Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1915-01-20
FINISH
47 DAY FIGHT
IN TRENCHES
Soldiers Welcome Brief Rest and
First Chance to Change
Clothes.
JOKE OVER THEIR PLIGHT
INDICATED infantrymen Tell of Their
Life at Front-OnIy II Left Of $50
in Original Company Kill
Germans to Get Clothes
BY GABRIEL oELAGARDE.

| Correspondent of the Chicago Daily News
Amiens. France have just passed
two days in a tiny hamlet near the
front between Arras and Albert, sleep
ing on straw and living on bread and
sardines. French batteries few hun
| dred yards away Numbered intermit-
tently. My companions were 100
French infantrymen. who were quar-
tered there for four days to rest after
"a consecutive days in the trenches.
BY this time they must have resumed
their old positions on the firir s line.
The first man with whom ] talked
when the grim, dirty columns broke
| ranks and scattered about the thirty
| odd farms which compose the hamlet,
| said:
Yes. monsieur. we have been AZ
| days in the trenches without once re-
moving our clothes or even our shoes
Except for two old peasants we passed
back along the road. you are the first
| civilian we have seen in all this time.
But You see. we do not look too miser-
| able. We even stood it very well. be
cause we are Bretons. who are "A tough
| and stubborn race But we are rather
hlrty, are we metz?
Joke Over Life in Trenches.
replied frankly that had never
seen dirtier men I'm all my life Their
clothes were torn and covered with
| layers OF yellow clay and their shoes
looked like Jumps OF mud which iiaG
hardened around their feet Yet the
| men we're laughing and joking happily
enough. We entered the village inn.
picturesque tavern blackened with
smoke. with strings Of onions hanging
from the rafters. while I'm the corner
The aged grandfather was weaving on
hand loom over their coffee and
brandy the soldiers renewed their
| Jokes at the expense of the "boches"
| lGermans). their own dirtiness and va
! rious features OF life in the trenches.
To the accompaniment OF distant
cannonade they told the history OF
| their company since the beginning OF
the war. They had participated in
many battles and the company had
been entirely reorganized three times
or the original contingent OF $50 mcn
only one officer and ten men were
left
Dug Holes With Their Hands
When they first took position $40 tine
place ihey still hold. they had o.. Ggbt
in IN open field. for neither side hal
time TO prepare trenches The men
sought 20 protect themsclyce tho hos;
they could Those without pickayes
dug in the earth with their hands trv
ing 10 make holes big enough o. lie
En-
Gradually, however trenchce were.
completed and subtorranean Village
organized Before the trenches barbed
wire was strung on which boUs were
hung which would ring when the wire
was disturbed Their monotoroue
life was interrupted only by shells that
burst too near and occasional SURPRISE
attacks
Ordinarily the men sleep I'm tho dov
time Zoo restrooms the straw I'm which
IS changed every two weokg Little
by little the soul and body became
hardened until now obey can look ON
the rain OF deadly shells With indrer
ence
KIN Germans % Get Clothes.
Protection against the cold was moi
difficult Wooden garments had been
distributed literally and in case these
we're lacking one could always God q
chance to 'snipe" some Gcrmar. steal