Malvern daily record., 1918-01-22
.J.B. WOODS WRITES FROM
 SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE

where in France" has been received b, l Attorney Henry Berger, and as MT Woods has many friends here who vii be glad to hear from him, we publisl 1t below:
 "Dec. 24, 1917. Henry Berger, Esq, Malvern, Ark.
 Dear Mr. Berger:-Your letter an, the packet of Malvern papers came t, hand day ago, and now that it i Xmas Eve, and I have few minute to call my own, I'll try to write fev lines in reply
 Have just returned from a brie trip-searehing for a box of saw. which we thought might belong to us they had been received at French freight depot and unclaimed-bu they turned out to be saws belonging te the British Army. I played safe, anc brought them back with me anyway and now suppose will be expected te institute course of search for the real owners. But a good turn often brings one in return, so we should worry.
 l cannot tell you where we are located. but that doesn't matter. any way. The main thing is that we are comfortably established and accom- phshing what we came for. The timber is prnus syvestris-close kin |
 to our own echinata, but heavier and knotty. Being planted stock, it is all sound as dollar Logs run about 20 to the thousand, which is remarkable for French woods.
 We have a very neat little rig-set upon piers, so that stuff goessinto the cars without the exercise of much bull strength and ignorance'. The boiler has popped twice since I began writing this, so you see we have plenty of steam. We are going to quit early today, so the boys can enjoy tomorrow away from camp, if they wish, altho the regimental chaplain is with US now for few days and many of the men will stay and hear his Xmas sermon.
 They play baseball and football in their spare time-chiefly Sundays and holidays and the French peasants come from miles around to see the crazy Americans enjoy themselves.
 George Lindahl is with me here He does our blacksmith and millriaht work and gets along mighty well. The other Malvern boys scattered in var ious places. received letter from M. Means a day or so ago wherein he stated that Malvern papers were an unknown quantity with him, so I'm bundiing these up to send to him. Geo L. and l both having read them, Thanks for remembering US. It's a fact that papers are a great comfort over here, especially home journals lik The Times Journal and the Meteor to the Malvern contingent. Speaking of apple pancakes. the French have particular variety cal ed Les crepes, which make one forget about war and it's alarms. am about to forget English now, because I have been called upon to do a good deal of the dickering with the French in on, neighborhood, and sometimes have been away for two or three days at time, without word other thar French, or an apology for French l found that it was on the back of my bean and came forth when the need arose, although it had been several years since I left the French speakina settlements of N. E.
 We'll, must close. You can assure the good people of Malvern that their boys and friends are being well cared for, and that they are making them selves highly useful over on the othe, side.
 Sincerely Yours,
 John B. Woods.
 lst. Lieut.. A. Go. 10th Engrs. A E F