The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-08-16
Row After Row Of Crosses in
Sleepy Village Symbolic
Spirit Of France.
n AMERICAN DEAD THERE
Woman Strewing Flowers Upon the
Graves Of Yankee Soldiers Mourns
the "Pauvres Garcons"-Amer.
lean Describes Visit to
Cemetery.

New York.-An American officer
with Pershing's army in France has
written in letter to his wife this
moving description Of visit to a
French cemetery:
Come with me, then, to this little |
village on the banks of the -, a |
sleepy little village nestled in the !
broad valley through which the river
flows. In ordinary times village of
a few thousand inhabitants, it is now
almost empty because most of the peo-
pie who could afford it have fed to
safer places, tasting for the second
time since 1914 the bitterness of the
war as 1t affects the peaceful civilian
1T is late afternoon, warm and sun
ny. We stroll down the main street
together past the old church. once
handsome structure but now badly
weather worn and almost in ruins.
Further on we pass the ruins of an
old Roman wall which marked the linn
its of the city in Caesars time. Our
footsteps turn us to the right into
little lane which leads out to the
country up the gentle slope and to-
ward the front. After passing under
the railroad bridge the lane branches
off abruptly to the right. 1t soon dis
appears through a stone gateway and
we find ourselves in the new Gene
terry, called new because the demands
of this terrible. four years struggle
have been so urgent that the old Gene
terry is overpOpulated. 1t was large
enough for the normal population OF
the village, but death has stalked often
| through the streets these last four
| wears and its victims must have room.
"A little gravel path, laid out with
mathematic straightness, runs through
the cemetery. First, there are Few
| civilian graves huddled together at the
near end as If they had been crowded
| to make room for the other tenants.
Then on the right row after row Vi
| graves of French soldiers marked by
huge wooden crosses, and for the most
part covered with those hideous bead
work floral pieces that the French USE
On seeing them, one understands no"
Jean Vatican recouped his fortunes
You remember the story, no doubt
There were graves of infantry, cavalry
and artillery, and once in whlle iha'
of an aviator, but wherever one goes
IT is always the infantry that pre-
dominates. Here is the grave Oh
Chinese worker, there that OF MO
hammedan, but all bear the weii-kho"l
phrase which means SO huch. hoi
pour la patrie!
Graves Of Americans.
"As I wandered along through no"
after row reading the names ana won
dering who their owners might nav
been / was startled to see on the olh
err side of the path a single 70" y
graves. at the head of each prili
little cross, different somewhat lron
those across the way and painted IL
khaki. Then ! knew who THESE ne"
corners were. There were - oi tilen
, each bearing a little rounn lden'ihe''
tion tag. instinctiyely reached up y
fool If mine was still around my heeh
, These 90. among the first 10 give VI
their all for the patries so far aeros
rho sea. were arranged in pe1ee
alignment like platoon IN urii''
couldn't help saying TO myself
[ ".Wel. when the Master Oh u
} creat Unknown commands heroe'
J. Attention to Muster" you all VIII ai
, swer here IT.
"They were plain little graves NJ.
eous almost in their newness anu ha'
. sod TO cover them. But hau 'iie
been forgotten? No, indeed lor .
zach lay a little bunch OF mowers ~
- there by the kind hands of the woilie
IF the village. These people are
sind so thoughtful. They, at leas
vill never forget. Even as l s'oo
.hsrs thinking about all these things
roman came up. very poor she SCENE ,
- no vet she carried huge oash'
. slled with flowers, which she careful,
distributed all along the row. .
anne up to me l heard her say
nos, 20 herself and thinking propao
i