Arizona republican., 1919-01-06

our division was relieved and we start
 cd on our march back. When we left rumors were flying around that We had started on our homeward march and would be back in the state before Christmas but no such luck for us. Here we are and here We expect to be for at least four weeks. as our drill schedule | has been laid out for that length of time. Just finished writing a letter to , Edna which is about the fifth since I f arrived in France. mail communication . is very poor haven't received any word from you folks or her either But now that we expect to be here for while, have hopes that Uncle sam will deliver some of my mail to me, as 1 know he must be carrying around a big bunch of it for m. This is the rainy season over here. have yet 10 see d dry road in France, when it isn't raining, the nights are extremely cold with heavy frosts and lots of ice. Bill Coble and I have managed to stick together all the way through, both of us have been pretty sick at times, and troubled win diar- roeah as have the rest of the men in the company. As in northern France the water is not good tOdrink without boiling or being treated but a thirsty man on the march has no time to at
 tend to such matters. l had it only four days. but it stuck with Bill ten He sure lost lots of weight on this march as well as the rest of the boys as food was scarce and hard to get. My i self I finished the march in good shape but rather thin. The past week though l all we have done is eat and eat and are ] beginning to feel like ourselves once more. There is little cafe here where l we can get a small steak, French fried | potatoes coffee and bread for only 1 francs q franc equals 20 cents) meal ! which is very cheap compared to the rest of the prices you have to pay. We also can get milk at the farm houses, We save our bread we get at our meals in our own mess and at night We toast our bread and boil our milk and have milk toast We go to the cafe twice a day, our own mess line 2 times a day 1 have our milk toast at night and eat between meals, so you see it won't be long before we begin to put on weight again. The 'Y" opened up here Satur- day. you can buy cookies and candy { (chocolateS) there, but everything is limited, l package of cookies and i pieces of chocolate creams per man which costs francs (40c). Before the ''Y'' opened up the French people soaked it to us good and hard 412 fr. for the same package of cookies and , fir. for a piece of bar chocolate. fir. for a can of jam about the size of a Lily milk can, fir. for 10 almonds, etc. Since Bill and l have been here we have spent already 100 fir. (s20.00) and just for food. We haven't had a payday vet but expect to draw our pay in full this month G5th) as our service records have just reached the company. We 1 received 30 frs. while at Le Mans and that is all we have drawn. so hVe , months pay coming less 30 fr. which is close to $40 for me. less about Sl4 l owe Bill. We are with a New York division now, our division having been divided up and used as replacement troops to fill in this division. This division was the one that started the drive September 26 up through the Ar gonne forest and had lost considerable men. They have made quite reputa - ton for themselves and We are lucky to be with them. This division has been in the lines now since March and will
 be among the first of the ones to return to the States and being from New York also helps out lot. Northern Franco is sure a desolate looking place, all tho towns have been shot to pieces. tho country is torn up with shell crater: and the whole country north from Le.
 lslettes is all the same way, after the
 German occupation. We visited th,
 church here yesterday, very nice insid, and well kept up. Of course all church
 es over here are Catholic, this church il
 small but worth seeing. hope to be able
 to visit some of the cathedrals som
 time but would much rather be on tn
 road home, which would be worth nor
 than any cathedral l would ever expec
 to see. Have seen quite a bit of tn
 country, but cant very much appre
 ciate it. carrying D to loo pound
 around on your back, through mud ant
 rain and cold weather. Am on guar'