The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-09-04
Gloomy Ones Are Named for the
UnWeIcome Air Raid
Signal.
oPT|MIST IS A "BERLOQuE"
People Have Joyous Time While Wait
Ing in Subway Stations-crap
Game Holds Interest Of
tho Crowd.

Iars.-Two more words have been
added to that very growing dictionary
Of war words. In Paris these two
words have achieved a new signia.
canae. Pessimists are now known ~
"sirens" and optimists are ''berloques."
The significance is self-explanatory
to those who have experienced an air
raid in Paris. Many dread the screech.
ing, weird, bansheelike wall Of the
alarm giving siren more than the act-
ual danger from. the raiders, while the
''berloque," that lively little bugie
call telling that all danger is past
andsthat one may rest safely in ones
bed.is indeed friend welcome as any
opumIst. .9;I
A Paris bookkeeper who suddenly
left the city when the raids over the
capital became too frequent and went
to Nantes has been sued by his "eua.
ployer for $50 damage for leaving with.
out notice. The case, not the only
one of its kind in the French courts
today, is attracting attention.: 2s'"i
The bookkeeper's explanation was
that his nerves were upset by the
bombs and shells and that he thought
himself justified in getting out Of dan
ger. The court held that lombard
ment by airplanes and longrange
guns could not be considered a. sufi-
cient reason for the breach Of con.
tract and gave judgment for, the
amount named. :m,5 ;.SyY-
The darkened streets Of Paris have
caused many persons to roam around
town after returning from the theater
or a visit because Of the difficulty In
finding the streets and house numbers.
! .I~-npt to improve this cord'+'"" -
e Is made s299 ez placing lu@lnoa. y.
numbers traced in little buttonuke nul.
rors which reflect and magnify the
smallest glimmer of light on the houses
Of the city.
One would think upon descending to
one Of the large and centrally located
underground railway stations which
are used as shelters that a sofree was
in progress instead of an air. raid.
This is what the correspondent saw
one evening daring a raid when hs
was obliged to seek cover in one Of the
subway stations: --rsze.ssszz; L. 4. =
1n one corner violin, accompanied
by two guitars, was doling out tune
to which Squadron" Of youthful avi.
ators were waltzing around, their part
ners being group Of pretty danseuses
who had hurried1y left a neighborins
theater wearing their costumes, make.
up and all.
In another corner a group of Poilus,
loaded down with their trench equip.
ment, having been caught in the under
ground while on their way to the rail-
road depot and to the front, were sing.
ing "Madelon," their '.Tipperary," In
rather discordant tones. But 1t Wa
singing just the same.
Crap Game Holds Crowd.
An unusual feature Of this particu'
lar "sOiree" was genuine all-Amerf'
can crap game for keeps. It would
hardly be an exaggeration to say that
half Of the crowd in the station had
edged around the half dozen spare
American doughboys-three sf whom
were gentlemen Of color-to witness
this contest in bone throwing.
The colored gentlemen handled their
dice with deftness that was delight
fully reminiscent of somewhere In
Harlem" to say nothing ot their pro.
fciency in the vocabulary Of the game.
which Parisians have since learned
is very essential adjunct to any skin
at 1t.
Investigation Of casualties following
an air raid over the capital have
proved to the authorities that IL
greatest number Of Casualties are not
the result Of hjuries reeelved hu!A
the bombs Of - raiders, hut ef 0fS
flessness on IL part Of The vielL
Parfsians hays become to-. aeenqelsl.
ed to air rsids. Thsy seay ont e dsse11
tosses the bursting of. tn shells Aoa
the astiaircraft guns and others 5leay1
thair ahalfora ana ai1n hnunn nAneA -