Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-10-29
TRACTION ENGINE
IS THE LATEST
MACHINE Of WAR
Correspondent Writes of Adven-
lures OF LeViathan in North
ern France.
HOW THEY BEHAVE IN ACTION
Dozen of Them in Danger In One
Fight, but intrepid Drivers Save
Six-Driver Tells interesting
Tales of Experiences
in Action.

Paris.-I met it on the road from
Beauvais. If I had not been wide
awake l should have thought it was
only nightmare. But it was broad
day, and I was speeding along at the
rate of 80 miles an hour
What could it be doing here-on a
road in the north of France? If ever
there was anything British it was this
traction engine. The race was
stamped on every wheel, on the boil
er, On the our-miie-an-hour pace. on
the smutty face and dirty khaki of
the man who looked as though he
owned the landscape.
Haiti
A French soldier stood at the barri.
cade. There was a puzzled look on his
face. He was, / am sure, a brave
man, but how were rife and bayonet
to meet the charge Of a traction en-
CINE. The army regulations make
no provision for such an emergency
I pulled up to watch the encounter
The sentry approached with caution
Parlez-vous-be hanged. Can't you
see I'm English?" exclaimed an indig.
nant voice from the pantechinicon that
dragged behind.
The sentry collapsed, and the pom.
derous leviathan moved on.
'Hello!" What on earth are you
doing here?" l cried when we got
alongside.
The smutty face broadened and
beamed.
Good to hear English again. Why
don't these people learn to speak a
language people can understand"
Have cigar?"
1t was my last, but | knew it was
like the last train so many war cor
respondents have been catching; there
would be plenty more
Here IL is Again.
So We parted like ships passing in
the night, and I never thought TO see
the ichthyosaurus of the road again
But here it is in Rouen, taking pos
session of the square in front of the
beautiful little church of ST. Maclou
and here is my friend of the IN
washed face. l push my way through
the admiring crowd of soldiers and
civilians.
What are you doing here?"
Waiting for repairs. Why, they
send these old coal beavers over here
can't say, but here we are, and we've
got to make the best of it,
How do you manage without an in
terpreter?"
There's where the blooming fur
comes in. What are we to do with
people who csll their mother a mare
and their father a pear? When we
want coal have to take piece in my
hand and argue with them for half an
hour. But l always get the coal
But IS for water! Good Lord! It's
easier to get wan rooge,' which even
the kids in this country drink instead
of beer"
I thought I was paying him a com
pliment when I asked if he came
from Scotland-for he had the accent
mo blooming fear. Dublin's my
country, though the blooming Ger
uduS U1u llluh We "Ouiu uOL uSl
for the old country
Il met you near Beauvais."
Yes, we spent the night there
Why, the Germans were said to be
In the town"
Devil a wan of them. We've beer
looking for them four days and nights
They're lost. We've got a sergeant
who always knows where they are
but he's not here just now. What is
it the folks say when you ask then
the way?"
"Toutdroit."
Yes. that's where the sergeant
thinks they always are. Whenever he