TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT OCTOBER 15, 1918 P. 4
As I have a whole new candle, a new pen and a new bottle of ink, I will talk to you a little while before going to bed. You buy ink here in a little bottle about the size of a Bond’s pill bottle, but they cost about four cents each. I bought a couple of bottles last night, intending to fill my fountain pen, and when I got home tonight the old lady here had filled an inkstand and left me a new fountain pen and penholder on my table.
You know I have always been strong on winning a home with the old folks and I believe I have lived up to my reputation here. She is a dear old soul and seems to watch me to see when I am feeling tired and worn out. When she thinks I am, she will make me a cup of tea of some herb or else a cup of hot coffee or a glass of wine or brandy. Every night when I come in I find a big bunch or two of grapes on my table and today at noon I found two great big bunches waiting for me.
I had a couple of buttons off my good trousers and she sewed them on for me; also sewed a ripped place on the knee where they are reinforced. It puzzles me how to repay her. She will not take pay and you are afraid to insist for fear of insulting them. If one could just talk to them so as to learn something about what to do, you would know how to even up with them. I wore my rubber boots last night and when I left the house this morning she had them, washing off what mud there was on them, and I could not stop her. So you see I am being spoiled, as usual.
I have been knocked out all afternoon with one of my headaches, but went to the hospital and Dr. Washington fixed me some medicine and I am feeling much better. It rained nearly all day again but tonight is clear and much cooler. If I was in the United States I would think winter was very near, but over here one does not know what to make of the weather. We are working pretty hard when the weather permits and I am glad of it, as the time does not seem nearly so long. We haven’t received any mail yet, but surely will soon.
I have not seen a paper nor heard much war news for a day or two, but was talking to a French sergeant today and he says the French believe the war will end during this winter. He said that when they captured German positions they used to find plenty of food in them, but that now they never find anything but black bread and very little of that. We buy eggs now and then for our meals, and you folks think that when you pay 50 or 55 cents a dozen that they are high, but we get two for a franc, which is about 9 cents each—and we are supposed to be in the country. I have not had any fresh meat since about last Friday, which is a week ago, and when I get home, the first man who says corned beef, corned beef hash or bacon to me gets shot. However, we can’t complain. We get plenty to eat and when it is considered that we are 4,000 miles from our real source of supplies, I think it is a miracle that our government can take care of us as well as it does. We all eat with our companies and it costs us 50 cents a day, except when we buy extras. Of course, when we do, we pay for them. The quartermaster has ketchup, pickles, canned goods and things like that, which we buy now and then, taking it all in all, we fare exceptionally well.
You would be surprised to see what these people have to use for fuel for their fireplaces. Little twigs and brush that we would use to start a fire with, they have to depened on for heat. However, their fireplaces are not built as far into the wall as ours, and they seem to give out much more heat. Or possibly it may be that stone houses retain the heat better.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by First Lieutenant Gustav L. Putsche to his wife, Mrs. Ida Putsche. He was born on September 22, 1881 in Arkansas and died on February 12, 1953 in Wagner, Oklahoma. He departed for Brest, France on June 17, 1919 of his way home with the HQ 77th Army Corps. He is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Wagner, Oklahoma.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
As I have a whole new candle, a new pen and a new bottle of ink, I will talk to you a little while before going to bed. You buy ink here in a little bottle about the size of a Bond’s pill bottle, but they cost about four cents each. I bought a couple of bottles last night, intending to fill my fountain pen, and when I got home tonight the old lady here had filled an inkstand and left me a new fountain pen and penholder on my table.
You know I have always been strong on winning a home with the old folks and I believe I have lived up to my reputation here. She is a dear old soul and seems to watch me to see when I am feeling tired and worn out. When she thinks I am, she will make me a cup of tea of some herb or else a cup of hot coffee or a glass of wine or brandy. Every night when I come in I find a big bunch or two of grapes on my table and today at noon I found two great big bunches waiting for me.
I had a couple of buttons off my good trousers and she sewed them on for me; also sewed a ripped place on the knee where they are reinforced. It puzzles me how to repay her. She will not take pay and you are afraid to insist for fear of insulting them. If one could just talk to them so as to learn something about what to do, you would know how to even up with them. I wore my rubber boots last night and when I left the house this morning she had them, washing off what mud there was on them, and I could not stop her. So you see I am being spoiled, as usual.
I have been knocked out all afternoon with one of my headaches, but went to the hospital and Dr. Washington fixed me some medicine and I am feeling much better. It rained nearly all day again but tonight is clear and much cooler. If I was in the United States I would think winter was very near, but over here one does not know what to make of the weather. We are working pretty hard when the weather permits and I am glad of it, as the time does not seem nearly so long. We haven’t received any mail yet, but surely will soon.
I have not seen a paper nor heard much war news for a day or two, but was talking to a French sergeant today and he says the French believe the war will end during this winter. He said that when they captured German positions they used to find plenty of food in them, but that now they never find anything but black bread and very little of that. We buy eggs now and then for our meals, and you folks think that when you pay 50 or 55 cents a dozen that they are high, but we get two for a franc, which is about 9 cents each—and we are supposed to be in the country. I have not had any fresh meat since about last Friday, which is a week ago, and when I get home, the first man who says corned beef, corned beef hash or bacon to me gets shot. However, we can’t complain. We get plenty to eat and when it is considered that we are 4,000 miles from our real source of supplies, I think it is a miracle that our government can take care of us as well as it does. We all eat with our companies and it costs us 50 cents a day, except when we buy extras. Of course, when we do, we pay for them. The quartermaster has ketchup, pickles, canned goods and things like that, which we buy now and then, taking it all in all, we fare exceptionally well.
You would be surprised to see what these people have to use for fuel for their fireplaces. Little twigs and brush that we would use to start a fire with, they have to depened on for heat. However, their fireplaces are not built as far into the wall as ours, and they seem to give out much more heat. Or possibly it may be that stone houses retain the heat better.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by First Lieutenant Gustav L. Putsche to his wife, Mrs. Ida Putsche. He was born on September 22, 1881 in Arkansas and died on February 12, 1953 in Wagner, Oklahoma. He departed for Brest, France on June 17, 1919 of his way home with the HQ 77th Army Corps. He is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Wagner, Oklahoma.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT