The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-08
POOR FRANCE.

The horrors of fwur-Uondition of AIsncc-
The Universal DesOIntion In the French Pro-
yinces-"rhe Renowned LOafer, Uhrich.o
vivid idea of the sufferngs and sorrows
that follow in the train of war is given in the
following letter from an Alsatian lady to her
son in Newark, N. j., which is published in the
Advertiser of that city. The writer is resident
of village about five miles out of Strasburg:-
Whole villages burned down and the in
habitants are living in the woods, having fled
from their houses on the approach of the Prus-
SLAMS. Oh, how glad | am that you did not
come home last spring, as you intended to do.
And what would have become of your dear wife?
You must know that those barbarian hordeS
never fail to ruin the virtues of wives and girls.
Oh, what misery what poverty!
Oh Joseph, you ought totsee Strasbourg now!
They capitulated the 9Th of October, and as
soon as the capituaton was known everybody
got demoraliZad. Neghbors went to see each
other, crying and embracing their friends. The
soldiers broke their arms-sabres and guns
many cannon was thrown into the river Ill.
All broke out in imprecatons against the re-
nowned loafer Uhrich, who forbade his artillery
to act against the besiegers with effect. On the
9TH of October l ventured out in the town.
What a heart-breaking view offered to me!
Whole streets burned completely down, pre-
senting nething more than heap of ruins,
remains of black and smoky walls, with the
half-burned furniture scattered among them,
and sometimes whole house thrown into the
street. obstructng the passage. The quarter
between the gate of Kronenburg and Stein
EtraSSe as well as ln6 flnkllalJ are IN aS1eS.
The street of the Nuce Bleue, where you lived
go long a child, and where you knew every
one of those magnificent buildings is no more
You cannot imagine what misery is. here;
everything eaten up, everything stolen and car
ried away; women are insulted and men beaten;
and the same thing is repeated every day and
every day. | had fourteen soldiers to lodge
and two wounded Frenchmen: you can imagine
how well they were cared for. / had to quarrel
all the time with the Prussians, but finally got
the best of them
If you should come home now you would see
nothing else but ruins, ashes aud desolaton, and
hunger and pain in every face. And what will
we do then when those heavy snow-storms come
on, without food, without shelter, and con-
stantly pursued by those barbarian Prussians,
who sing profane songs and cry Down with
the French = as they did on the eve of the sur
render of Strasburg. There is never kind
word spoken to us poor country people; every
thing is demanded with the pistol or sabre in
hand. They shoot down people as they would
game in great hunting expedition.
DEsoLATIoN EVERYWHERE.
Herr Wachenhusen, writing from the vic-
nifty of Chartres on the 18th to the Cologne Ca
zette, says:-
The small town of Auneau, near Chartres
which had been occupied by the Germans, had
been punished with fine for its connection with
the surprise at Ablis. The Francs-tireurs, ac-
cording to the hotel keeper, entered the town
at 2oclock one morning with sixty captured
Prussian cavalry soldiers, and wished to es-
tablish themselves there, but being refused any
countenance by the inhabitants, who were fear
ful of the consequences, they retired Just as the
Prussans entered. The latter searched every
house, but only found and shot five of the band.
Only greybeards, women, and children are now
to be found in the wretched villages of the Loi-
ret, and these are so destitute that they only
live on what the German soldiers give them out
OF their rations of meat and bread. Even the
better-on families in the towns and the country
have for weeks been GLAD to have officers quar-
tered upon them, for the officers obliged to
feed the inmates as well as themselves and do
so as soon as the OK is slaughtered and the car
case divided
At Aureau the writer's host, farmer, ex-
pressed fear that the Grand Duke might meet
with mschance. He Orleanist and
had great respect for the Prince. The same
interest in him was shown in all the places
where he fixed his quarters, the memory of the
Duke of Orleans, to whom he related, being
held in great esteem by the French provincials
and his death still remembered as national
disaster. "lt is a disgrace" remarked the
honest farmer, that so great nation as ours
should sink so low. We, of course desire the
end of the war, and hate the Prussians; but" he
added, signing, II fear we shall still need them
and shall have to recall them in order to protect
us against ourselves, for the end of the war viii
be but the beginning of our wretchedness. May
God save us !"
HOW THE BAVARIANS LIVE ON THE COUNTRY
Herr Wachenhusen states that the Bavarian
and Prussans fraternize most cordially, anC
during the whole campaign he has not heard o
single misunderstanding between them. Th,
side of life, and with their anxiety for tn
Tnendge they are terror to the Frencl
peasants. In village lies, perhaps, alread
battalion of North German troops. All
still and quiet in the peasants cottages. Th
soldiers are polishing their boots, stand in tn
open kitchens, and wash their shirts or peel thei
potatoes.
A Bavarian column comes along the road, M
suddenly there is great commotion in the vii
lage. The hens cackle the cocks crow, tn
ducks and geese cry out for help. fe'
minutes afterwards all is again still, but no coc
crows, ne duck quacks any more, the inhabitaut
wiring their hands over the cutoff heads G
their fowls which the column has left behind
San hope abandon" exclaim whenever com
through village in which / see the Bavariau
cautioned. Their philosophy, however, is th
right one, and expressly guard myself againI
the suspicion of meaning any disparagement.
The Bayarians are the true war philosophers
"a la guerre CONNIE a la guerre." Peopl
should not begin war If they do not like II
disadvantages. Since the cold has set in we sc
the Bavarians marching in their winter COS
tune. Every garment that gives warmth
welcome to them. They have discovered q
excellent hood in the greyish blue capotes Q
the fallen Zouayes and jager whose heirs the
have Lllus become One lancies il is Frenc
battalion on seeing the grey hoods.