Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-20
Refugees in a Paris Freight Yard
BY John Langdon Jones

(Ertrnct from letter .oritten BY John
LaH0don Jones, Of Rorborough. Mr. Jones
tcds a district superintendent Of the Soci.
ETY. for OrDanfstn0 Charity until a year
ago, tohen he Joined one OF the Friends
reco~strUctton units IN France. This letter
describes hts experience at a Red Cross
cdnteen. In another part Of the same let.
ter M. Jones ,crites that he has enlisted
In the United States armyJ
TINE neighborhood was not particular
i ly pleasing. My first acquaintance
with ii was at night. The Seine rolled oy
ugly and dark. and a drizzling rain fell on
the black streets. The sidewalks were un-
even. and now and then a certain amount OF
water gave place to my foot with great noel
ity to the law that no two bodies can occupy
The same space at the same time. Occasion
ally a misty light from a convivial barroom
fell on the shiny pavement, but II helped very
little for the blackness seemed to choke II.
Before going / learned that In former days
"apaches' frequented the quarter and that
robberies and murders were common happen
ings Perhaps The war had absorbed such
men for they were supposed to be less In
evidence now. l saw no Viiainy lurking
about; to tell the truth. really did not ex-
pect to be held up.
Ave minutes walk down this dark street
brought me to a gate that opened in upon a
freight yard. Any place can remind US OF
another, either because II resembles that
other spot or because IT 10 so strikingiy az
ferent. This yard, with its tracks and cars,
its sheds and It's piles Of freight. made me
think Of the yards Of the Reading Railroad
at Thirteenth and Callowhill streets There
was a real resemblance. and here was the
care dIvry that was receiving refugees as
they came through.
Ty1E American Red Cross had taken part
i of a shed for its purposes. In one corner
was a kitchen. and just outside fenced-oh
1op0 n hlaax xvi,h he W
put Inclosed in this space we're some food and
clothing the clothing to be used for eIner-
gency relief. Indeed, in addition to myself
The only other things American were. appar-
canned meat.
The refugees arrived by camion, registered
and crossed the yard to the canteen. They
put down their unsightly bundles and took
their places at the tables. We BROUGHT them
coffee, chocolate, bread and meat. They took
It all with avidity. and am sure that knives,
forks and spoons would have been wasted
service. The arriving groups were small
enough to be handled comfortably, and after
they had their refreshment policeman took
them to their beds. The refugees were
mostly women and children-women with
swollen bundles and baskets too. packed to
the limit; and In them were the things these
housewives had saved, the most precious Gas
they saw iO of their effects. Some had come
from Amiens. Montdidier and towns In that
reGion not few OF these people being obliged
to walk long distances There was one woman
whose children became frightened at the time
of the bomba rdment and run away. Perhaps
they were In another part Of the town At
any rate, they disappeared but thu woman
saved her dog l will say that II kept a re-
spectacle silence during the night 1t spent In
Paris.
The bedroom was the upper floor Of the
shed. Sixteen persons had already settled for
the night when l arrived, and as the groups
finished their supper they went upstairs. For
beds they had mattresses and blankets.
saw that sufficient beds were placed and
when ! returned to the first floor an officer
| told me where could nnd a bed. 1t was
| nice Of him /; he thought was q refugee!
I THE night wore on wearily Some women
| i passed. pushing their rumbling hand
| trucks. and disappeared once or twice a
| solitary turbaned Arab or Algerian went BY
| singing an Oriental air that belonged more
| to the vast hall Of Allah than to q freight
| yard In Paris.
/ Engine whistles shrieked during the night
/ and were almost as insistent as those that
i complained when Aida" vas sung in the
| open air at the University Of Pennsylvanis
| few years ago. The last Of the refugees
came about midnight. They had their bite
| to est and went upstairs. A chilly dsmpness
| hung around the place. and I found the
| warmth Of the kitchen more agreeabls than
l the fnhospitspls out Of doors. liptsnsA fos
. while 10 the snAcsr 20 he tol4 stories a The
crimes Of the "apachss" ana then st}oliol
shout y Dbss away ~ 1ilnA AbeG1 3 o'el0eh
i Z - enD e eheeo1o1n ~ se<1o11 ~ r.