Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-10-11
Vivid Word Picture of Port of De-
barkation for American
Troops.
HUMAN Side IS DESCRIBED
Miracles Worked Here in Year by
American Enerey-Mystery Sur
rounds Flight and Return of
Allied Sea Craft.
BY GERTRUDE LYNCH.

A French POrt.-This Is not only a
port of debarkation for our troops. II
Is a port where many men are perma-
nently stationed In various military
and naval duties. 1t is a center OF
awaiting and seaplane stations, for
welfare and hospital activities. Dock
work is done by labor battalioDs, num-
bering many men. Here the shore
days of men of the patrol and convoy
fleets are spent. How is this port TO
care for such an influx? American en-
ean energy does. Clnemas and vaude-
villes are plentiful, theater leased by
the Y. III. G. A providing the best en-
tertainment the town can boast.
The principal street is lined with
shops where Partisan products are CEN
sored to suit provincial tastes. To
these have been added a multiplicity
of goods TO tempt the keepsake and
souvenir wants of the strangers.
Along the streets that lead from the
gates to the suburbs are "baraques."
or covered pushcarts, extending for
mile or more, where gimcrackf are sold
to sailors, free with their E.oney and
not too well-endowed wit, the powers
VT selection.
Along the streets, the ever-varying,
never changing war processionl Off
GERS of the army and navy, marines,
English Tommies, men and women of
the Y. NJ. G. A., and the Red Cross,
cpnvalescents, casuals, Moroccans. Al
gsrians, Senegalese, sitting in rows
with noddIDg fezzes and flashing teeth.
peasants pom many provinces, each
with a sAstinctiye dress, fighters and
monks.
Oyes the sea wall Is always a curl
Gus crowd of onlookers. In less than
a year they have seen first few ship
loads, then more and still more, until
now the weekly debarkation of thou
sands causes little comment.
Let HelnIe Look Out
II ear the conversation of two, an
American soldier and a French Poilu
who lean over the wall and look down
to the landing places where a smart
naphtha launch is bringing to shore an
admiral and his staff The American
speaks:
Suppose the Heinies do get Paris,
what of that? If they get London,
what of that? Hope they don't, for I'd
like to see the old burgs before 1 go
back to the farm. but that won't make
any difference; so long as we have
foothold in the harbor, that's all we
ask. Let Heinie look out. Paris and
Loudon-they aren't the war. Not on
your tintype."
The French Poilu who understands
all the English but the tintype allu-
sion, looks amazed. then relieved. He
had the provincial idea that Paris and
london were the war.
over the seawall the observer looks
down on the harbor town. The way
leads by winding stairways of stone
and slanting roofs. From it rises the
tang of brine mingled with the odors
of warehouses, oil and naphtha-those
thousand and one smells that are as
much a part of the port as are storage
warehouses, docks and quays, basins
and breakwaters. Beyond. the eye
travels far to "the beauty and mystery
OF the ships and the magic of the sea-
Descend by one of these many
routes You find yourself overwhelmed
with dirt and confusions. Here thou
sands of negro steyedores work like
colony of big, black ants. There are
squads OF Ammannites and Portuguese.
Sailors oaths strike the ear. 1t is
babel of foreign sounds. Every inch of
this water front is covered with en-
ergy, docking. construction. loading
and unloading. transportation. repairs |
America has worked miracles here in
q year.
Inside and outside the breakwaters |