Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-06-16

fulness of the stricken villages when
one looks on the beauty of the telds
which lie between the houses of des-
olation
Frignicourt has been swept from its
place on the plains. Not one stone
rests upon another here. Was there
justification for this laying waste or
was it sheer wantonness? Time per-
haps will disclose the truth. l wanted
to determine for myself whether or not
the tales constantly told Of incendlar-
ism were true or untrue. | began TO
observe closely and hit upon means
of test which have found that already
the Frenchmen have applied.
Faremont is not far from Frigni-
court, and it was destroyed only in
part by artillery fire. A fine highway
runs through the heart of the village,
and it was along this highway that the
invading army passed. The houses on
either side of the road and Immediately
confronting it have all been destroyed
while the houses back of them are in
tact. Gunf1re from a distance makes
no such fine distinctions. The houses
along the street were set on fire by
hand.
The old church of the village of
Faremont is still standing. There is
shell hole in its tower, and more
breaches in the wall below.
From Faremont I passed through
Favresses, Blesme and Maurupt-le-Mon-
toy. There Is little left of any one of
these places to give it the right to be
called a village. At Blesme there are
some curious contrasts. The lowly
homes of the villagers all we're de-
stroyed, but close to them an old and
beautiful chateau stands unframed
amidst it's trees.
AS If by Miracle.
At Maurupt-le-Montoy the lombard
ment caused heavy damage to the vii
lage church and churchyard. In the
latter, where the shells had fallen
thick, there is a stone cross bearing
upon its marble front a representa-
ton of Saint Veronica's handkerchief.
upon which, according to the Catholic
belief, was imprinted the face Of the
Christ. In curious workmanship, upon
the marble handkerchief in this GENE
terry, the face of the Savior was inlaid.
Almost alone, this cross and this Christ
stand uninjured in this shell-shattered
acre Of God.
Frequently stress has been laid upoE
the escape from injury by shell fire Of
representations of the Savior and the
Virgin, his mother. l know, however,
that these escapes are only accidental,
and while it may be pleasant for the
faithful to believe that immunity came
to the things they hold sacred, it is
only the part Of truth to say that |
have seen the same destruction Wis
tied upon crucifix and on shrine that
fell upon other images and other sane
tuaries of which Christians take less
account.
At Vaubecourt such walls as still
rear themselves from the ruins are
shaken daily and nightly by the thun-
der of pounding guns. At least one
half of the Vaubecourt villagers have
returned to their blasted dwellings
ready again to take up life where their
forefathers lived for centuries. These
villagers give no heed to the trembling
of the earth under their feet The can
non shot does not disturb their
dreams. He'll came here last fall.
There was terrific fighting at Vaube-
court and in the country all about it
and there is still terrific fighting near
at hand. The village has been bat
tered from it's foundations by shell and
shot. When the time comes for an
swering the question of responsibility,
it is probable that no fine interroga-
lions will be raised as to whether this
place was swept from the face of the
earth by bombardment or deliberate
incendiarism. Here, the question will
concern itself with the right of the in
vader to put to death summarily three
French soldiers whom they found in
the village.