The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1918-12-26
HOW FRENCH TOOK THE
NEWS
Citizens Went Wild When Peace
News Came-Touching Tale
of a Bereft Mother.

Hiram Katz, Of this city, has re
ceived the following letter from hi
nephew, who enlisted from Ohio:
Nov. 15-First Of all, I'll confess
The Fighting Engineers" to which
belong, never got a chance to fight
Nevertheless, ! can still hearth,
agree with Sherman's apostrophe Of
war. Yet TO us belongs some of the
glory. We have hungered, toiled tC
exhaustion in mud and water and pour
ing rain, fought chills and Spanish in
fiuenza and pneumonia, until we long
ed for the front as the tired business
man, seated at his desk, longs for the
front seat at Revue. Under the cir
cumstances, the thing that made the
greatest impression on me since COM
ing to France, outside Of my own woe,
was the way in which the French re-
ceived the declaration of peace, and it
is Of this | will write you.
Ny impression of the French people,
formed during the time | had been
here while the war was on, was un-
French in its aspect. They were not
the vivacious, care-free Bohemians /
had supposed them. On the contrary,
they were hardworking, plodding,
somber. Only once or twice had
ever heard one laugh or speak with
raised voice. The children were so
quiet that they were hardly to be seen
conspicuous by their absence, after
coming from the noisy, happy chill
dren at home. But since peace has
difference!
The whistles began to blow at about
IL o'clock. All French civilians work
ing in our camp dropped their tools
where they were and started for town,
and laughing. We in the Of
fee ran outdoors and stood around in
excited groups, shouting to make our
voices heard above the din, running
back into the offices again from time
TO time to make sure no officer was J
around. Little chance! The officers
were too busy dancing and celebrating
on their own account to worry about
us. The officer under whom. | work
came up and told me TO take a holt
day. put on my hat and started for
town, following the boulevard along
the bay.
From the town came continuous
shouting, as if from great and ex
citing ball game. The people | began
10 pass were all smiles, dressed in
their best, usually, or in some way
10 call attention to their attire. All of
hem shouted cheerfully to me and to
everybody else they passed; each
'emed bent on making greater noise
han his neighbor. An increasing up
oar, showing and pushing, noise that
seemed to engulf me, the whole world
opsy-turvy and apparently gone mad,
md was in town. Down the streets
vent bands of men, women, children,
american sailors and soldiers ming
ing as brothers with French sailors
md soldiers, some merely marching
md shouting to the music of a trum-
Jet or bugle and drum or two, some
inging the Marseillais, always pitched
90 high. A party would lock arms,
nd, extending over half the street,
tempt TO walk along, raising no OBJ
ections to the fact they were jostled :
part continuously. Flags flew on \
very side, strings of them were ,
tretched across the streets, Almost :
veryone carried one or had them :
inned to hats or clothes. Along came =
rass and military bands, in full swing !,
nd playing their loudest. Auto trucks ;,
-owded to overlooking pushed their :
ow way up and down. Fire crackers .
Sploded right and left | turned into :,
lie square. The carnival that had been :
inning there was closed, for the :,
'owd was too great even for car =
val. Everyone was walking, not to .,
It to any destination, but just walk >;
z. Evidences that they were par If
king freely of ala win" began to a.
low themselves. A drum corps came :,
arching by making furious racket. N
ne drummers were old, white-haired ..
en-. Their drums were tin pans.
iris stopped to salute friends and
alike with kisses, one to
ch cheek. A French sailor came h,
ong, driving a doughboy as horse, H
it'll piece of bunting serving as 81
ms. Raised above the level of heads X
old woman was making a speech he
r gray hair flying, her face red and
storted, her hands clutching as she =
viled the beaten Boches. Here
AN was in the commissions of an cpl
ptic fit, screaming, tearing, biting, hi