The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-26
WRITES OF VISITS
IN HISTORIC FRANCE
Lieut. Charles E. Akeley of Military Pc
lice Billeted in French Home
War Is No Picnic.

| Mrs. j. NJ. Alger of 80 Reed street
has received the following letter under
the date of Jan. 81 from Lieut.. Charles
r. Akley, military police, or the Goth
division, [. S. A., in France:
My dear Mrs. Alger:
received your welcome letter Jan.
-. \ letter is very cheering to US all,
! lett Wcstteld Oct and arrived in
England Oct -. | was left back with
our freight while the troops went
ahead. IAis gave me three weeks in
which to see England. Five hours of
TINS spent in London. The fall wealth
CIR was quite warm, the grass green,
with many flowers still in bloom and
much ploughing being done The eff
! terts OF the three and onc-half years
| war was very noticeable. arrived in
rance Nov. II. Was one week getting
our freight off the boat on to the ears
and then four days in reaching our
destination ] am billeted in a nice
French home, living about the same as
at home The husband of the house
Is captain in the French artillery
stationed i'll the southern part of
France. The lady of the house has a
little niece living with her They
speak no English but very good French.
am getting SO that / can talk quite
freely with them. NV office is lust
across the street from my room | am
Just as busy as you saw ME in West.
hcld. | have to 90 about five miles for
tatlous, eight miles for wood and some
time 10 miles for forage. | have three
autos, two motorcycles and four four
horsa wagons at my disposal all the
time. We are living Just as well as
YOU at home. There is but little sick
ness among the military police. | had
q bad cold when ] first reached France
but IN two days had il under control.
In December we aad about six inches
OF SHOW and some zero weather. Fy-
cryonc is clothed warmly. The town in
(which -wP. are Biing,is abont the size
'Of LcGnrnster. II = very Historical
section. have visited the birthplace
of Jeanne Il Are and some OF the his
toreal places connected with her child
hood. Last Sunday | took a very in
tcresting trip in ny auto with four 9th,
or officers. We visited an old Roman
bridge built about 1000 years AGO.
when Caesar made his attack on Eng.
land. About two miles from the old
bridge are the remains of an old Roman
city, 1t is situated on top of a nigh
mountain, ON a plateau about half
mile IN diameter, surrounded by a high
wall Of extensive mason work. Tnn-
Hci- are built through this. wall run
ming parallel with the face and il has
outlets or lookouts about every 20 feet.
The top of the plateau is full of old
tumbled down cellar holes. In the cen
ter OF the plateau is a monument erect
ell IN honor OF Caesar in memory Of his
war with the Gauls. In more recent
years there has been carved the dates
l63i-l6i2-l645. The dates mark the
close Of the 80 years war when France
took Alsacc and Lorraine. The five or
Fix hundred years since it has been oc-
cupied have caused much of the wall
work TO tumble down and tho entire
plateau is q dense forest.
Marscna and Eugene joined Us this
week. Erwin is about 200 miles away.
Nc are to move 70 the front in about
week, then Erwin will join US. Angie
can give YOU lots of information. BE
sure and write often. War is no picnic.
Wcstticld much the better.
Goodbr,
CHARLES