Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-10
Ways OF. The FRENCH
York Boy Makes Some Pertinent
Comparisons
likes Things AMERICAN The BEST

Whiteford Fincher Tells ct Expert
enees in Franee-Thinks French
/ Customs and Standards Are Rather
Peculiar-Freneh Girls Would Be
y More Interesting II They Could Talk
United States.
Here are a few extracts from q let
ter from Whitcford U. Fincher. Of
Rock Hill to his sister. Mrs. w. w.
Hovis, Smiths No. /. Fincher Is a
member of the 31Sth Field Artillery
band, and the letter Is dated at Saint
Bin, France, December Is. 1918. st.
Bin is about go miles due south of
Verdun, and 1t was here that Musician
Fincher was located when the armis-
tice was signed. He was on the way
to the front at the time; but Of course
he was still at that place when he
wrote his letter.
Much of the letter is devoted to
purely personal matters. of interest.
That part Is omitted.
II did not get to the front. We were
on the way there when the arnistice
was signed, but were halted here for
while, awaiting the arrival OF cat
terpillars' to. draw our guns. The In
faptry that we were to support was on
ahead: but the bottom dropped out
suddenly and here I am. Maybe l
have been lucky. There is no telling
but I had no dread or apprehension
about going on into It. Would have
Just as lief gone as not and q little
rather.
How long we are going to remain
here I do not know; hut 1t will hardly
be more than a few days for there are
orders to concentrate all parts Of our
division at headquarters, and that
means of course that we will be NOV
ing pretty soon. Rumors are afloat
that we will be on the way home In
about q month; but there Is nothing
to 1t but rumor-nothing official and
one can newer tell. But have no OBJ
lection let me tell you. II is the good
old United States Tor mine and the
sooner I get there the better Twill be
pleased.
"Say II is wonderful what the United
States has done over here. I used to
have an idea that these French were
kind Of superior people to OURS; but
not now. We have shown them lots
of things, and they have great deal
more to learn from us than we have
to learn from them, you bet.
|. see in the papers where the French
government has offered to give us in
structions in agriculture, and there
Is more or less talk on the part OF
some American authorities Of send
ing us to school to them. It makes
me laugh. Oh. yes, they know a good
deal about fertHizing hnd cultivating
crops, and all that Yes, that Is true.
But when II comes to teaching, the
thing should be reversed We waste
more than they make: but we save
more than they make and save to-
eethcr. And who wants 10 live like
these people in q bed room adjoining
a COW stall? Not me, not on your
life. America for me.
French girls. Not O word against
them for they would be all right If 1t
were not for the fact that American
girls are all Fighter. Our band went
over to Rinecourt, five or six miles
from here last night to play at a
dance. There is base hospital there.
I saw and talked to at least fifty Amer
Iican Red Cross purses. Now don't you
know they looked good to me? And
their voices! Oh, they could talk-talk
sure enough American. That makes
difference. In buying things from the
French girls In the shops or having
washing done when can find somebody
to do 1t, can get along with the French
girls by means of signs-talkins with
my hands; but don't you know how
appreciated the music Of the voices OF
sure enough American woman after
I had so long been listening to nothing
but French jabber.
"By the way, speaking Of learning
things from the French. I want you
to tell Will something about how to
lhu hogs etc., the French way. Tel
lhim to provide himself with a long
1keen knife. After that he will catch
his hog, tie its feet together and STICK
his knife into its heart. Then he viii
catch the blood In a cup or glass ano
idrink It while it Is still hot, or put II
away for another time. Next he will
pie a wagon load of straw on the car
cass of the hog and set it afire, After
the straw has burned down the carcass
is half cooked, he will take hoe and
scrape off the hair. That Is the
French way to do such things.
"Well, by this time you ought to bt
getting a pretty good idea Of what
think about the French"
Say, when you hear I am comint
home, if it is the rabbit season, 1 tel
you what to do. I want you to have
rabbit ready, and the biscuit ready
and when you see me coming down TIT
road. put them on the stove-nothint
but rabbit and biscuit. That is what
want now. 1 would give five francs
(s1) for one of your biscuits at thi:
moment, though have just eaten m!
supper"
i MARVEL OF THE SEA.