The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-01-05
X <&% Xxx Xxx xxx xxx x 4
\ FRENCH SOLDIERS x
X RETAIN INGENUITY x
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'(By William Philip Simms


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.(By William Philip simms)
United Press Staff Correspondent
With the French Army at the
Front. Nov. 28.-(By Mail to New
York)-The French soldier is be-
yOnd doubt the most persistently
gay and at the same time inherantly
artistic creature in the world. Even
here, under the snow and the rain,
in the slush and mud with Death
stalking only one lap behind with
occasional overtakings, he refuses to
have either his gaity or his love of
the beautiful quenched.
Today visited several camps Of
Train Regiments-revitual and
ammunition supply corps-just BE-
hind the firing line. Evidently the
soldiers believe they are there for
the W inter for they have built them
selves permanent" houses and have
set up housekeeping in the most COM
Portable of ways. French officers
call these settlements, "villages
negres," or negro villages" on &C
count of their resemblings, at first
glance, the native villages one
sees at world fairs. But the soldiers
villages are more artistic, much
cleaner and more attractive.
Is "Spotless Town."
One visited near Saint MinehOuld
was typical. 1t was located in a
wheatfield and French wheatfields in
this region have a habit, when wet
by rain or snow, of trying to escape
by clinging to ones feet. But the
soldiers have occupied their leisure
hours in hauling sand and building
sidewalks throughout the village
which was, in consequence, a sort
of "spotless town." -.~-
The houses are built of saplings
and tatched with straw, not heller
SHELTER and any old way, but neatly
and in patterns, so that the finished
structure resembles a very pretty, if
tiny, French villa, with dormers and
gables and turrets and spires. Many
of the little houses have windows of
glass though where these came from
goodness only knows-probably from
the ruins of neighboring villages.
In front Of most of the villas are
French gardens. Little fir and cedar
trees, or rather small growth of ever
green variety, have been transplanted
and the walks of these gardens are
laid out in patterns and bordered
just as walks in city parks are, only
here pieces of tree branches take the
place of the interlacing iron borders
Of more conventional parks.
Show Most Ingenuity.
But it is inside that the inhabit- |
ants show the most ingenuity. Beds
are of all varieties, but I am sure
that the worst was more comfortable
than those one usually finds in an
American small-town hotel. In prin-
ciple most of them were alike. Four
posts driven into the ground with
saplings to represent The sides of the
bed. Across these, one against an
other, smaller saplings are laid, these
chosen for their sprfnginess. Over
these, is soft hay, of a thickness to
insure as much comfort as an ordin-
airy mattress affords, and lastly the
regulation blankets, sleeping bags
and such other covering as the sol
der may be able to procure.
In the middle of the room there
is unusually fund a table made of
saplings and such plans as the
builder have found; upon this they
eat and do their correspondence.
Over one such table I found a hang
ing lamp, though lanterns are usual
ly used. About the walls are shelves
and pegs for placing and hanging
things. Pictures brighten the rooms
and some of these homes possess eli
braries." Sometimes several groups
of two or three soldiers each, such
as occupy ordinarily one house, 20
in together and build three or
four-room affair and do their own
cooking on fireplace, arranging
their rooms with curtained doorways
between.
Reflect State of Mind. E
The names given the villas reflect
the state of mind OF those who find
shelter inside: "The Innocents,"
probably held bunch of rolllckers;
Felix Potin's'' surely held soldiers
recruited from Paris where Potin's
is a great grocery establishment;
Tavern d'Olympia" held another
batch of Parisians, the Olympia being
a music hall in the capital; the in