Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-11-12
ANXIOUS TO
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The following interesting letter was
received this week by ]. w. Stewart |
from John II. Johnson, 1874 Butchery |
Company, A. e. F:s
Limoges, France, Oct. 3. |
Dear Friend:
Am dropping you a few lines to
let you know l haven't forgotten all
my old friends. l should have writ |
ten long ago but you know how it is
when a person is moving around so
much and is new at the game. l was
not long in the army before they ship
ped me to France when | was in the
states l thought l would like to be
in France but l wish now that l was
back in the states again. France
may be a good country but they must
be so years behind the times that
have been used to in the good old u.
s. A. A fellow can sure tell that
they have been in war for the past four
years. There are but few young men
to be seen in France and these are in
uniform ready to go to the front. We
see quite a few French soldiers who
have been wounded at the front
France is pretty country; timber is
very scarce; all the houses are built
of stone and most all the gardens
have a six foot stone wall around
them and lots of pretty flowers. The
rich people have very beautiful homes.
The poorer classes wear wooden shoes
or wooden soles with leather tops and
| it sure sounds funny to hear the kids
run around on the stone pavement.
You can hear them for several blocks
going clickety click.
About the ONLY refreshments to be
had is wine and there is sure lots of
it. Wine flows like water No can
dy, no ice cream and not much of any
thing else. We change our good old
/ U. S. A. currency for French money
and the money we get looks like to-
bacco coupons and we get some cop
pers as large as cart-wheels and other
silver peices. After changing your
money you feel as rich as a million
aire. When we give a $40 bill and
get 112 francs we thought we were
rich but our dream soon came to an
abrupt ending. When we tried to
buy things it took fistful of money
everytime we turned around About
the only thing you can buy cheap is
wine. The natives realize that while
their soldiers only receive five cents
day, the Americans get $1.00 and
prices are governed accordingly.
The Red Cross is the best thing
have seen in France yet for the Amer
lean soldier. My first months pay
looked bigger to me than $3.50 did be-
fore l came into the army. After my
allotment and insurance was taken
out had $3.50. II is not very much
but it sure looks good to us soldiers at
the end of every month.
| am trying to learn a little French
but l think l will be old and gray be-
fore l can talk it, The girls in France
are just like the wine-they are in ev-
ery place a fellow goes. A saloon
here is just like a soft drink joint in
the states-women and kids go in a
saloon and sit down at a table and
drink just like the men. And talk
about the kids All we can hear from
them is cigarettes for me" and if il
: isn't that they bum us for candy OF
, gum.
/ see some boys from the front most
every day and they think the war will
be over in few months. We have g
daily paper and the war news sure
looks good lately. Most all the French
think the war will end this fall or win
/ ter. l hope they are right for l an
ready to come back to the states any
time it is over. l don't think l will
: be back for any sleigh haul this win
! ter, though
There are lots of fellows in Bonner:
Ferry who would like to hear from. mi
so l am going to ask you to take thi'
;. letter to the Herald and have then
4 print it some day. Best wishes t
| you and yours and please give my re
CARDS to the boys around the compan.
I, camps and all my old friends"