The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-05-16
CHILDREN OF FRANCE
TELL CONDITIONS
Interesting Letter Received bv Mr..
and Mrs. Ruddock Depicting
Conditions

Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Ruddock OF
French family by sending money
and who are doing the same this year,
are in receipt OF letter from the
children.
The letters were written in French
and translated by Prof. Boulton of
the college. They are entirely self
explanatory and are, we believe, OF
interest to the general public. The
two letters follow:
Letter From Refine Vidal
Meze, April 20, 1919.
Dear Mr.. and Mrs. Ruddock:
We were very happy to receive
news from you, and we make haste to
answer your nice letters. We are now
in the midst of Easter vacation.
am as yet only IL years old and | 90
to school every day with my sister
Odette, who is 8 years old My
youngest sister, Georgette, who is
will start to school after Easter.
We live in the south of France. We
did not see any of the fighting, nor
did we hear the big guns, as we were
too far from the front But the war
has made us very unhappy, and if
America had not come to help us we
would be still more unhappy; hence
we shall always be very grateful to
the kind hearts friendly to France.
| should like it very much if YOU
were not so far from US, and I should
enjoy it so much if l could only
come and make you a visit and be-
come acquainted with you.
We were very much pleased over
the dollars you sent us. We gave
them to mama to help buy us some
shoes, which are very dear here.
We should be very glad to know
your three nieces, and if we were not
so far off l should be very glad to
come and help you and Mrs Mary
Ruddock gather the things that grow
on the farm.
RENE VIDAL.
Letter From Zoe Vidal
Mr.. and Mrs. Ruddock: l shall
continue Reine's letter to tell you
what you wish to know. We live in
the CITY of Meze. There are about
5000 inhabitants in the place, which
is at the edge of the Lagoon of Than,
which connects it with the Mediter-
ranean sea through the part of Cette,
which is an hours ride from Meze.
The city is inhabited by fishermen
and winegrowers. We are two hours
by rail from Montpelier, county seat
OF our county, where there have ar
rived recently 900 Americans, who
have come to study medicine.
Fhe only thing we have to live on
is the allowance the government
grants us, and I am employed BY the
mayors office to sweep out the
schools after the classes 1t is a hard
Job and receive only francs (40cts)
per day.
All provisions have been very high
here since the war.
/ will give you the prices per kilo-
gram. q lbs.) of the principal items:
Potatoes, per kilogram e lbs), 70
centimes. IA cents.
Beef, per kilogram e lbs), 10
francs, s..
Mutton; per kiIogram e lbs.), IL
francs, $40
Butter and cheese. per kilogram e
lbs). 16 francs. $500
Coffee, per kilogram e lbs.), 90
francs. $1o2.
Sugar, per kilogram e lbs.), 2r4.
francs. As cents
Lard and bacon. per kilogram q
lbs }, 10 francs, $500,
Chickens, each, 20 francs, $500.
| Milk, per litre (quart) TX francs,
80 cents.
Clothing is verv high. Stuff that
cost 5 francs ($l0O) per meter q LIP
vards.) before the war. now costs 80
francs $3.50.
Shoes for children. according to
age, from Is to so francs ($5 to $1OO.
| Aprons for children cost 10 to Is
francs.
You see that life in France is no
longer tolerable, and if this contin-
ues I don't see how we can get
along. for we have to buy everything.
I thank YOU again for your kindness
to my children.
Yours sincerely,
ZOE VIDAL. (Widow).
| I send YOU herewith a photo Of thu
house where we live, have marked
it with a cross at the left, but 7 am
only renter