Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-07
GUARD TREATED
WELL IN FRANCE
Lieutenant Thomas Tells of
Work Before Enter
ing Battle

Charles w. Thomas. first lieuten-
ant, Company l, One Hundred and
Twelfth Infantry, American f. F.
has written an interesting letter,
dated June 90, to former fellow em-
ployes OF the Telegraph, recounting
his experiences In France. He was
for a number of years connected
with the Harrisburg Telegraph and
since his departure, the employees
who have kept In touch with all
tho Telegraph mon who have
gone to war and supplied them with
many comforts. have remem bored
him and kept track of his move
ments.
The letter follows:
we have been doing some NOV
ing since the last time I wrote and
we are now In much finer part of
France. Large, rich farms are all
about here. The farm we are at has
sixteen large oxen and about twenty
horses, The crops are fine and they
| raise everything apparently that we
do and then some. There are a num-
Der of German prisoners here and
we have n couple men who can
speak to them. Some think that
Germany will yet win and others
that they will not
Il have had Strawberries and
cherries several times and have some
ordered for supper to-day. We pay
about twenty-five cenls a quart. for
them Gone franc. fifty centimes) i.
They don't sell them by the quart,
III hN fuh
difficulty in getting some things, not
so much because they don't have II
as that we don't know how to ask
for it.
"Airplanes are very common and
I expect to get a ride in one to-
morrow.
You can say TO the doubling ones
that the funds collected for tobacco
and ctgarets are being used for that
purpose. Last evening we distributed
Lucky Strike cigarets. Bull Durham
and Tuxedo. Each man got at least
three, one of each kind. OF course
some traded one kind for another.
but all were we'll supplied for a
week. Each box contained the name
of the newspaper on it.
Occasionally l get a paper here.
It is the Paris eaition of the Chi
cago Tribune, and it has the baseball
standing in II. 1t is only two pages,
but has the up-to-date news of in
terest to soldiers.
"Of course I have not seen any
fighting vet, but know what the guns
sound like, as We are close enough
10 hear them plainly. Have also seen
a number of their airplanes.
During our travels 7 have been
quartered in all kinds of houses. The
place | was at before coming here
the captain and I were billeted in a
very large chateau that was simply
fine. We were sorry to leave it, They
say it had quite a history. We are
now in another one not so large but
very nice. We have a fine room and
an excellent bed for each. The beds
are peculiar in that there is usually
about three mattresses on them and
the top one about the height of your
breast. If you want TO get in you
need either a ladder or a running
jump. After you are in they are
fine and soft. and about the only
kick YOU have coming is that morn
ing comes too soon.
The inhabitants are very courte-
Gus and friendly and are sure that
it will not he long before the Ger
mans are uckeu. Iney say tne Unit
ed States will turn the trick
Things are a little higher here
than at home. 1 paid three francs
yesterday for dozen of eggs, but
that was very cheap. They usually
cost four or four and a half. A
franc is about nineteen cents in our
money. Milk when you can get it
is usually ten centimes or little over
four cents an army tin cup. Canned
milk that sells at home for ten or
twelve cents cost two-and-a- half or
three frances. usually about fifty
cents a can, though at times you can
get it cheaper. Butter varies from
three to five francs a pound.