The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-11-08

j. Grosche and borthers, Will and
Henry Grosche, of Paris, THE NEWS
is permitted to print the following
letter from their brother, Mr.. Leo
GroSche, who is in France. Mr.. Gro
sche is an entertaining and versatile
writer and his letter will be found
well worth reading.
Tours, 1ndre ct Loire, France,
October /, 1918.
Dear Folks:-Moved again. Just
got settled down and expect to be on
the move again within a few days.
Am not located right in Tours, but in
a suburb called st. Pierre, only a
short distance from the city. Like it
better here than in any camp I've
been in. A big ~ in the camp with
movies, or some other form of enter
tainment every night. Last night
there was a very good little vaude-
vile show pulled off by an aviation
bunch. Hard to get anything here
in the way of candy but milk choc-
olate, but they sell hot chocolate in
the mornings and afternoons, and on
these crispy days it goes right to the
spot. See in yesterdays paper where
| the American soldiers are to be fur
nished every ten days with a candy
ration consisting of one-half pound of
chocolate and hard candy.
1--WE are permitted to visit Tours
between and 10 p. pm. without
pass. Walked up there one night,
and as it is about three miles to the
main part of the town, and practi-
cally everything dark when you get
there, the trip does not appeal to me.
Sunday I got pass for the entire
day. Got up in the city too late to
attend church, so made a sight see
ing trip through the cathedral It's
the first large one I've been in, and
the work is wonderful. 1t required
something over two hundred years to
build, and is about 700 years old, be-
ing also constructed of stone. The
entire exterior of the building is
carved, but of course, after 700 years
it is somewhat weather worn, but not
enough to efface the work to a great
Iextent.
Went up in one of the towers
over two hundred feet high, the top
of which is reached by a spiral stone
stairway of 800 steps, most of them
worn half way through the width of
the stone. From the top of the tower
can be had a complete view of Tours
and the surrounding country, also a
beautiful view of the Loire River.
All the way up the staircase and at
the top of the tower the world is
pretty we'll represented by initials
carved in the stone, and the U. S. A
is unusually we'll represented. Put
tmy name along with the others, but
it being somewhat laborious carving
with pen knife didn't make very
lasting job of it. The interior of the
cathedral is pretty well worn, and
looks just as ancient as it really is
Two of the chief curiosities being the
tomb of the children of Henry VIII
and a painting given to the church by
Napoleon.
81 am not much at describing ar
chitecture, so I'm afraid my descrip'
ton of the church will have to END
here. Next thing on the program waa
lunch at the 'sY." A very good meal
| for 8 fr., the desert consisting Of
lemon pie; pie being a very scarce
article in the army. After lunch
went in search of a photographer, AND
found them everywhere, but, folks
I'll have to again disappoint you
1 Their shops were all closed tighter
4 than drum.
i "Tm the unluckiest cuss that ever
4 walked on two props. First, my hail
is shaved off, and I'm not a fit sub
i iect for a pose. Next, / get into q
4 string of towns where photographs
4 is practically unheard of, and to tor
off nv hard luck, I get into a city
i where they are as plentiful as hles III
4 summertime, and all their shops are
4 closed. Believe, though, that l viii
4 soon be located where / can have the
4 desired picture taken.
"My next move was to visit mu
scum that adjoins the cathedral
4 Most of it's contents consist OF ole
4 paintings, antique furniture, includ
ing Napoleon's bed, and few pieces
4 of statuary My poor knowledge o.
4 French and arts prevented my enjoy
A Ling the museum as should have Tx
Al ed to. When Barnum Bailey
Shows toured Europe, one: OF thell
Il elephants went mad on boulevard a
Il Tours and had to be shot. 1t was pre-
Il scented to the above museum, wa
Il stuffed.
II well, the next visit was to French
u vaudeville. / was sure out OF luci
n where the songs and speaking part
4 were concerned, but the orchestra wa
"A A No. 1, and the music was catchy
81 It was a pretty, but dinky little thea
III ire. and the bill was about half Q
q what is usually put on at Keiths. Nj
q seat cost 2 fr., but the prices range
II from 1 fir. to 20 frs, the latte
81 amounting to about $3.50. Imagin
II that to see vaudeville show.
81 tss.45 o. m.--Just saw a movie her
! 9U,lo ~ rar E1.ov