Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-09

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Northern France, Nay Sin one
tine prosperous and busy city that
low contains almost as mAuy German
soldiers as il does French inhabitants
IL sHe Of the -HaSptpukts' OF chief
points in the remarkable lines of COM
nunicasion which stretch from GeF-
many to the front trenches
Even a casual inspection u this link
m the wonderful chain Ct eommuo,ea-
isns reveals enc q the reAsoEs why
Germany is able 70 contest Nubbornly
every effort 81 lis opponents 70 re-
capture the territory that has been
taken, and why its soldiers are pos
sessed Of necessities. and even fuxuF-
.es, that were unbeard ct in earlier
wars
Various such Haupfpunkfe exist
al along the long hattie line. and from
+aca there stretch out fan-sAaps hass
70 within q short distance Of the
ranches Along these TITS Of the fan
there are Transported daily the enor-
NOUS quantities Of food, ammunition
azd clothing that are needed
The ~HaHptpuHkt" may te called
COR want Of a better name division
Headquarters in the lines Of comqaHn-
.cation- This headquarters has,
roughly, two functions. thf preparing
and forwarding Of food and smmuni-
ton, and the repairing Of naats-ia; that
tas broken down under ths strain Of
LATHE.
In the city recently visited by an
Associated Press correspondent, the
sr.-r1-
the slaughter house Of q one-time
French butcher. and in il are ms-hodi-
cally preparing the enormous quantities
II mat needed for the army few
miles away
The cattle are. .or the most part,
driven I'D from Germany. Fur miles
es one approaches the cstY one can see
the herds grazing On the rich French
fields b the time they have reached
the divisions headquaHeFs they al. fiat
and sleek
The slaughter house, Of course, has
been found entirely too small fer the
amount Of work that has to be dome
there, especially IN that department
where meat is saIted OF picked In
default Of receptaeles therefore the
army has requisiticned bathtubs and
similar inappropriate but useful ves-
seis, and in them lie thousands OF
pounds Of meat Atthousand pounds
Of xurs. a day Is prepared for the
front. as we'll as many hundreds Of
pounds Of beef. mutton. and pork
Within a hundred yards 6 the
slaughter house Is the bakery, formerly
q manufacturing establishment whose
brick oyens have been found TO lend
themselves very well TO the baking Of
1860 leaves Of brad day. Each
loaf. composed Of one sthird OF white
-four and two thirds Of rye -four,
weighs 1900 grams.
Where. the necessary railroad tracks
did not exist they have been built 90
that there,is easy and efficient railway
connections with these wo'plants that
supply thestwo main food necessities
Of the srmy-meat and bread.
Perhaps less important and vital blu.
more interesting are the establishments
where damaged artillery and guns are
repaired and put into shape dor use al
the front again. In these plants also
it hzssbeen found feasible ITO employ
French civilians at many kinds OF
work, 50 that they may earn their
livelihood, be independent: and not be
drag upon the German authorities
who are Supporting manysof the city's
inha bitantS
From all along the front. there come
TO q former machine shop the guns Of
all bores thai have been put out of
commission in thesfighting. They come
in with damages that in many cases
are quite as. freakish as the injuries
sustained by Nhe soldiers, and are re-
paired with quite as much ingenuity
as are seemingly impossible disable
ments Of tbs. fElman body.
Nor are the worst damages always
the result Of the fire from the other
side Of the line. Thus there are guns
that have been tlitera1ly torn apart
from the explosions Of shells prema-
turely. The DANA ges range from shat
tered and twisted, wheels and riddled
b- Ken muzZIes.
In a carpenter shop French work
men, aided and supsrintended by Ger
mans. remake the wheels. In another
part machine guns are made whole;
oftentimes by using the undamaged
parts Of two, three or more weapons.
In still another building new muzzles
are moulded and put onto unchanged
trucks.
Here also are, prepared the great
hoops Of wire that can be stretched in
front of a trench in an emergency at a
moments notice and can be made fast
BY stakes Of steel sthat are screwed
into the ground. Thus attackers
whose artillery has demolished the
| usual entaHglements of barbed wire
can still be checked for a time.at least.
Quantities Of English cable wagons
have been captured at one time or
another. These wagons are nothing
more than square wooden boxes
mounted on a wheeler. from which
telephone wire can be paid out. They
have. however, been found to make
excellent machine gun ammunition
wagons. and are turned to their new
use by the simple expedient Of being
fitted with pigeon hole compartments.
| In conjunction with the machine
shop there is shoe shop and q leath-
err shop, where broken saddles are
mended. and where the straps for A..
tillery wagons. rifles and i1uapsaeks are