France
July 26,1917

Dear Folks:

We're here at last - out on ---(censored)-- and as we just got here lst night we had today pretty much to ourselves. It was quite a route march - longer than the one we had when we first came over -- in other words out packs were sent here by the transports. It rained pretty hard a few times and made it a little uncomfortable but on the whole I didn't mind it much.

We are billeted in a pretty good sized town -- almost as big as Ed and the people are decent enough to us. Fifteen of us including all our bunch are billeted in a barn and its sure great. We have about four feet of new straw for a bed and just now we wouldn't want anything better. The people that own it are of the better class and altho they can't talk English - still we get along pretty fair between what French we know & our hands. Eggs are 75 cents per dozen and butter 80 cents per lb. Of course they 'jip' us because we're Canadians but we bite so there you are. We can get good feeds of eggs & chipped potatoes & coffee downtown for two francs so we don't have to live on army rations absolutely. - at least not till we're broke. That $5 that Jay sent comes in mighty handy believe me.

All of us have bo't a pair of slippers -- canvas affairs with felt soles - and everybody is wearing them around the yard. We got 'em for---. You know we don't deal in centimes but in pennies - 10d is 1L 219d.

The mail just came in and I nailed two letters - one from Mother July 1st and the U. of A. Newsletter. Prof. Alexander keeps us pretty well posted on politiecs and military affairs -- Clara May Bell gives us the general news of the place and W. Muir Edwards - my old friend in Hydraulics - gives us the latest with regards to the rest of the bunch over here. We get news that way that we would never otherwise find out. It's funny for instance there are fellows over here like Happy Sutter & Barney Loptson that I've never been able to run across. Jim Doze wasn't wouldned altho I was him in the Journal casualities. They ball things up quite a lot in the papers.

Think we are going to have a pretty jake time here. The latest rumor is that we drill four hours in the AM and have the PM off. We have to polish to be the deuce but thats better than forming fours.

This is all today;. I'll write again in a few days.

Lovingly

Bill

P.S. Could you get a New York Police Gazette for M/Tom says it has all the dope on sport and we've had a few arguments about several ball players.

Extra
Take 15 or 20 bucks & get that nephew of mine something suitable. use your own judgement and go as far as you like with my bank account. If you send the letter to Marg you can leave this out. WJM

P.S. The last I heard of Clark he was pulling from a bomb proof in England. He's got two much hot air in him to be any good over here. Old Feurt or Fruit as we call him is coming over sometime soon. Chuck is trying to com too. I hope he don't make the grade. The Welbourn's have done enough already. WJM