jeans
and pay the check plus FIVE franc
tip. Oh yes, lots of fun. However
we get it rubbed into us during the
week, and we are as busy as dog
with flees during the week from Mon
day morn at four bells until Saturday
noon, so when our pass is due we nat
urally feel like a little diversion
which is essential to good flying.
VIII tell you what did this morn
ing. got up at 3:45 A. NJ. and went