Evening journal., 1915-10-13
HERE'S ONE CITY
WITHOUT A Child
Constant Bombardment of
Pont-a-MouSSon Causes
Removal of Tots
OLD INHABITANTS
REMAIN AT HOME
Rr wnLIAM PHMIP snNs-


United Press STAFF Correspondent.
EASTERN FRANCE. Sept Is. CBy
Mail-A city without a single child is
Pont-a- Mousson. Ordinarily $4,000
souls abide within her borders Repeat
ed bombardments- the 135th has just
been recorded, have made it necessary
to remove the babies.
One of the straneest cities In
France. Pont-a-Mousson sits astride
the Moselle. in the shadow Of an odd.
solitary mountain peak which iuis
from the rolling country Of Lorraine.
The peak is called Mousson and I'm
the old days. when the village at its
base sprang up by the Moselle and q
bridge (ponb was thrown across the
stream 10 connect the settlement with
Mousson. upon whose crest a castle
reared it's towers. the place was name
l~ss save for reference to 1t as the
rpont Mousson" (the bridge TO
Mousson). So it is called 10 this day
Pont-a- Mousson holds the record for
commandments since this war began
The German lines run east and west
past IFS northern limits crossing the
Moselle and curving around the base
of Mousson from the top OF which,
through telescopes. Metz. which Ba-
zaino traiiorously gave TO Germany IN
1870. can be seem
Il lI
north because the Germans otherwise
could sec every person who crossed.
Several people were picked of by
Shippers before the seven-foot barri-
cade of sandbags was constructed.
From behind this harricade a clear
view OF the German positions rs had.
Heroism as as common as the red
tiled roof and all the roofs are red.
The mayor. q white-haired old man,
volunteered. hoping 10 march trium
phantlv into the Lorraine which Ger
MANY took from France forty-iour
Years ago. But when this city became
the greater danger-spot he hurried
back and has been on the job ever
since.
Daily he goes among what Is left
OF his feilow-citizens seeing 10 their
needs He does not encourage them.
They need no announcement Men
and women 60 about their affairs
quite as IN the country enjoyed the
fairest Of peace and the lombard
ments-there Is an average Of one
every three DAYS cause no more
alarm than a passing shower II IL
true the commandments are more fata
rat when n citizen rs carried of h.
the steel visitationa NO more terror .
manifested than had he died a natura
death
Old women ruddy and hale sit II
their doorways ombroidering One
saw was completing a layette for
rich baby expected at Havre At an.
minute the Smelling might begin bu
the old lady in her white lace bonnie
manipulated her fine cambria needle
with nerveless precision rapidly con
verting the blue design into the daint
Test OF forget -nots
The military commandant Of the
place. a highly educated reserve Of
ficer. with his lieutenant, a young uni
versity man. read aloud to each other
when they have the time, from Virgil,
In Latin
The local justice of the peace has
nothing TO do because In Pont-a-Mous-
son no one does wrong any more and
rows are a thing OF the past He di-
vides his time between helping dis
tribute food and writing the history
OF -Nousson The commissary
~ police helps the FIRE department
That is the only way they can earn
their hire. so peaceful has become this
crimelees. hahyless city on the hrinl
line
Ihe churches. Saint Laurent an,
SAINT Martin. both specimens OF
ucfifed Gothic. have been left intact
The hospital formerly az the edge a
tcHr On the NouEson side is a wrecl
Tte cemetery ir badly holed and man
roruuertr have been reduced 10 dus
rcrf ~ re ola Inhabitants RENAL
A. ftrir homes. Or shat Be- icff on the
tcwes trt fte children have gon
Or fsT line ~ Paris aufo- hurrl
rz~f zrf Tcf fteu and carried fho
81 NJ tsrc1 AMI aroInd about WIZ
ver Al 80 place IN TIRE spring II
rrer Nfre rf1 playing ir Il
STREETS. eucrT ne shattered fn
~rt ioCFnf Use flcod spiofrhrr
ftf psterrerf pr they have been "a
1tff ~ safety r0w and fte u,orf-ho'
bsf1s1 c'fr ~ France ir cfndiess