The Daily Missoulian., 1913-10-31
M|SSOULA PEOPLE
IN CHINESE
WAR
MR.. AND MRS. FRED LUCAS sEE
ACTIVE FIGHTING IN
SHANGHAI.

stirring story of the Fighting
about Shanghai during the more Niu-
lent portions of the Chinese revolution
is told in letter written by Fred j.
Lucas, a former Missouian. to +. s.
Paxson. Mr.. Lucas is now employed
in theater in China. and with his
wife viewed from close range much of
the fighting about the city. Missoula
people will remember MIR. Lucas, who
once played In the orchestra in the old
Grand theater. He is an artist of no
mean talent, and became associated
with MIR. PaNson on that account The
letter follows,
Its far cry from the orient to
the Rockies, and at times home and
friends seem SO remote and unreal as
to make me doubt their very existence.
I've endured year of filthy China,
and the coming of fall days eats the
very heart out of me With longing for
Gods country. Back there over the
curve of the world, the fail frosts are
turning the woods into a picture gallery.
| can see the purple haze hanging in
the mountain shadows at twilight
Here all is mud, disease, suffering aud
squalor-iust a miserable. flat land
teeming with millions of overwork ed
underfed slaves of beings, torn by dis
cord and revolution. fighting and
starving, with no fusure ahead OF
them. | grow so sick of l. all at times
I'd like to throw my drum into Il
trunk and quit the country: but posi-
tions are difficult to find in Mssoula
where my friends are, and suppose
am better off here.
Thrilling Experience.
During the fighting around .Shang
hal We spent an interesting few weeks.
Night always found us as near the ac-
tive fighting as possible, and several
times we were under fire. While un~
der a Red Cross flag on a field in the
native city we We're fired on by gov
ernment troops. Mrs. Lucas and l.,
with one other American, were the
only foreigners there. Several china
men We're hit as we ran the half mile
to a French barricade. and we had all
the sensations we cared for for a time
They followed and only their rotten
lack Of skill saved us. Bullets
whstled. kicked up the dust at our
feet, and showered us with brick dust
from the wall we were skrting But
my wife was game; never cried nor
screamed at all; just gathered up her
skirts aud made time--good time for "A
girl
The night they shelled the city she
was as cool as anyone here. though 1t
was study to see some of the differ
ent expressions on mems faces when
the shells were singing their buzzing
menace in the darkness oNerhea d
Many buildings We're struck and peo-
pie badly injured. 1t Was .an expe-
rience. and | wouldn't have missed it
for anything.
Things are all quiet again, but
since the slaughter up al Nanking,
when the government troops finally
took the place, there is strong senti-
ment favoring the rebels, and plenty of
funds are being raised to open it all up
again If they do Shanghai will be the
point of attack. as they want to oc-
cupN kaing Nan arsenal, just three
miles from the center of the foreign
settlement If there are any more
cases OF plague and cholera reported
| shall SeEd my wife out OF the danger
zone, but | want To stay here and see
the fun If there's to be any more
shooting.
"E J. LUCAS,
Shanghai, October 3"