France Jan 14/17

Dear Mother & Father & Irene

Have had dinner since going to church thought I would drop a line. here by the stove while I can we will be here three or four days yet about five days longer over time the more the better hope fritz takes terms they are talking a lot about terms in the papers When this is over will have to get another Job the people around here are very worky. make straw seats for chairs straw brooms brush brooms & wooden shoes for themselves. I supose brooms are quite dear there now. they have different stoves for coal the fire pot is quite a way from the oven & looks like a bell they cook things in a large kettle or red pot on top of the fire pot just a thin piece joining the oven & fire pot for the smoke & heat to pass through over the oven to the chimney they number the houses with large black figures for the soldiers. they grow stuff that looks like tall cabbages but no heads for cow feed about two feet high good place to grow cow feed over here the buildings are all in a ring around the farm yard the straw barn is next to the street the front gate is a door that everthing enters. they drive with one line & a lot of talk horses are very well trained & some good ones iron grey's & some white good size the people use a terrable lot of coffee & beer stout wines & other new drinks. their bread looks like whole wheat bread little to much bran in it I think some farmers have big brick ovens to bake bread in. the loaves are very large thin round ones cost twenty six cents peaches cost fity four cents a can tomato size butter is about seventy cents a lb eggs are about a dollar a dozen or fity pennys they beat the grain out on the floors & by tread power & some horse power they make some of the walls out of clay & straw & split brush for lath white washed. roof red tile the floors of the house is flat squares six inches. white & red. well I thought I would be on the way back home before this but this job still goes on. did you have a good visit out to Willsonville whould be great to see them all soon I got Marys letter on the 10th & a card from Fred & Agnes yesterday Mary did not have the P.O orders yet will know next letter Your loving son

Roy