Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-07-24
Had Safe Journey Over and Gives
a Good Description of What He
Has Seen Of the Country.
GREETED MOST FRIENDLY
BY THE FRENCH PEOPLE
Everyone Over There Has All Hope
and Confidence i'm the American
Army. Thinks Short Time
:. it Will be Over

NOW LLle ScSiiS las CHuASSu anu al
| can say is that we are here and
thankful for safe journey so far.
wish to state before start writing
any more that if Miss Goddess of
Liberty wishes to look at me again,
she will have toSabout face and look
the othe. way.
On the boat we were used well and
had the different kind of amusements
that the boats usually afford. 1t
didn't take very long until we sight
ed land and unloaded and after rest
ing up we were in good shape again.
This was our first camp "over hece"
and Il was a great deal different than
we have been used to. On May IL, as
we expected, We boarded train for
a trip to somewhere else'' in F:ancs.
The train we rode on was quite
different from our Twentieth Gem
tu-y Limited" 1t was third class or
Stock train, but the cars were fairly
clean and were equipped with seating
capacity sufficient for thirty OF forty
men according to size of car. The
first thing you notice on these cars
is sign painted on the side reading
"S chevaux o. 40 hommes." We
being "hommes," as l soon found out
were loaded accordingly, and some
wished we were "cheveaux' so we
would have more room. Everything
went alright until night when we
we had to find place to sleep. II you
evec went to the fair in one Of those
carry all cars you can realize the
room one would have for sleeping
quarters. 1 never believed this when
read the book over the Top" but
| found out it is true.
I never had any idea of the beau
ties of the country and this trip will
be one to remember. 1t was like
great park with we'll trimmed trees
and bushes, the hedge everywhere
covered with flowers, bushes and
vines. Here and there was an old
white-walled chateau" with itschin-
neys at each end and spacious clear
ing in front. Further on we would
come on to small he.ds of cows or
goats generally watched by a, small
Girl or an old lady sitting by tree,
reading or knitting while the flock
would Craze on some nearby slope.
Very often while riding along we
would come on to a two-wheeled cart
drawn by a peculiarly harnessed TAT
horse and driven by an old man
wearing a broad brimmed felt nat
and wooden shoes. Whenever We. pull
led up at town for short stop and
stretch we were greeted in friend
ly manner, but there was never any
of the noise or wild enthusiasm such
as greet troops in the states. You
must understan that the French are
"a quiet and sincere people and not
the kind thnt we had expected to Z
find. After we had passed through
several of these little towns and
noticed the streams running through
valleys and smoke drifted lazily out
of the white chimneys through the
elm trees, and the people strolling
leisurely along the quiet streets,
hearing the mellow tones OF the
chimes from old cathedrals, we for
got all about war being within the
boarders of the county in which we
were travelling.
On the depot platforms old men
and girls sold us oranges and wal
nuts. oranges selling at so centimes
or 10 cents and walnuts for one franc
a half peck.
At one place we were served conee
by French soldiers and at another we
we're greeted by real American
women who served us cocoa which
was very good. Az several places we
would get off and mingle Win
French soldiers, giving them cigar
cites and letting them examine our
guns. clothing and equipment. We
finally came to camp and there was
great deal of speculation as to
where we would so and what our
future wo;k would be.
After sleeping ON our straw oster-
moor's that night we got up fairly
rested and got down to real work
again.
I<want to end this by saying that
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