Ellsworth American., 1919-04-09
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1919.
FROM OVER THERE.
Ellsworth Falls Boy Writes Inter
estingly of French Customs.

Mrs. c. NJ. Whitcomb of Ellsworth
Falls has received letter from her son
Eben, with the A. E. F. in France, in
which he writes interestingly OF French
people and customs. He says in part:
''You have asked about the French
houses, customs, dress, etc., several times,
so am going to try to answer all at once.
possessions, l am referring only to the
everyday commonplace Frenchman, and
not to the "four hundred" class.
"At Himelly Cotton we were in the
stable; much like an ordinary one in the
United States except in its extreme age,
due mostly to the large percentage of
rock and clay used in French building
construction. The Frenchman is very
frugal in such matters as saving all the
fodder possible, etc., but little pains are
taken to insure the most results from the
feed. The stables are dark, damp, smelly
structures, and the floor on which the
animals lie is often of cobble- stone con-
struction. The manure pile is invariab bly,
directly in front of the house, and it is
often said that Frenchman's wealth is
judged by the size of his manure pile.
''The house had three rooms, two of
which joined directly on to the barn. The
floors were of rock, and also the sink.
There was one large fireplace In the living
and sleeping room, and into the spacious
chimney of this was inserted a piece of
about three-inch stove-pipe, and this in
turn was attached to a little play
thing stove which would take a small
piece of about eight-inch wood. There
was practically no draft, and the resulting
fire would moi have heated pint of water
on one OF our stoves, but to them it means
heat for warmth and cooking. There was
an old oven like we have at home in one
of the rooms, and this they used about
once every ten days to bake bread in.
''The French farmer, during the period
in whieh we have seen him, does little
work. In the Gorgert family the mother
was dead, and the two girls, about TWEEN
ty-two, and twelve-year- brother,
lived with and kept house for their
father. The girls did almost all of the
work, even to taking the cows out to
the Craze, carrying water, milking, and
feeding the pig. The girls had a fairly
good education, as nearly as one could
judge, and were certainly capable of do
ing their housework. But there were
some things you never could stand,
moi her, doing your washing in icy water,
ana cooking and washing dishes with no
warm water to use. But tell father that
they washed dishes only once day, and
this, apparently, because there were only
about twelve dishes in all.
"The civilian dress can best be described
by snapshots, and will send some just
as soon as the camera arrives. The chill
dren all wear half-hose, regardless of
weather conditions. The women dress
mostly in black, and the styles look
much like those Of the United States of
several years ago, but one also sees some
up-to-date styles. Wooden shoes are
much in evidence, and the farmer stuffs
them with straw and does not wear socks
tvery uncomfortable, should judge).
"One very noticeable thing: If man
and woman are walking along the street,
she always carries all the bundles, water
or wood, and if they wish to cross the
street, he looks for a chance and runs. |
leaving her to get across the best way she
can."