Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-15
BACK FROM THE SCENE OF WAR,

Mr.. and Mrs. ]. Ernest Lowry, return
ed to her home in Yorkville, Saturday
after spending two months touring
Italy and Switzerland. Unfortunately
the outbreak of the war broke into MISS
Lowrys plans, and she did not visit
France, Belgium and Germany, as she
anticipated.
Miss Lowry talked quite interesting
ly of her travels and Of happenings in
war stricken Europe, when seen by
representative Of The Enquirer at her
home Yesterday. II was not taken as
a spy by Germans or French or Eng
lish, and really / was subjected to very
little inconvenience" she said, and
assure you that l am glad to be back
home. People in Switzerland, and in
fact everybody was quite courteous 10
US, and though we had some trouble In
securing money and hotel accommoda-
tions were very poor at some places
we had little cause for complaint:
Miss Lowry left New YORK with
party on July 4, on the Italian steamer,
Ancona, and landed in Naples, Italy.
She spent some weeks in visiting ltal-
ian cities, Rome, Naples, Venice and
Milan being among the places on her
itinerary. They heard nothing or war
in Italy, not even the slightest rumors.
1t was when they were proceeding into
Switzerland, on train between Mon
treaux and Interlaken that the nrst
news of war came to them. An Eng
lish woman heard Of 1t, and burst into
the train with the news. But we
didn't get excited" said Miss Lowry;
I'VE knew we were in the country ana
could not get away perhaps as quick as
70 nPH10e0
make the best Of circumstances
Our party spent about two weeks
at Lucerne a city in the heart OF the
Alps We were trying to get to Paris.
In Switzerland there was much excite
ment. Troops were modified; we saw
numerous companies Of soldiers, bells
were ringing at various times and
proclamations would be read, calling
on the people to volunteer and to fur
nish horses and supplies in order to
protect the frontier. From what l
could learn, the sympathies OF the
Swiss seem to be with the Allies, al
though the consensus OF opinion Is tnat
Switzerland will not engage In the
strife unless the frontier is violated.
I'VE had hard time getting to
Paris" Miss Lowry continued. Trans
portation was slow and each train
would carry only two hundred passen-
gers. Tourists were glad to get any
kind of accommodations. 1t seemed as
though we could never leave Berne,
Switzerland; but we did get away on
August Is, and arrived at Paris on the
21st. We had to change cars at Pom
tarliar and at Dijon. Hotel accommo-
dations were awful. At Pontarliar,
France, we had to help get our own
breakfast at the hotel where we stop
ped. 1t was a miserable place, that ho-
tel: but the best we could get. The
town was crowded with tourists, all
excitement and confusion. Such was
also the case at Dijon, France. We had
to give railway porters almost fabu-
lous sums in order to get on the trains
at all.
About o'clock on the morning of
August 21st we arrived in Paris. We
could not get accommodations at the
hotel on our itinerary. Finally we did
get small hotel near the station. My,
that hotel; it was terrible" (and here
Miss Lowry could not help but froWn
at the thought of the place..
And Paris-it was not the gay
Paree we hoped to see, but a shadow
Of gloom seemed to pervade the whole
city. The Louvre and other famous
art galleries were closed; shops were
nearly all shut up. There were few
French people on the streets and what
few there were bore sorrowful counte-
nances. The Americans in the city ap-
peared to be much more excited over
the situation than the French.
We wanted to see as much Of Paris
as we could continued Miss Lowry;
but all we could do was to ride around
the city and visit the beautiful church.
es. We visited the American consul,
and the American Express company
in order to get money, and also the po-
lice headquarters, where we got our
passports.
The parks of Paris were filled with
men and horses and munitions of war
Frenchmen were volunteering on eV-
cry hand. We saw large bodies of
French cavalry. But the people did
not consider Paris in danger. There
was not even any talk Of moving the
French capital to Bordeaux, that |
heard while in Paris.
There were many tourists anxious
to leave Paris. In nearly all cases pro-
fessional people were given the pref
erence. Our party got to Hayre, |
France, on the night Of the 22nd. From
there we went to Southampton, Eng
land, and thence to London. Military
operations were going on everywhere
in England, but the English are not
seriously alarmed. Iney DeHeVe tne
war will last only short while, and
that English arms will be successful.
Il was struck with the scarcity of
porters and other attendants around
the English railway stations Num-
bers of them have volunteered. At
Chester England, there were 1000 Ger |
mans, captives Of the English. But at
no place in England which we visited, |
was there undue excitement.
THE cable and postal service Is not
reliable just now," said Miss Lowry.
Postcards are forwarded swiftly, but
not letters. | did not cable home until
ten days after the war broke out, be-
cause | was not sure 1t was worth
while. In Lucerne we travellers eXpe-
rienced some difficulty in having our
checks cashed. One woman was offer
ed 81 for $40 check.
After leaving England our party
went to Glasgow, Scotland, from
whence we sailed on the Scottish |
steamer Cassandra, arriving at Quebec,
Canada, our baggage intact. l have
been visiting in northern cities before
returning home, and you might say"
concluded Miss Lowry, I'm very, very
glad to be home"