The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-12-04
AI.LARD GRAVES
WRITES HOME

w I'LL Eli9 HUM T.
Vividly Describes the Joyous Scenes
When the Arnistice Was Signed
Nj. and Mrs. H. A. Graves have re-
ceived the following interesting. letter
from their son, Allard NJ. Graves,
written the day after the armistice
was signed:
Tuesday Night.
11-12-lS.
My dearest Folks:
We are not very busy tonight SO
have taken the opportunity to write
few letters. | wrote you last
night SO have not much news to
write except what transpired in town
this afternoon. Bake and | went in
and would not have missed the sight
for lot. | had date with the
dentist bud when l got there he was
out and his place locked up. I am
unable to describe the scene that l
witnessed this afternoon, one has to
view it in order to rcalize. what was
happening.
France is wild, crazy, intoxicated
and everything that goes to make up
4 delirious celebration. Ilnever saw
anything like it and never expect to
again. Yesterday from our camp
here we heard what we called some
celebration but today when we got
in town it was even a surprise to US.
Flags of all the Allies and the United
States were flying, band concert on
the balcony of the "Y", all stores and
shops closed, the only things that
were open were the cafes and they
were wide open. The Americans
were receiving their share also, ev-
erywhere any Americans went they
were swamped with confetti and
sometimes when there were several
going down a street together many
French people with joined hands
would rush around them and keep
them in the ring until they broke
thru, hang onto them, hug them and
kiss them, in fact everyone is hugging,
each otheg, kissing, drinking, crying,
promenading, dancing, singing, shout
ing and cheering, really / never saw
anything ike it in the world, they
are just plain crazy with JOY. Every
where you hear the. cries: 'Yive Ia
France, V:vc PAiiTeiitfsle. ard Fini la
GuerTe' There is just an unor-
.garized mob, it is nearly impossible
to get thru some of the streets there
is such Il mob. Many parades made
up of perhaps 80 to so people, flying
the tri-color, sometimes there are the
American, British or Belgian or 1tal-
ian flags also, singing, dancing and
shouting, sometimes even weeping
with joy | guess that you probably
think that this is rather. a weird de
scliption Iuts.I eanlat.sdeseIibe it fdnz
entity Tor It is lndeSlEi "a tle e -nfIelfy.
Now as tc,what befeli Bake and /.
After we found that the dentist Was
out we just stood on the curb and
listened TO the band concert for
awhile It was fine and they had.;i
fine program, some dandy real Amer
lean pieces, they played the Marseil-
l,aise also and when they got thru you
ought to iiave heard the cheering, it
was deafening for the. whole square
was just crowded full Of people and
the square is as long, as from the
Armory to the further end of the
Academy and as wide as the distance
from the Globe to the Station. Ev-
eryonc was out that lives in the whole
city l guess. everything is closed up
tight. After we had listened to the
band we started for home and had
only got little ways when we met
our friends, the Madame, cousin and
two other ladies. They wanted us
to promenade with them so we de-
ferred our return to camp for about
an hour and a half and helped them
celebrate and we sure had a wonder
full time. 1t was piles of fun to go
down the street singing and dancing.
There ere a lot of happy people
in this city today, in fact, everyone
seems so; many are even weeping
with joy Such a sight | never be-
fore saw and never expect to again.
1t is certainly sight worth travel
ing long WAYS to witness.
Guess that I'll ring off for tonight
for I've :old you about all there is
to tell. 1t would be fine to have a
picture of that mob. When you stop
and consider what France has been
thru these past four years it is no
wonder that they are crazy.
Must close for tonight, will write
YOU again tomorrow providing | get
the time. Hope you are all well and
everything going along smoothly, as
II imagine it is.
Live tn Won all