The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-08-27
GRAPHIC TALE
OF PARIS LIFE
MRS. +. HARTLEY ANDERSON
RECEIVES LETTERS FROM
FRIENDS IN HEART OF
WAR TROUBLE.

A vivid glimpse into conditions in
Paris at the outbreak of the great
European war struggle is afforded
through two letters just received by
Mrs. F. Hartley Anderson, 919 Court
Merrill, from a friend now in Eng
land. One letter was written at the
outbreak of hostilities and the other
just as the party was leaving France
for a safer haven.
II wish / could tell you," began
the first letter, "all u experiences
during the past "a hours. We are
In the heart of Paris with a great
European war on, and SO far can
not get out. We left Interlaken on
Thursday for Bern, where we began
to find it difficult to get money.
There was doubt about aur being
able to reach Paris, a s the cars
might be needed for transporting
soldiers. xz z z
we got to Paris at 2:3o yesterday
and were told we could have rooms
at this hotel subject to closing at
any time. The manager is a Ger
man and already has been recalled
to join the army. His walters too.
are Germans and hurried out of
France last night. This morning wo
found a lady who had a quantity of
French money and she was glad to
let us have some. Through her we
got an auto and we're going to the
station when we found that no one
could go unless unless he had q tic
ket purchased through our consul.
AS we had none, we gave up trying
to go until tomorrow. At present,
there is no personal danger in Paris.
but they do not wish to diminish
their food supply by feeding foreign
ers.
"Our hotel closes at 5 o'clock and
through this same lady we have
come to a little pension in the SUI
burbs of Auteil to stay until we are
able to get away. Yesterday we saw
"a great crowd of men reading news
bulletins. They were shouting, wav-
ing their hats and suddenly burst
into the Marseillaise. 1t was very
thrilling. I do not feel much alarm
ed, but may be it is ignorance. We
shall go to London if possible.
I'VE saw sad sights yesterday. A
little lady at the hotel is nearly fran
tic because her little children are
in Alsace and she cannot get to
them. So many steamers are not sail
ing that many have lost their pass
age and are in considerable distress.
"The last milk was delivered this
morning. The horses of the farmers
have been taken for the army. The
poor people will be the greatest suf-
ferers. We heard OF a family where
a father and four sons have been
forced into the army"
Sunday afternoon" commences
the second letter, written from a
tourist boat on the Seine and mailed
from Southampton, England, evil
IDENTIFY after the party had landed on
British soil, 1--WE found q French
family who would give us food and
shelter for a few days. They were
most interesting. Grandpere and
grandmere, widowed daughter and
granddaughter Great ooroise shell
ca Mimi" and black poodle, Fol
cite" Sunday night a dear old Able
came to dinner. He was sweet with
sincere French and we so
wanted to talk with him.
monday morning we started out
to get Identification papers from the
American consul. We found hun
dreds OF people crowding the stairs
to the third floor, where the office is.
Step by step we reached the first
landing. where L became faint and
got part way down before I became
unconscious. Finally We got permits
sion to remain in Paris. Wednesday
we went down town to ge some money
and found that a hustling American
had chartered a river boat to take
to Rouen, where a steam
- v onld take the INTO Southampton. .
secured three tickets.
"Al lof the wagons and autos have !.
requisitioned for the army, but we
succeeded in getting two wagpnettes j
move our baggage. So far we
nave had enough to eat and have been