River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-05-15
Soldiers Letters
From Ebert Randall
Toulouse, France
April 81, 1919

ESSCSlFeQ d lcLESL llOIii yOo ooOS "a
Mar. 16, yesterday. 1t certainly takes
long time for the mail to get here.
got the deck of cards last Satur-
day, they reached me in fine con-
dition, due to the way in which you
had them done up. Thank you very
much. The paper and the magazine
haven't arrived as yet.
have plenty of chances to travel
while | am down here, as they give
weekend passes. | am going to
take trip to the Pyrenees, it is
beautiful down there, and also to
the Mediterranean sea and over in
to Italy. There are lot of fellows
who go some place every weekend,
but haven't been out of Toulouse
since | got here. You see we have
to pay $3.50 francs a month for
tuition and buy quite few books
besides. AS result we haven't very
much left to spend for ourselves.
We are living right with the
French people now, adopting all of
the French customs and every thing.
will be regular frog" pretty
soon. You know they shake hands
about every three minutes, I've got
that habit already. When they
serve meal, they serve each dish
separate so every meal we have is
or 7 course meal. 1t seemed
funny at first but | am used to it
now and | guess | will have to learn
to eat all over again when | get
back home.
We have the finest room douglas
Smith and u There is great big
bed (about Al #. high with a
canopy over the top, a nice big
reading table, a writing desk, a
clothes wardrobe, dresser, two nice
lounging chairs. three straight back
chairs, a fireplace, and two great
big windows (plenty of ventilation.
Of course we have electric lights
and hardwood floors. What do you
think of that for common American
soldier? This isn't the Army, it is
paradise.
The only thought that is troubling
me is, do we have to go back into
Germany after we get through
here? l am in hopes that they will
send these school detachments home
as unit. But | guess it is very
doubtful. A man would almost GO
nuts" if he had to go back there
for or 8 months.
There are two other fellows stay
ing here, they have room across
the hall. One of them plays piano,
so we all Clipped in and rented one.
Itcosts us francs apiece per month.
There is also a French officer stay
ing here, who we know very we'll, a
peach of a fellow. He is learning
to speak "American'-not English.
We took some pictures yesterday
if they turn out good | will send
you some.
A girl friend of mine took me to
the opera the other night. | made
an awful attempt to pay for the
tickets but she had gotten them
earlier in the day when she was
alone. We saw Rip Van Wrinkle in
Opera. The music was fine. OF
course | couldn't understand every
word but | got a lot of it. 1t is a
good way to pick up French.
The French are wonderful people
after you understand them. They
are great for this Art and Music
stuff, which some of the people in
the states term as feminine, but on
the other hand they are darn
good fighters. That is combination
which is hard to beat.
| am glad that | didn't leave this
country with the impression that
had 6 months ago. didn't know
the people then and I'll confess that
l didn't have very good impression.
We are eating at dandy place
and have the very best stuff: beef.
steak. french fried potatoes, soups,
all kinds of vegetables, Oh, every
thing. am perfectly satisfied. II
| could stay here and GO to the
University | wouldn't mind being
over here another year.
/ am taking course in intensive
French. / thought that | would get
more out of that, than | would out
of anything else, because the lectures
are all in French.
Wall I 6iIy,+ ,,,aovo - ~,clr, 49, !,