The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-01
80, G. smith Writes Interesting
,a.;on Of Life in an Ameri-
can Army Camp in
france.
buR HELP TURNS TIDE
H., streaming Eyes and Glad Ae-
claim, the French People Show !,
every sign Of Appre-
citation OF Us.

,o.nt Frederic q. Smltn, lui
ss PEI, citv editor Of The Gate CITY
peliy ow clerk in the headquarters
no ~" .,sth ammunition train, IN
.ae writes the following mos'
Iano ost,ng letter to w. J. Fulton.
nle A iss NJ the Keokuk chapter Oh
he Sons Of the American He'olu'
ion. III, 10 interested in
,owing something of the eAPell'
h non of the representatives OF Lex.
a nv, chapter in this country OF
l es.ratte and as / have a little Tune
s;s morning. will start the letter at
east. 80 -. 20 France.
quaint old village cuddled IN the
!, .; some motherly old mountains
sunday afternoon, after trip across
he country in box car-none OF
he kind you have read about IN "oi'
han Halls "Kitchener's MOD, which
labeled to hold Hommes 40, Che
.m 3 They compromised with us
nd only out thirty-five in the car.
was all right in the daytime, out
bit crowded at night. naturally.
We rode through some OF the pref
iest parts OF France, but everywhere
Fere marks of the war. At every
(tation we saw soldiers on their way
o the front, or wounded soldiers
home on leave, or German prisoners
Only Old Men and Women.
In the fields only old men and
komen were visible. The stronger
women are evidently in the NUM-
lions plants, and the men, OF course,
IRE in the trenches. The tells arc
hot as intensively cultivated as one
would expect from a study OF Euro
bean economics, but the people know
The meaning Of the word as 1T APP
plies to small gardens ard truck
patches. They were everywhere
blong the way. And still they found
room for a bit Of color, IS every
front yard had its flowci garden
| The village in which we are bill
eted is most picturesque. 1t is built
pn the banks OF a stream which
flows along at the foot of high
bluffs on which the buildings arc
perched. We are quartered in big
boom in an old school, and quite as
comfortable as one could expect I'M
per the circumstances. From the para
pets around the building we can look
put on mountains and what seems
10 be very fertile and well cult
fated plain. They use oxen here
quite as much as horses, and the
fnimals are shod, something unusual
70 our eyes. Herds Of goats run
Through the streets with old women
|or children driving thems and the
children seem to take as good care
pr the cows as the kids at home
}lsed to do in the days when the COW
pastures were used out beyond Rand
park.
The Picturesque Town.
The streets are narrow, and the
buildings are Of stone, with tile
Poofs. Many Of them are succeed
ana some have had several coatings
~ cement. Age is spelled in every
ftone and tile, but nevertheless one
Eouid not ask for anything more pic.
furesque.
Across the river is big chateau
|Wnere the authorities have their
quarters. Our regimental headquar
ers are in big, old house, and we
nave quite an admiring throng OF
youngsters around the open win
lows Incidentally, we are picking
kl considerable French with their
Up and they are getting wise to
Pur English.
mere is the greatest friendship
esnown between the Americans and
kne french people everywhere. and
Pie tine.
Honored With Flowers.
we We're given quite a reception
nuay night as we walked up the
No. nrs 10 billets, and some of the
bstan folks robbed their gardens OF
~ 49, and dahlias, that we might
I.ar bit of color in our service
lhey were much Interested natur
4 III our supper, which we ate in
\ boH sio'e across from the mayors
|cusi se, Our mess-kits were quite q
-u.iosity, | judged.
~ me top of the hill we met q
CHI nREN MEET II