Charlevoix county herald., 1919-01-24
Sunday, Dec. p, 1918

Alfred.
Sunday, Dec. p, 1918.
My dear Mother:
received my Christmas package last
Thursday and it came thru in fine con-
dition. haven't opened it as yet for /
thought it would seem more like
Christmas if l left it until Christmas
morning. We are planning on Xmas
spread and have fixed up one OF the
large rooms for dining hall. We are
going to have some stunts and even a
Xmas tree. We got two months pay
week before last, for we didn't get any
while we were up at the front. The
Y. M. C. A. and the Salvation Army
both have canteens here so we can
blow ourselves to almost anything,
chocolate, cigars, canned goods and
everything else eatable. The civilians
are slowly coming back here and open
ing up stores, such as butcher shops,
souvenier shops and ginn-mills where
one can buy pretty good beer at reason
able price. There is also delicatessen
shop located in barn near us where
you can buy all kinds of good cheese,
butter, eggs and canned goods. |
bought about half pound OF sausage
there yesterday, it sure was good;
something like the sausage that the
farmers make at home and smoke them
selves but they don't soak you much,
paid three and half francs for it which
is about sixty-five cents. But its our
own fault for we buy no matter what
the cost is when we have money, and
the French know it. They are grant
ing furloughs of seven days to all the
men, started last week, fourteen men
90 ut time to rest camp where they
can sleep in real beds as long as they
want to and spend their time as they
see Fit at the movies, etc. sure would
like to 90 but it will take about two
months time so we can all 60 and they
needn't keep us here just on that &C
count for Pm going to have a real rest
when l get home and the sooner the
better for me and the rest of the boys.
Wrote to the Educational Bureau OF
the Y. Nj. C. A. last week to get some
information as to entering the Beaux-
Arts the French architectural school.
l thought if we were to stay here for a
couple of months yet would like to
spend my time there if it would be pos
sible. got hold of some postal cards
Of this place and Strassburg, sent quite
a bunch to the folks at East Jordan and
am also enclosing some with this letter.
We have things pretty easy now for
we get little drill and devote most OF
our time to athletics, Xmas week hear
we have formations only in the fore
noon, that will be some rest.
! expect you are having pretty cold
weather at home now and lots OF snow
it's not very cold here and doubt
whether they ever have snow but 1t
rains continually and the sun hardly
ever shows its face.
had a Christmas letter from Mrs.
Tynor and also May Stewart last telling
me whats going on home and how they
celebrated when the armistice was
signed. According to the Detroit
papers they sure had some celebrations
there.
had letter from Mr.. Smith of the
M. C. telling me my job was open as
soon as | got back which sounds pretty
good to me. He has two sons here
with the Engineers in the same. regi-
ment that Nat Burney is in, l expect
they will stay here for some time as
their work is just beginning.
/ just got back from dinner we had a
pretty good feed. Beef-steak with
brown gravy, mashed potatoes, coffee,
bread and rice pudding, this is almost
typical of our daily dinner, we get all
we want and it is all good wholesome
food. Expect you are pretty much dis
sapointed because | can't be there
Christmas, but guess we can be thank
full that I'll ever be back no matter how
long 1t takes. We were iii the thick of
fighting just at the time of signing of
the armistice and I'm afraid If the war
had continued much longer some of
our bunch would not be coming back,
as it was only two were slightly wound
ed and are alright now. You made a
pretty good guess, we are only about
twelve miles from Metz, some Of our
boys have been over there, riding
with the trucks, but we're forbidden to
90 over there now, because only GER
tain number of Americans are allowed
there at one time according to the
armistice.
saw Bill Mitchell the other day,
passed him on a road-hike but was