JC and JH letters - August 1947

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Jean Cordelle (in Paris), at Jean Hausermann (in Buenos Aires), August 22, 1947, letter

Paris, 22 August 1947

My dear Jean

As you know by Simone who wrote in July, we spent a few good days in Vierville, riding on July and August, favored by good weather. The Cordelle family even found themselves there for 2 or 3 days in the whole, from the great grandmother to the great little children. I myself stayed there about 3 weeks during which I took care of your affairs.

Wood grassing gradually turns. (a prisoner of war placed at our disposal, housed and fed by us) leveled the holes in the top (clearance is over, part of this area was mined) And gathered a lot of stones that were scattered all over. The lower part is still in rather poor condition, however it grows there from the little clover that the animals come to feed freely; the thistles were cut there in due time.^ir As agreed, a deduction of 1 ha was made on the total surface of the herbage; there is really nothing to say and it is easily understood with Louis.

The Brixard and the Fossé Gras are in good condition but I have not had any success in my conversations with Father Leterrier both on the surfaces to count on a possible change of rate to l'hectare for the next renewal. He is always very kind but much less easy than his son. He remains indistinct on 40kg to l'hectare and he wants only 4 ha useful which makes 160kg instead of the 182 of the lease; he says that on one part he is obliged to carry water in the Brixard and that some surface of the Fossé Gras is damaged, which is partly exact. He adds that your mother had always rented these 2 grasses for 4 hectares, there is indeed a written lease of her hand which bears this mention. In short I have totally failed. Given the situation of Leterrier in the country and the fact that he is aware of the services that he can give you I do not see that, I can do more for now. The risks of requisition that Simone has spoken of in his letter, soothed for the moment, may be revived at any time.

The vines are in the state where you left them from the point of view hedges and fences, but the grass grows well. Blin paid his rent without observation and very good grace. There seems to be a suitable harvest of apples that I left at Blin, as you had said to me, we will treat the price when it becomes known.

About the apple trees, there are 15 missing in the large vine and 4 or 5 in the others; I know you intended to replant more, but Blin can at most plant 20, I hope he will keep his word this time.
Last year's hay was sold to Louis Leterrier. This year's hay is about 400 medium-quality boots; it's better to wait to sell it.

At the entrance gate, I had a wooden gate set up with 2 doors; made at Godfroy we laid it ourselves with Yves and German, a chain and a lock allow to close, the door lock for pedestrians was repaired and rested by François. J-ai the impression that it will be possible to begin next spring repairing the gaps of the park wall and rebuilding the masonries of the gate.

A plumber brought by me from Condé repaired the water supply and put back the missing taps to service the cold water. The crepine was re-established in the well. Turenne will soon be putting back everything needed to re-dress the tank, and the electropump had to be revised. I hope that all this can be started for the Chedal stay.

For painting of the grids, I retained the painter, but will he come? He is absorbed by the present: Ygouf, Leterrier, etc., it would have to be there.

I haven't touched the rest of the damage, I've been to see the administration and wrote two recommended letters, we should touch it soon.

I'll bring you your copy of the share. Your subscription to the newspaper "Le Monde" is made from the 15th of July, when the previous one ended.^ir September ................................................

Jean Hausermann (in Buenos Aires), at Jean Cordelle (in Paris) 30 August 1947

Buenos Aires, 30 August 1947

My dear Jean,

I received your letter of August 22nd and thank you.

..... so you were all in the old house and we hope that we will have the pleasure of renewing it....

Everything you've done for Vierville is very good and I thought our brave Leterrier was going to live on his seat. So leave it all like that; I know you will use every means to avoid non-guest inhabitants, the Colibeuf solution hardly smiles at me, I would rather have Martha's. But under what conditions? Otherwise it will be luck, the old house has seen others and ...maybe see others on the train where the news goes (the concerns started to rise again in France, communist strikes, and in Europe, iron curtain...)There are times when I wonder if I'll let Jean-Paul go next year.

To finish the subject Vierville, if you go back as you say, insists that the apple trees be planted this year by Blin, as much as possible.

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Jean Cordelle to Gabriel Dessus, Buenos Aires, 21 November 1947

My dear Gabriel

.....As for our life here, it is better not to talk about it beside the difficulties of yours. We would like to send you and send you quickly everything that we find here and that is missing at your place. Unfortunately, we need patience. The first packages we sent just left Argentina; if you have them for New Year's Day, we will have to feel happy; hope that once the start is made, the arrivals will be regular. All this is subject to long regulations and procedures which discourage a lot of?? (unseen) We are now being re-incorporated into our lives here; summer is starting to feel, but we are not suffering from it. I think that the business I came to do will be a result, and I can't come back until April next....

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