New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-15
BY HUGH -. c. POLLARD


The cstaminet upon the Brielen Road
stood unscathed by the German shell
fire that had SCARED and Quilted its
neighbor cottages. Across its frontage
ran a grotesque legend. an het hockje
verkoopt men COED trank," but the
unanimous opinion of the armies was
to the effect that. whatever liquid it
was that was sold there, it was most
emphatically not good drink.
In the war zone local names arc Of a
Auctuating character. The soldiery
sylI 5uiBu z VllM 5uqm no. ol58ni|S
"Vifjwaegenkilpje.' and ut last a sap
per writes it in clear white paint upon
a large packing case lid. John Browns
Corner" and it becomes known TO the
soldcry as such. finding at last deh-
mite official standing when II Is lettered
upon the ever-changlng maps.
IL was some similar field alchemy
that changed the forbidding array or
consonants that. had been the esta-
minct's name and title TO the magnih-
cent grandiloquence Of The Marquis
of Carabas," and It may have been the
same unknown pioneer who llmned the
big signboard that Overhung the door
No proud escutcheon swinging IN the
wind this. but fiat square, nailed
against the wall. The marquis IN the
picture was obviously Pero Jofre, VINO,
with the assistance Of a khaki cat, was
vanGuishing a host Of Germans.
The appeal of this sign was mani
fest, for It attracted both French ana
British, and the low ceilinGcd room oil
The Marquis" became the great IN
formal rallying ground of the Allies.
Military Market Springs Up
Here in the mud-country Of North
Flanders the British line joined WIN
that of the French, and, in the not
smoke and coiFee-scented atmosphere
of the estaminct there sprang up
special military market. The ration
scale of French and British soldiers
is different, with the inevitable result
that the French poilu coveted some
of the Tommies' supplies, while the
Tommy equally ardently desired some
Of the Frenchmen's. =,
To the polu the lavish issue or
British jam and tobacco represents the
height of trench luxury, while the
Tommy is consumed with envy OF the
long rolls of light bread and the merry
"pinard"-the French regulation issue
of light wine These were the main ar
ticles of exchange, but in the cohee
room of "The Marquis" and in the
shell-torn village street beyond every
variety Of ration or military comfort
had its standard OF barter.
There was ever the difficulty OF Ian
4. ! 1
business in the languages OF all the
troops would mean that one would have
20 know French, English, Flamand'
Gaelic. Gurkha, Urdu-a and heaven
knows what besides. It was not neces-
sary: men trafiicked there as did the
earliest merchants in strange lands be
vond the sea. Goods were placed IN
little piles explanatory gestIculations
and numbers indicated with the myers
did the rest. But. nevertheless, each
party 20 a bargain shouted his loudest
in mis- own tongue, 10 aid the slow
mental process Of his alien client
Behind the rough counter sat the
preside genius OF the place" Ma
dame" an angular and shrewu person
age, knowledgeable in methods OF wa
tering down thin Belgian beer, and the
infusion of vast quantities of chlcory
root 10 the one bottle Of cheap coffee
essence. She had cohort Of assist
ants. small boys or buxom peasant
wenehes; and she had all a rustic's
thrift as well, for. failing money, re-
freshmen could be had for barter
jam tins, cigarettes, etc.-but az most
usurious rate.
dot" Was Her Vision
All nations reviled her a. an e1tor-
TONER, but IL was useless, for she held
a rigid monopoly. There were excuses,
too-quite good excuses. She hoped 20
CLEAN from out this anxious business
"dot"-a substantial dowry for each Of
her three daughters. So fine chance
Of wealth had seldom offered 20 the
keeper of a roadhouse in all the his
tory Of Flanders.
II was a jovIal house, that estaminet.
There the polus learned the times and
refrains of English music hall songs.
There a French armorer sergeant could
be seen expounding the detail Of
Hotchkiss mitraileuse 10 an English
enthusiast. Canadians compared ideas
as TO saddlery and the adjustment Of
horse packs with Arabs from Algeria
and the Sus. Allies from the ends OF