France
Jan 14/17

Dear Mother and Father and 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 and 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 and 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 and fire pot for the smoke and 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 and a lot of talk horses are very well trained and some good ones iron grey’s and some white good size the people use a terrable lot of coffee and beer stout wines and 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 fifty 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 and by tread power and some horse power they make some of the walls out of clay and straw and split brush for lath white washed, roof red tile the floors of the house is flat squares six inches, white and 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 10^th and a card from Fred and Agnes yesterday Mary did not have the P.O. orders yet will know next letter

Your loving son
Roy

 [Editor’s note: The donor of the Gullen Collection included a transcription of a separate message that had been added on the backside of the paper, written by Roy and Fred’s mother Marietta Gullen. (Donated as transcription only – no JPGs.):]

Echo Place
Jan 15th

Dear Agnes and Fred

You will see I am writing on the back of Roy's letter. I do wonder where he is to day wish peace would come soon.

Mary and the children are well and are comfortable, but what to do for them this spring we do not know they should have a garden, I try not to worry and just live a day at a time.

Daddy's grain has not came they have written to the firm two weeks ago but have had no answer it may not come at all for grain has gone up so since but they wrote to Daddy saying they were shipping it at once that was at first. so we do not any thing more about it.

Daddy was out to Clair's all last week helping him to close out his ware room as he is [giving?] up the implement business and has signed an agrement withe the Silo company for a salary of a hundred a month and forty dollars expenses and five per ct on sales so they all feel better Grandpa and Grandma [worries?] some over Clair,

I am having a thimble tea on Wednesday of this week I worry some about it will be glad when it is over, but I could not get out of it very well as it was my turn but can only serve certain things – two kinds of bread and butter and two kinds of cake tea and coffee.

We are taking up a five hundred note on the church raised the last of it yesterday that makes 7 hundred we have paid of the principal this year we think we have done well but took most of the ladies funds so we are giving teas.

No doubt you saw an account of Mr Huffmans death in the paper, then last night they told us that Mr E.W. Jo- Jones had passed away Milton Brown has the funeral, wonder what the girls will do with that big house May is training for a nurse and Pauline works in Hamonds office and Mr Jones took care of the house and Paulines little girl, they say that niece of his has taken the most of his property through law they appealed so often that was the reason May was trying to get wages how true it all is we do not know but they have been at law with her. Oh yes Agnes my waist fits well, many thanks for it.

You folks will get your Xmas gift again.

I will have to as I hear daddy saying to Irene to and post these letters and get the Globe. We are pleased your business is increasing but would like to see you some times pretty bad the next best thing is a letter which you are good at

Love to both
Mother