Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-20
YANKEE TRAINS IN FRANCE
Quite Different From the unassuming
French Affair.


When a French train signals. with il
queer squeak whistle. that II is abou
TO mosey into q station. the depot at
tendants pass politely among rh'
townspeople and ask II they would b
SO good as TO get of the rails. so thai
the train might approach. The towns
people are there for visiting purposes
They visit with the engineer, hremeh
conductors and other train officials
They visit too with the passengers
many Of whom alight for a promenade
even for a glass OF wine at the estaH''
met across the street from the station
The baggage men have great nun
Each uackage they hand out 70 the
s,a,ion attendants has a little history
such Il comical history. too. Ihe all
h,zzcs with chatter and is thrashed
with gcsticulations. Everybody u
shaking hands. Eventually the tram
departs
No, so with the \. r. +. Spcciai
which has just carried me across
France, BOSS. you is on the only =
legged train in France" said the bIacK
porter- private TO me. while we were
Ov;ry ON our way II was true.
couplc OF miles from station
our gigantic Yank would let out
connie. Of mad roars. The depot would
L.. deserted when We got there ana
could imagine the populacc having
,,krn TO the air raid shelters. Moth
ing like such audacity in trains mas
ever been known in France.
The American f. +. Special is called
"A,taboy Special" by our army IN
France. after the chief OF our trans
por,ation who was formally General
Manager w. w. Attcrbcrry. OF the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad. II was our
only all-Amcrican passenger Tram III
France. OF course. we have troop ana
freight trains on irregular schedules
moving all over France. but these
usually have crews wholly or partI!
French.
The "Attaboy Special Is not troop
train. It's passengers are mostly OIL
nrpES
HEADQUARTERS and our various impor =
tant bases abong our lines OF commn-
nications. this whole area now pelhs
called the s. o. S.-scrvicc OF supply
At the wayside station where ! was
IN take the "Attaboy Special. wen'
70 the French ticket office and asked
for n ticket. All. the ticket man coulu
cell no billets on the American spe-
cial II was not public train. would
please see the American X. I. o.
Railway transportation for oihcers
| saw him. He had no tickets. lie
asked to see my papers. l had IN!
American white pass and G. IL. q
latter 10 commanding officers TO grant
me full facilities. 81 will make n res
ervation for you." he said promptly
oThc train is due at. II will be mere
then"
II was there. The time was at niGh'
q stormy night. too. 4 corporal led me
to the captain n-conductor VINO was
calling n roll OF passengers bound for
points west, rs telegraphed TO him UT
tho line. There were four majors a
! couple dozen captains and lieutenants
Nond quite a few privates on specia'
duty to get aboard. MY name was
hailed. -,
I was to share Il compartment with
n major. I thanked the captain-con-
ductor and was conscious of someone
taking my suit case out OF my hahu
We moving, "Come right dis way san.
Z Ne WIS is black as night
He led the major and me to one oil
the first-class compartments (for this
American locomotive was pulling
French passenger Carriages" as they
call them). He helped US up the steps
brought in our baggage and turned on
the dim light.
This light makes your khaki uni
form look blue" said to him. You
look more like pullman porter 70 me
than q soldier"
"Well, boss, l guess it's the way
acts, too" he grinned. Il am pull
man porter. temporarily on duty mere
Won see, sab. Yes. am an old PENN
az huffman porter. put in three years
on that crack Congressional limit be-
tween New York and Washington
Yes sab. Oh. yes. Gen. Atterberry
and me done been on the old fennss
for years.
Now theys n war on. but theys no
re,sop why YOU gen'mcn shouldn't ne
warm and comfortable. l brought you
, connie of army blankets and pill
low, but If you think you want an!
noah, just tell me. All satistac'r!
Good night. sab. Goodnight sah'
Nv this time we were bounding
over the rails intended for more Sc
date travelling. The major had made
several trips on the special and anx-
iously watched him. | wondered II II
was n real American train, wher'
noople undressed and got In their pa
iomas II was even n cleah
Mace TO wash. something strange ana
uncommon over there. It was a warm
night, stormy, and we sat up In paoa-
mas and had good chat petore
urn ,.onn,np I'M in our u. s. A. blankets
and turned out the light.
Those sonorous snorts Of our mo-
xue engine. the regular chckety-clicK
Of our speedy passage over the rails
this WAS a mothers lullaby to me-
Stretched out sideways on the car
rige seat / slept better than l wonio
have slept on a French feather peu-
clickety- -click-I was on the Caiiior-
MIA limited going down from Ch'caso
to visit my folks In Kansas Ci'E'
Clickity click-I was rushing up from
Texas to catch the boat for hospita-
BILE old England. Clickity- Click
was sleeping.
In the morning. when we were
dressed and shaved. the porter-privat'
with his aureole of good nature ap