The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-28

dead. l add this last, because after
riding in one of the stretchers for
some ten miles of our trip to here, |
can't exactly figure how a wounded
man could ever live through one trip,
when just plain riding Jared the day
lights out of me. Though for the
benefit of the censor / might add thar
driving at the front won't be half SC
fast and careless as it was out here.
I'm certainly enjoying the life, par
ticularly visiting the picturesque old
towns and villages, especially the
present one where we are quartered,
which is interesting both historically
and pictorially. Beautiful town hall
and cathedral, and the Bosche was
here for two and a half years, leaving
only months ago. We have seen a
plenty of his work, and seeing it, one
can only wonder what vengeance is
befitting of their crimes Fruit trees
cut down, whole villages laid waste
bridges, churches, houses and factor
les blown to bits,-and all to no pur-
pose except plain hell raising nd
destruction. We visited some of their
abandoned trenches near here and
what glory belongs to brave France
! for driving them out of these, me
will ever know until they have seen
| with their own eyes what seemingly
/ insurmOuntable difficulties first had %
be overcome.
You ask about my French
| Dieu, cest terrible but / mama 80
be able to buy anything l F..
| though with my hands tied and OK
finger broken I'd be worse t. IN a
mute. Though truly l can tall ute
little and understand a lot as as
ii is good Partisan and not a lot OF
patiOs such as many of the illus
speak. Last night for eXampla. we
bumped into the Cure himself while
out in front of the Cathedral here, ana
from his beautiful French we under
stood perfectly that it was built in the
18th and 18th centuries and repre-
sents the transition between Roman
esque and Gothic, combining these
two styles in a peculiarly mongrel
fashion, due to the work of many diff
ferent architects who worked upon It.
1t is a beautiful cathedral, as my many
pictures will show you. l hope, and
the good old Cure himself conducted
us through on tour of inspection of
the whole premises. The history and
tradition centering about these ole
monuments of civilization is appalling
when one thinks of the old Presbyter-
ian church at home built as early
probably as 1SS9-dark ages in Quincy
and Lincoln. Fortunately in evacu-
ating this town the BOche had 20
leave in such hurry he could do lit
tie damage, so except fer the absolute
destruction of the beautiful Old organ,
the pipes OF which they tore out, and
the four big bells which they literally
cut to pieces, there was no other dam
age done and the fine old relic stands
intact.
AS for furnishing excitement, to-
, day seems to be winner. Two Bosche
airmen visited us today and were
: warmly received by battery Of guns
They came just as we We're coming
out of church Eyes | attended) and IL
was most interesting to see the she'll
break around them, two coming very
closely, when they turned tail and
ran. Then on top of this l washed
= (attendez.) suit of underclothes,
towel, and three handkerchiefs, that
was enough for one days work, fol
lowed by a smoke; also washed my
n dishes, but this is a daily duty and
d, not too willingly performed, especial
ly when one is number Is or 20 III
r the line on the dish water. One pan
, for As men, and not overly warm
, Yes, I've been number as too. But
: as the French say, "Ce rein, Ce est Ia
g guerre" Git matters nothing this war;
So said the little nurse who lives
just in back of our car. She was call
. listening to the conversation, 1t was
- another baby case, she has had many
since the Germans left, and this
morning she told us out of the window
it was a little girl and Franchise
IL pas Bosche, (French, not GERMANY the
last very proudly.
Il And now tonight comes a rumor
e very grave in doubt, as all the news
Z papers have been banished, so I cam
u discuss it. But I'd like to know. We
u are hearing all sorts of rumors like
"a this every day, and it is most dis
l. tressing to be so closely mixed up ir
a it and know nothing except about the
IS little part we play, which to date has
l. been nothing. But one final order
l. came today and we leave (hurrah) for
IL somewhere else to be attached to {
l. French division so our work begin:
tomorrow, though l understand th'
m division to which we are to go is nov
IT on "repos" which means another wal
Of until they go into action.