The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-01-09
/ Letters From and About Soldiers


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The following interesting letter tel
ling of a leave" ard his troubles
while spending il. was recently re-
ceived from John Copper. member of
the 18th regiment Of Engineers in
France:
AT Limroges i had about Is hours
lay over to catch rapid look over the
city. IL reminded me great deal of
Seattle. being built more OF less on
edge. Looks ike II might be in the
process OF being remUdeled as many
buildings had rev fronts on them.
widening streets in places, etc That
was ore of Frances china and porce-
lain manufacturing cities before the
war and | saw many pretty neat little
pieces / would have liked had | the
money.
At this place | saw nv first sample
of the Red Cross work. I've often
heard of il, but never been north of
here before. They had kitchen and
cafeteria at the station. operated by
American women and serving about
the same meal as our camp meal, but
of course il tasted better because it
was prepared by someone else. IL cost
just 80 cents per meal and was much
better than could touch for 81 any
place else. Inasmuch as my trian left
at 80 a. m. could not go to a hotel,
but was very tired so a lady showed
me hall where they had about 80
beds for just such occasions. | slept
well and was called 80 minutes before
my train. | can't say too much for
| the Red Cross.
After leaving Limoges | went or
north and east and when ! woke the
next morning | was up on the high
plateau in Central France. | thought
of making side trip up to.Vichy, but
| left that for my return trip. About
( 10 a. m. | got on the sOuthbound Paris
/ Lyon express and travelled almost al
we do in America, arriving in Lyon al
p. M, 4S hours after left camp and
/ only about 400 miles away.
/ was indeed surprised at the city.
/ think it has close to one million popu-
! lation but it was quite different ir
/ many respects from Bordeaux. The
street cars found made station looT
] 81 NuCnSNNA Eot Juo'
mounted car and soon found myself
| was free after lett the depot ano
was Just about as unnecessary rs &
person could feel. There were very
/ few Americans there, which made mt
/ feel still farther from home.
During my stay put in one after
noon in the Public Garden. a mos,
beautiful place. There | found more
roses and greater variety than I've
seen in any park at home. There was
very little natural beauty to the
place even the river and lake banl
being walled up, but as a man made
place never bad seen its equal.
An amusing incident of the trip was
dinner | got while there. When
| got on the train at Limoges ] got into
compartment where there was &
little girl perhaps Is or l6. ! assisted
her in changing trains three time.
! | talked with her most of the time
! bat neither asked her name nor gave
| her mine. When we left the train
carried her package to the door ther
went to the American M. p. Office
Several days after was sitting on {
bench on one of the many little monu
ment places along the main stree
| when looked up and saw her with hel
mother in buggy. The mother callet
me and said the little girl had beer
\ telling her about the genteel American
she had seen on the train and insisted
! that If had time to come out to din
ner. found very nice home and tn,
little distraction was just what
needed after being tired from wander
ing the streets.
found near Lyon a most beautiful
country. something like the Yakims
valley. fiat but with foothills anC
mountains all around. The house,
were somewhat scattering, about lik,
America, not grouped in villages t.
such an extent as they are here. Alst
they were built of a red rock, while
everything here is white limestone.
| went oIt on branch line to loot
up daughter Of friend have her,
and while waiting for her to come
home dropped in next door. Their,
was an old lady there about SIS VIII,
had lost her husband before the wal
and her son is now at the front.
watched her with her knitting needles
and after about ten minutes thought
piece Of her work would be mic,
thing to buy ! found out she did no
own the yarn, but was making shawl
for store in the city for 81 cent
each. making two each day in he
spare time. She asked innumerabl,
questions about our country, showlns
she, like most everyone, knew tn,
Americas was west of here, but no
much else. Among her questions wa
one about our cattle. She asked if W,
had real cattle. stating that she ha,
heard we ate the meat of red cattle
She said her husband had red COW
several years ago, but the butcne
would not buy it. They had to kill i
and send the meat to Paris. neve
saw anything but white cows in tina
country.
When | ran out Of money at Lyon
came back to where Walter is an,
spent three days there making win
with friends | met before | moved
This wine making is something lik
our fruit harvest, of course it is don
largely by women at this time. Tn
old OK cart goes out in the field wit
two barrels that hold about 300 gallon
each. The women cut the grapes an
dump them into small tub, two me
carry the tub to the wagon. OF cours
grapes pile up rapidly so soon one o
the men takes off his wooden shoes an
gets in with his feet. Small chunks 0
mud 60 in too, suppose it lends color
After making an attempt for NOR
than year Julius LIE Franco, son O
Leon lie Francq, local truck gardene
and native of Belgium, finally sue
ceeded in getting in the Navy. Whe
he first applied for enlistment tn
young man, not yet 20, was turne
down because of hernia. He unde.
went an operation at a Portland hos
ptal, and By the time he recovere
draft rules prevented enlistment
After playing waiting game, he ws
finally admitted to the United State
Merchant Marine. In Christina
Letter home he tells his parents c
% Chr;et nc d,,,ar