The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-06-04
SMYRNA SOLDIER
WRITES OF SEEING
EUROPEAN SIGHTS
LEON FROST WRITES A VERY
INTERESTING LETTER TO HIS
MOTHER FDOM BORDEAUX

Mrs. w. A Frost has just received
the following letter from her son,
Leon, who is with the American army
at Bordeaux, France
Dear Mother:-
/ received two letters from
you today al was certainly glad to
hear that you folks are all well.
| hope Marcus will soon get his
discharge, for Pa certainly needs his
help this summer. / look to be home
about July 4th and wish this was the
3rd instead of the 9Th Of April.
My transfer was settled last week.
1t had been hanging fire for two
weeks. | had my choice as dentist
assistant or stay with this hospital.
| took pity on the poor soldiers and
made up my mind to remain at the
hospital. Can you imagine me filling
teeth. ! have it easy here Only
little utility work. This morning we
needed somt large stcne to put
around a tent. took truck and
five men besides the driver and start
ed into the country looking for stone,
after five miles ride we spied an
old (Frog's) Frenchman's stone fence
that had tumbled down so we stopped
and began to load up. Our lead was
about half loaled when saw the own
er come dow the road. We all made
a dive for the truck but / triped on
a wire and fell into the ditch. + came
crawling out with the boys laughing
at me and caught the truck. When
we got down to the Frenchman, who
was standing in the center of the
4 rnoI ~, {Lsr II = u
the air and shouting at us. The driv-
er prettnded he was going to stop
until he was almost even then pulled
to one side and passed and yelled back
mon Compre" whech means "d'ont
understand" We we got back with
the stones alright.
Five of the boys and myself went
through the Black Princes cave. at
Bordeaue. | arted as guide as I had
through twice before.
1t seems that when the Huns made
raid en- the French in the early
centuries. thew captt~ted Rordeauy
and as they thought all of the Frech
Army but Black Prince had ter
thousand soldiers in this cave and
one dark night he took his troops
TO the city and reopentd it when the
|
From the cave we went TO the castle
which is built on high hill overlook.
ing the city. The castle and the
Grounds are inclosed by high stone
wall. The only entrance was a big
gate tended by French woman. ]
asked her if we could enter, in English
ard she said "Parlev vous Francais'
which means "Do Won sneak French
said Petite" "a little. She saws
American desires souvenier". I saic
mo" Then she let us in. Afte,
looking the place over we came te
where two weeks before there hac
been a eight hundred pound canor
I, and it was gone. / asked an M. p
, where il was and he said that some
American soldiers took it for sou
, venier. / guess the French lad,
thought we would be carving off tn,
) castle next. / dug a shall from tn,
: walls of the cave and will bring i
! home with me. Sunday three of u,
, BOYS were up tc the big rail roat
! bridge over the Garonne river which
took the French forty years to build
The bridge is one mile long.
a We Americans could build it il
two years and have the money spent
"A Our docks at Bordeaux were built b,
our soldiers in little less then
year while the French wanted 81,
years to scnstruct the same. I mus
: close for this time as it is pay day an,
,, need the money.
! With Love to all.
Leon