The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-10-13
PEOPLE NEEDLESS OF
BURSTING SHELLS
Old Women Sew in Doorways and
Military Commandsnt Calmly
Reads Latin; Justice Of
Peace Out Of Job
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMS.
GU. P. staff correspondent

~. +. staff correspondent
EASTERN FRANCE, Sept. 15.-(By
mail "A city without single child
is Pont-aMousson. Ordinarily 10000
souls abide within her borders. Re-
peated bombardments-the 135th has
Just been recorded, have mide it neces-
sary to remove the babies.
One of the strangest cities in
France, Pont-arMousson sits astride
the Moselle, in the shadow OF an odd.
solitary mountain peak. which iuts
from the rolling country of Lorraine.
The peak is called Mousson and In the
the old days, when the village at its
base sprang up by the Moselle and
bridge (pont) was thrown across the
stream to connect the settlement with
Mousson, upon whose crest castle
reared its towers, the place was name
less save for reference to it as the
'pont Mousson" (the bridge to
Mousson). So it is called to this day.
Pont-a-Mousson holds the record for
bombardments since this war began.
The German lines run east and west
past its northern limits crossing the
Moselle and curving around the base
of Mousson from the top Of which,
through telescopes, Metz, which
Bazaine traitorously gave to Germany
in 1870. can be seen.
The bridge is barricaded on the
north because the Germans otherwise
could see every person who crossed.
Several people were picked off by
snipers before the seven-foot barricade
of sandbags was Constructed. From
behind this barricade clear view OF
the German positions is had
Heroism Is as common as the red
tiled roof and all the roofs are red.
The mayor, a white-haired old man,
volunteered. hoping to march triumph
antly into the Lorraine which Ger
many took from France forty-four
years ago. But when his 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 fellow citizens seeing to their
needs. He does not encourage them.
They need no encouragement. Men
and women go about their affairs quite
as if the country enjoyed the fairest of
peace and the bombardments--there rs
an average of one every three days
cause no more alarm than passing
shower. It is true the bombardments
are more fatal. but when citizen is
carried off by the steel visitations no
more terror is manifested than had
he died a natural death
Old women, ruddy and hale sit in
their doorways, embroidering. One
saw was completing layette for a
rich baby expected at Havre. At any
minute the shelling might begin. but
the old lady in her white lace bonnet
manipulated her fine cambric needle
with nerveless precision rapidly con-
verting the blue design into the dain-
test of forget-me-nots.
The military commandant Of the
place, highly educated reserve Off
Ger. with his lieutenant. a young uni
versity Tar. 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 thing of the past. He d.
vides his time between helping dis
tribute food and writing the history OF
Pont-a- Mousson. The commissary OF
police helps the fire department.
That is the only way they can earn
their hire. so peaceful has become this
crimeiess, babyless city on the firing
line.
The churches. Saint Laurent and
Saint Martin. both specimens Of
modified Gothic. have been lef. intact