TRANSCRIBED FROM THE PRESCOTT DAILY NEWS DECEMBER 1, 1918 P. 3
Somewhere in France
Oct. 22.
Dear Sister:
Received yours and Helen’s letters of the 26th of Sept. and thought I would drop you a few lines to let you know that I was all O.K. and I hope that you are the same.
Sis, I will try and tell you of some of my experiences in France and also about the country that you so much want to know about.
First I will tell you about my voyage across the sea. It may not be very interesting but I will tell nevertheless. First when we left port in the good old U.S.A., or rather for the first day or so I had quite a funny feeling, but that soon wore away and I was quite at home on my floating home. On the way across I saw one whale; quite a lot of different specimen of fish. I was not seasick a day, although quite a number of the boys fed the fishes, as the sailors say. We had a very nice voyage with the exception of the last few days, which were quite rough.
My first thoughts when I landed were, these people are ten thousand years behind time. I was impressed by the houses the French people live in; they are all made of stone; you never see one made of wood, it is too scarce. Then another thing that was a setback to us boys was the French language. I could not understand them to save my soul. But now I can hold a pretty fair conversation with one, that is by using my hands quite a bit. For you know that all good Frenchmen use their hands as much as they use their tongues. Among the first words that I learned to say in French was oui, pronounced wee, meaning yes, and par compre, meaning I do not understand, or no understand. I have also learned quite a number of other words which enables me to carry on a pretty decent conversation with Mr. Frenchman.
The people of this country all work for a living. The old men who are too old to go to the front work in the fields and various other places. The old and young women work just the same as the men. You very seldom see a young man over here unless he is in a uniform of the French army.
The people wear very plain clothes and most of them wear curious wooden shoes. That is during the week. But take them on Sunday and they are all dolled up and you wouldn’t hardly know them unless you knew their faces.
The scenery is simply wonderful and the quaint old buildings are very interesting, such as old castles and old historical places.
Well, I think that is enough about the country, people, etc., for this time.
Your brother,
Keatsie Sales.
NOTES: Jesse Keating Sales was born in Cleburne, Texas on September 5, 1898 and died on June 5, 1971 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is buried in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Hot Springs. He departed for France on August 6, 1918 from Newport News, Va. onboard the Huron. He was serving as a Sgt. in Co. F, 153rd Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Somewhere in France
Oct. 22.
Dear Sister:
Received yours and Helen’s letters of the 26th of Sept. and thought I would drop you a few lines to let you know that I was all O.K. and I hope that you are the same.
Sis, I will try and tell you of some of my experiences in France and also about the country that you so much want to know about.
First I will tell you about my voyage across the sea. It may not be very interesting but I will tell nevertheless. First when we left port in the good old U.S.A., or rather for the first day or so I had quite a funny feeling, but that soon wore away and I was quite at home on my floating home. On the way across I saw one whale; quite a lot of different specimen of fish. I was not seasick a day, although quite a number of the boys fed the fishes, as the sailors say. We had a very nice voyage with the exception of the last few days, which were quite rough.
My first thoughts when I landed were, these people are ten thousand years behind time. I was impressed by the houses the French people live in; they are all made of stone; you never see one made of wood, it is too scarce. Then another thing that was a setback to us boys was the French language. I could not understand them to save my soul. But now I can hold a pretty fair conversation with one, that is by using my hands quite a bit. For you know that all good Frenchmen use their hands as much as they use their tongues. Among the first words that I learned to say in French was oui, pronounced wee, meaning yes, and par compre, meaning I do not understand, or no understand. I have also learned quite a number of other words which enables me to carry on a pretty decent conversation with Mr. Frenchman.
The people of this country all work for a living. The old men who are too old to go to the front work in the fields and various other places. The old and young women work just the same as the men. You very seldom see a young man over here unless he is in a uniform of the French army.
The people wear very plain clothes and most of them wear curious wooden shoes. That is during the week. But take them on Sunday and they are all dolled up and you wouldn’t hardly know them unless you knew their faces.
The scenery is simply wonderful and the quaint old buildings are very interesting, such as old castles and old historical places.
Well, I think that is enough about the country, people, etc., for this time.
Your brother,
Keatsie Sales.
NOTES: Jesse Keating Sales was born in Cleburne, Texas on September 5, 1898 and died on June 5, 1971 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is buried in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Hot Springs. He departed for France on August 6, 1918 from Newport News, Va. onboard the Huron. He was serving as a Sgt. in Co. F, 153rd Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS