The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-09-06
HOYT TELLS
OF FRENCH PEOPLE
Whites a Very Interesting Letter to
Leo Coleman Concerning Life
in Normandy

My Dear Leo:
This is a beautiful summary after
noon and l have nothing to do. so will
visit with you. l am on dispatch
duty at a Red Cross hospital, miles
from our W lines and we don't know
how long we will be here, but like 1t
better than any place we have been.
Our commanding officer has been
here four years and has the Legion
of Honor and in consequence some
pull! with the French and does about
as he pleases. He is a major in the
American army and a very able and
clever man.
Sunday a Canadian colonel took me
in his Cadillac to see a British army
sports meet. We went to the largest
British base in France and it was
some sight. They had everything
from a tug of war to crack cavalry
drill by picked lancer s%quadrons.
enjoyed it very much, and the trip
going n way and coming back an
other, was wonderful.
l never saw so many shocks OF
wheat to the acre in my life. The
crops here are fine. There are no big
fields and 40 acres is the largest I
have seen, and that only once, but
the trees between and in the fields
are each and every one trimmed to a
certain shape, and the style differs in
different fields. Along the roads and
canals are great trees in perfect rows
and as far as you can see they are
all the same size and shape.
They plant peach trees beside a
wall and train them perfectly flat, 20
the top of the wall it spreads out, but
takes up no room in the garden, and
there are no weeds over here except
%scallet peoples and they grow wild
like our sunaowecs and are very
gaudy.
No matter how tiny q Frenchman's
yard may be, he has shrubs and flow
ers, not hit-and-miss as we Go, but
in the most artistic and beautiful ar
engagements. Away back in a corner
will be his lettuce bed-the French
can't live without salad. In another
corner a few onions, but not noticed
except on the closest scrutiny, as they
are artfully masked by dahlias or
geraniums, palms or something gaudy
to which ones eyes will cling, pass
ing by the lowly onion without MOTTO
ing it.
We are in Normandy and they have
NAS- AAACoC 1868 anu llllItSC, ulIlhIcSL
little donkeys l ever saw, and the
carts pulled by a horse weighing a
ton, looks but little larger than the
one pulled by a little 3OO-pound dom
key, and in each case they are i'm
mense. Some of the hubs are a foot
in diameter, the wheels 8 feet and the
shafts made of 4x4s. OF course 1
don't mean to say that the little donks
pull n like that. but they are large
in proportion and have only two
wheels.
It's funny to see a big fat French
market woman climb into the zeal of
a donkey cart. The rear goes down
and the front up. The little donkey
hangs suspended in the shafts as
unconcerned al you please. When
madam gets over the axle, Mr.. or Mrs.
Donkey, as the case may be, comes
back to earth and starts trudging
homeward as contented as though
there never had been a war or a fat
woman in the world.
The French are the most polite peo-
pie in the world. They all say "if
you please" and "thank you" for
I everything and we are learning to dc
: the same. 1t won't hurt the Amer
: leans any to learn a little politeness
: and courtesy. They certainly need it
. Instead of yelling "Hey, you; you've
: dropped something" a Frenchman
: would pick it up. hurry after you. re-
! move his hat, and say, "Your pardon
sir, permit me to restore to you your
: parcel" standing with his hat in his
. hand, his body inclined in a half bow
awaiting your thanks. which being
given, with another bow he woulc
wish you "good day" and be on his
way.
n Isn't the latter much nicer? Ant
q they do it. from the peers all the way
down to the street cleaners.
q There is a street market on oul
q street every Saturday and it is funn,
e to watch them. Two families will
: meet. Each will shake hands with al
the others and gravely kiss each 9th
err on each cheek. 1t is quite
le lengthy performance when two larg'
families happen to stop in the middle
n of the street, but the traffic splits ant
t. goes around. No one gets fused up
al It's part of the game and an everyda,
" occurrence.
If You can buy live rabbits or shoes
he a suit of clothes, a cheese, a gold {?
y watch or a beefsteak, just as you
X IoilNy Initiates dl our SlIccC Wdfkel
u and they are some spielers. too, I as
lg sure you. One can hear them for
es block. each trying to Guido the othe
,g in praising his or her wares.
he There are numerous jokes cracked
We which bring howls of laughter as tn
French certainly appreciate a jok
s. above all other people l ever saw
They are all good natured. l haven
Of seen a quarrel or a drunken French
I'll man since l came to France, and the
don'tdrink any water either, onl
wine. The soldiers canteens r a
} ways filled with wine, instead of We
f. ter.
But just because they are so polit
be and peaceful at home, don't think fc
lie a minute they won't or can't figh
no They are the greatest soldiers in tt
world. excerpts perhaps our own, bl
that remains to be proven.
The other day on the train we 81
in a compartment with a little, oil
1t dried up French colonel. His uniforl
was immaculate. his puttees fair
w glittered and his hair, what there VIZ
of it. was parted with mathematic'
m y precision. On his left sleeve he wol
~ eight gold chevrons, showing TO,
70; years of active service at the from
~ On his left sleeve two gold wour
cd stripes. on his breast the Legion
re honor with a rosette (they don't gro
dc on %bushes), the CroiX de Guerr
and the Medal Militaire, and arOur