The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1918-03-16


tralians Such is life in the army. and
IHw of us will forget VERSION that
night of pueihs, the deck, trying TO
keep from completely freezing, the
danger that kept all on the qui vive.
tn, hollow feeling that everyone had
be- 'e finally getting something to eat
af landing, the Ii felt WV
daN n finally came, - way "
r.1ed into the dinner e .ared for
~ at the camp to mich !c~-
taken on our arril in Fra ace. An
maybe the baths weren't appreciated.
too, and the few days rest We had be-
fore going forward. They treated our
GROVE fine there. and I'll always have
warm spot in my heart for the place.
They Explore Chateau.
Late the next night we came to an
other halting place. and this time we
were put into big old refrigerator Of
a chateau and slept on bare army cots
with overcoats for coverings the first
night, for it was just impossible for
them to do any better for us, hut next
day we We're given billets and spent
the rest of the time in the town more
comfortably. That chateau was II
wonderful place for us greenhorns from
the new world and we went through It
from "kiver to kiver," of course under
the watchful eye of female guide who
couldn't say anything intellgible ex-
cept "un franc" when she took up the
tickets. 1t is one of the largest In
France, and "A place of interest to
tourists all over the world, so We were
lucky to see 1t. Part of it was built
along about the 18th century by an old
Louis somebody, another part by Henry
and another by Charles, and so on. so
by the time they all got a chance at it
1t was some sizeable place. 1t used to
he jam full of relics of all sorts and
wonderful furniture and paintings and
tapestries. but these We're all yanked
out at the time of the revolution and
now it is as bare as cellar and 1t
also feels like one, for I don't suppose
there has been a fire in one of the great
fire places for centuries. We explored
the various secret chambers and trap
doors and sliding panels, the throne
room where more than one king has
held court the guest chamber where
one famous member (female at that of
a royal family used to dispose of GER
tain OIL ner more AMBITIOUS anu pOllIl-
cally aspiring friends by the simple
expedient of knocking them in the head
or poisoning them and then sliding
them down a chute into a very famous
river; the high walls. the old moat, and
many other things of interest about
the place. It's dollars to doughnuts
that when they used to pull! off those
big shindigs and hold their high and
mighty sway those old boys never
tsiought that in this day ana age of
the world those halls would ever be
echoing to the tread of hobnailed
American boots, in which said boots
walked numerous and sundry denizens
of then unknown and unheard OF
world come to straighten out the
tangle into which the old world had
gotten itself We are nicely
fixed now, with billets around town
and mess of our own, where they
surely to put up plenty of good whole
some food My work is interesting as
well as instructive, and | know that
am going to like it and 7 hope l make
good at it. Will some day tell YOU the
character of it, but cant just now.
A Would Like to See Examiner.
81 manage to keep pretty well up on
outside events though. by reading the
various stuff get hold of. Would like
to get hold OF an Examiner today and
see what is going on in the old town.
Maybe Ward is forwarding mine. but
I'm afraid not. Still. ! haven't got a
scrap of mail since / reached France,
so don't know what is in store for me,
but l certainly do hope that / have a
whole mail sack full waiting for me
somewhere.
"The Office I work in happens to
pull off all public ceremonies and re-
views, etc, and yesterday / saw a sight
which was very interesting to me,
never having seen anything like it be-
fore except in the movies. 1t was
ceremony for the presentation of the
decoration of the Legion OF Honor.
There was the usual band and the SOL
diers all spick and span lined up In a
formation like hollow square. Then
the three officers who were to receive
the decoration came out before the
lieutenant colonel who did the stunt,
the bugles blew. he made his little
speech. kissed the man on both cheeks,
tapped him gracefully on each shoul-
der, said something else. and then the
bugles blew again and he repated the
ceremony for the other men. Last Sun
day they had mass out there and II
seemed to me there were thousands Of
American soldiers lined up out there
for the occasion. The band was there
Of course and 1t was a great sight for
me. We have lots of band concerts, and
of course that suits me fine. I always
long for my old tooter when l hear
those baritones, and wish that / was
playing again.
Well, this letter has heightened out
into the proportions of young vol
ume, and I'm almost ashamed of my
self for taking up your time with it, but
/ felt rather In a letter writing mood
today, a mood ! have almost forgotten
I ever had II you don't mind you
might pass this on to someone who
would be interested in Ii, for i cant do
much writing, as you may imagine, al
though that doesn't mean that I've lost
any of my interest In doings and people
back there, for I never shall do that.
| hope that Ron was able to get into
something he wanted. I remember he
was negotiating for the dental reserve
when left. and ! certainly do hope ne
lands Would like very much to hear