Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-05-02

work at our regular work and get some
thing really worthwhile accomplished.
All of the men are ANXIOUS TO get 10
their various trades, and | think tnat
once we get to permanent abode wont
have quite so much to do. For the past
week / have had all and more than !
could attend to and the prospect OF
another ride on one OF these dinky little
French trains, while they are not so
very comfortable, means a slight cessa-
ton of the arduous duties.
Last Saturday we took the whole COM
pany through the old chateau IN the
town, at cost of ten centimeS each, or
two cents in our own money. Luckily
for us we have several men who speak
French quite fluently, so that we could
get the full history of the place. The
chateau was first built in 1900, and each
succeeding king added portion, until
now il forms a great massive building
with an interior court two hundred feet
square. All around the outside are the
most hideous gargoyles and figures
you can imagine, and, since they are
carved from some native soft stone,
the storms and rains of the centuries
have in many cases almost destroyed
the original forms. Where they have
been so badly defaced they have been
removed and replaced with reproduc-
tons.
am sorry that am not allowed to
give you the history of the place, but
the actual history would locate the town
we are in as surely as giving you the
IS - |
those old kings and queens must have
liked to look at their coatS-of-arms, for
room after room was hung with tapes
tries bearing their crests, and of course
each ruler put only his own. You never
saw such wonderful decorations remain.
Then there were the secret Stairways
and hidden panels in the walls and the
dungeons, and even the hole in the
floor Of one of the cells through which
they could drop their enemies into the
river hundred feet under the chateau.
Once you dropped there was no come
back-you were done for. Then there
were several beautiful chapels scat
tered around. suppose the king would
have some nice piece Of work in the
murder line done and then retire to
his private little chapel and say his
prayers. Some of the stained glass
windows were beautiful, and of course
they were all reproductions, with an &C.
casional original small window still
remaining.
Finally in one corner of the chateau
were two massive stone towers, with no
windows except very near the top, and
those very small. This was sort OF
court of last resort, and when their
was any danger close the old kings
would gather up their valuables and
families and hike it up into those
towers, and since that was before the
days of heavy artillery they were pretty
safe from attack. guess they built
the towers first. OF course there is a
secret underground passage to them
but they didn't take us through it.
To tell the truth, after having basked
so thoroughly in the bloody history OF
the chateau, wouldn't have been par
ticular about going underground.
Right through the town there is a
river of fair size, and along one side
there is wall about forty feet high,
which ends right in the water. 1t is a
sight to see the French folks sitting
on that wall fishing. Young and old
take hand at it, and once in a while
they catch some fair-sized fish.
was down town to dinner yesterday
having been down to the hospital to see
one of our men who broke his wriS,
playing ball, and since it was just noon
decided to make a stab ar getting
something to eat. dropped into q
small restaurant, which said on the
door English spoke" and from ther
on the fun started. The "Englist
Spoke" was about like my French, anc
that is poor, can assure you. But
between my French, the walters Eng.
lish and my little red vocabulary,
managed TO get and surround gooc
beefsteak, French fried potatoes Roc
quefort cheese, pear marmalade, coffee
butter and war bread. When | say
war bread, just shut your eyes anc
remember the best bread you ever ate
in your life, and add one to it, and yor
will have the French war bread. Ii is
simply delicious, and you can eat it al
most like cake. Well, had all | coulc
eat of everything, and when the bill
came nearly fainted-3 francs so, OF
70 cents in our money. And yet we
blame high prices on the war over in
America, where there is hardly a no.
ticeable scarcity, and over here in the
thick of il you can get thing for about
third what it is in the States.
What will they blame it on when the
war is over? Someone will find q
plausible excuse, III venture.
II just came to me the other day
what wonderful opportunity we young
fellows are having. In my most SAN
guine dreams | never figured a trip to
Europe, for many reasons, nor had
any idea that anything could be SC
interesting, both from an educational
and pleasure standpoint. And here we
are being given free tour by Uncle
Sam-yeS, free, and more, he even
pays us to come over. Sure there are
many diScomfortS, but so far we have
seen no real hardships yet, unless you
could call corned beef hardship, and
|, for one, am treasuring up a store oil
experiences that for many years to
come will be a great JOY TO me, even
after my friends tire of, "Why, when
was in France" or when we came
through England" Just think of the
grand opportunity some of the fellows
have to make on the girls back home
What stirring tales of hardships suf.
fered, victories won, heroic rescues and
the like Already some of our fellows
are using that sort of thing, | know
One letter know of, told how the
only thing that the writer objected &c
was that he could not sleep for the
whistling Of shells and bursting oil
bombs around the barracks. He has
undoubtedly created a new smile, fol
who before has ever compared the
the shores Of sleeping soldiers to the
swish Of she'll? I'll grant him, the
shores of hundred-odd men are dis.
concerning, TO say the least, and the
trick is to start to snore before any
one else and you wont be bothered
Anyway, We will have 10 hand il tc
him for graSping such a good opportu
nifty to be brave for the sake of his
girl. She probably holds her breath
n,tchav tn he - L