The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-10-18

guests "a dozen French officers attached
to the staff of General Joffre, Elliott
Fitch Shepard, the American million
aire, has established a convalescent
home for sick and wounded American
aviators and American ambulance driv-
ers.
Shepard has resided ut Chantilly
since the beginning of the war, except
during the fleeting visit of the Ger
mans just before the battle of the
Marine. Then the Shepards drove out
OF Chantilly toward Paris in their big
touring car 20 minutes before the first
troop of Uhlans entered into Chan
tilly from Senlls, which they had just
put to the torch.
After the battle of the Aisne, when
warfare s%tagnated into %intrenched po-
sitlons, General Joffre selected Cham
tiIly as the seat of his Great Head
quarters. The &c. Q. Co." as the
French abbreviate 'Grande Quarter
Generate" remained at Chantilly for
more than two years, or up to the time
that Joffre was made marshal and Gen
eral Nivelle took his place as com-
mander In chief OF the French armies
In the field.
Turned over to Refugees.
Then came the German retreat to
the Hindenburg line and refugees from
the devastated region evacuated by
the Germans began to pour into Creil,
Senlis and ChantAly. Shepard turned
over the rooms so recently given up
by the officers attached TO General
Joffre's staff to the refugees and took
II Hnder his root the first night. Grad
ually the French authorities shifted
the refugees to- the south of France,
and then once more the Shepard home
was emptied except for the family.
Ii was then that Mrs. Eleanor
Shepard decided to open a GONZALES
cent home for sick or wounded Amerf-
can youths serving with the aviation,
the Red Cross or any other branch of
the service. Since she has started her
enterprise Mrs. Shepard has had an
average of sixteen American youths
as her guests at all times. Some have
been suffering from wounds-more
and more American ambulance drivers
are being slain and MANNED by shells
since their number Increases with ev-
cry arriving ship Others have the
dread malady known as "shell shock
when the nerves are literally set on end
through being under continuous bonn
bardment. In most cases the illness
of the ambulance drivers Is traceable
directly TO nervous indigestion, caused
by the tremendous excitement under
which the boys work.
No Preliminary Preparation.
For these youths, averaging from
seventeen to twenty-one years, come
direct from schools and colleges and
20 under fire in the most terrible war
the world has ever seen. with no pre-
liminary preparation. Ii Is only neces-
sary that they be able to drive motor
cars. They have not the military train
ing and drilling and incubation of
discipline which fits the soldier for
the life of the trenches.
Mrs. Shepard Is aided In her work
by her sister, Miss Mercedes Terradell,
formerly of Trenton, N. j., who has
for more than a year. She gave valu-
able aid to- the French authorities last
March when the refugees were dumped
into Chantilly by administering first
aid to the tiny babies who formed a
considerable proportion of the motley
collection of suffering humanity that
the Germans left In their wake.
Feeding the boys regular American
food prepared the way they have been
accustomed to having Ii at home is the
principal factor In making them well
and strong again." said Mrs. Shepard.
Americans are not used to eating the
coarse brown war bread which the
French use, and they are not used to
living ON soup and stew, either. After
a boy leaves here, If he has a weak
stomach, l send him packages of food
every week. l send him wheat bis
cults that he can eat Instead of the
war bread, and rice and preserved
vegetables that we put up here ur-
selves, and occasionally, when there Is
an automobile going up to the part of
the front where they are stationed, we
can send them fresh meat and poul.
try"
Take Up Colt.
The Shepard chateau faces the Chan.
tilly race course, and just behind Ii
are the Chantilly golf links. Shepard
has plenty of clubs and near all Of the
convalescents learn something about
golf before they are considered well
enough TO be discharged and go back
to their posts at the front.
Richard M. Atwater, Sd, Of Scars
dale, the youngest member Of the
American field service--he Is just SIX
teen-has just left Chantilly to re-
turn to the front with his ambulance
section. james Norman Hill of Col
fax, Ia, attached to the Lafayette Els
cadrille, who was wounded by machine
gun bullets when fighting a German
bip.ane near Lens. has lust gone back