Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-02-12
EGGS $2.4O Dozen
over IN FRANCE
Irwin HalvOrsOn, Decorah Boy. Tells
About Getting Up Little
Spread With Eggs Costing
20 Cents Each
POULTRY BUSINESS LOOKS
GOOD TO ERWIN
Said He Expected to Go Into the
Business When He Got Back
and Send the Eggs
to France
Bieucourt, France,
Dec. 25, 1918
My Dear Mother:

/. Bieucourt, France
Dec. 25, 1918
My Dear Mother:
Although can't be with you today
you can be sure that my thoughts are
of you and home and the place where
l have always been every Christmas
day of my life until this year. l know
that you and Grant will enjoy it
more than you thought you would.
even tho you are alone, just because
you know the war is over. I'll try now
and tell you how 1 am spending the
Christmas day here and of the good
things to eat and such other bits of
news as might interest you.
First of all mother I must tell you
that | am we'll and getting along fine,
save for little cold, but am taking
as good care of myself as possible
to keep from going back to the hos
pftal. / spent nine weeks in seven
different hospitals, so guess saw
enough of them and I don't care to
even have to pay a visit to another
one now. l came back to my COM
pany last Friday night and mighty
glad to get back, believe me, to a
place like home and where l know
all the boys. OF course it only takes
about Is minutes to get acquainted
with the boys in your hospital ward,
but you are held down there more
than back with ones own outfit. Up
on my return back here / received a
lot of mail which had been held here
since, I left and had something to
read for about three hours. In all
that bunch vf rail there were only
two letters from you and two from
Grant. also was surprised to re-
ceive my Christmas box, which was
sent by R.gV. G. and as understand
it she insisted upon sending the
package and got the label from
Grant. In it mother was all that
had been craving for ever since l
came to this country and that was
sweets" and the box was filled full.
She couldn't have used better judge
In filling it for it contained all that
l wanted. Then yesterday the Y. M.
C. A. gave us box containing two
cakes of chocolate, one cigar, can
of Prince Albert and two packages
of cigarettes. And last night signed
the payroll and the company gave us
each a package Of cigarettes, and
then again today for "toppings' on
our good Christmas dinner they gave
us box of candy. Now I'll tell you
what we had for dinner, which you
will agree with me is pretty good
feed in the army.
Menu:-Good coffee, bread (whitel
mashed potatoes, gravy, two pieces
Of steak about the size of this sheet
of paper, canned corn and something
that resembled apple pie. I can't re-
call the name the cooks gave it, but
even so it, was darn good, as it had
sugar in it. won't ask what you had
for your Christmas dinner as l can
guess and wish that l could have put
nv feet under the home table.
AS usual, we are billited in a
French barn, but comfortably locat-
ed, although we do play freezeout
these cold and chilly mornings. Last
night it showed all night, but melted
before noon today and now it is try
ing to rain. In letter received from
Mary Siglin, of Lawler, she says that
we have nothing on them when IL
comes to weather conditions, because
they have had rain for three days
She is terribly wrong though, as 1t
has rained here for nearly four
weeks. Yes this is sunny France, nit
Wet France to my notion.
Between Christmas and New
Years we only have to drill in the
mornings and then in the afternoon
we have to ourselves as sort or va
cation. OF course / have had plenty
of DAYS off while in the hospital bu'
even so l am not crazy about the
drills, squads east and west and
mounting and dismounting the ma
chine gun. Before the war was over
no one thought anything of havina
TO go out rain or shine for drills
but now the big question (whicf
still remains unanswered is "whel
do we go homer" Everyone has al
answer or rather some rumors AM
YOU should be here to hear some o
them and how they differ. For my
self, all | can say is that ! am anx
Iious to get back and think that !