Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-03-12

possibly be used is allowed to go 20
waste, and nothing is wasted be-
cause it is plentiful. Their houses, or
rather their buildings are large AMI
substantially built ofSstone and stone
is the common building material for
fences and well curbs and everything
of the sort.
am billited in the home OF lit
tie old French peasant woman. The
house has only two rooms and must
date back to a time before the revo-
tuition. There is a huge fireplace in
the kitchen, so high that ] can stand
Inside it and the old crane and
chains are still in place though now
the chimney carries the smoke from
a tiny cook stove no larger than ar
ordinary camp stove. That is the only
fire in the house, the other room
having no provision for heating. The
beams in the ceiling are black with
age, are about Is feet long and the
size OI rail- ROAD tie.
We get the regular army rations
with few small luXuries added from
L. mess fund, as l, eat with the army
field clerks mess. We fare about as
we'll as the officers and certainly
have no cause to complain of lack
|of appetite. Am always ready when
meal time comes. Have had cold
most of the time since I got to
France but everybody has them now.
The weather was clear and frosty
for about ten days this month and
there was about two inches of snow
en- the ground. Now it has moderated
and the rains have commenced again.
The French people say the cold
weather is over for this year, but
that March is wet and disagreeable
as rule.
Most of the soldiers stationed here
are boys from the southern states
end few of them saw any of the
| fighting, though some of them were
in the heaviest of it. l had letter
from my old chum and room mate in
Montana who is now in the Marine
Corps. He is now in the army of oc-
cupation In Germany and getting
along all right. He saw some of the
hardest fighting and I judge that he
did his part of it, for he is that kind
| of chap, and he was wounded
twice, the last time rather badly.
All of the men are very anxious to
get home now that the show is over,
and it speaks pretty we'll for the dis
cipline that this bunch of homesick
| lads endure the waiting time as
cheerfully as they do.
The mail service over here is awful
in spite of the fact that / am a part
of it. Christmas parcels are still COM
| ing in and others are still hopefully
expected. | have had only two or
| three letters from the states, and
these arrived when / first came over,
! so | know something is wrong with
mine. l have talked with many men
who have had no mail for four or
five months, so I do not feel dis
couraged yet, but can sympathize
with them all right. Mail from the
states is now nGm:ns directly here,
so when my people get this address |
can hope to have better luck.
Well, my fire has gone entirely out
and it is getting pretty late 50 guess
/ will call this letter finished. |
wish had time to write more letters
than I do, but when | get home !
hope to have time for n visit with
you and to tell you hore about my
experiences. 1t has been a great trip
and / am very glad | had the chance
to come even if did get here late in
the game,
With love and best wishes,
your nephew,
ARCHIE Mccoy