Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-15
IOWA TROOPS CHARTERED IN
ANCIENT SLEEPY SECTION OF
FRANCE.
FORMER TOLEDO BOY
DETAILS EXPERIENCES
Battalion Sergeant Major John Ball
Finds Quaint People, Living as They
Did in tho Times Of Napoleon and
in Same BuiIdinss-lnterestins Com
parison Of French and British.

ter reporter and now on lne olS as
sjrnmcnt over in France, has writer
to J. y. Darling. Ding from
French village. where his regiment II
biIleted. Ball is a battalion sergeant
major of the one Hundred Sixty
eighth infantry, formerly the Third
| Iowa.
The letter contains a breezy descrip'
ton OF the village and an account OF
some Of the whimsical things the SOL
diers find amusement in and some
quaint philosophy of soldier.
The letter in part follows:
| 1--WE are at present in a little Frencf
town. altho its name or location mns'
be left for future telling. It's name
wouldn't help anyway as | doubt II II
| could be found on the map and It's To-
cation Somewhere in France means
| as much as the department In when
| il is located in what | have to say
about 1t.
ITO say that 1t is a real French
bush league town wouldn't do 1t JUS
tice. It is a typical peasant village ana
I don't doubt hut that we are quar-
tered in the same buildings that Ma
poleon billeted his men in more than
century ago. IF there has been any
change, any new buildings put up. or
ANYTHING else done in the town since
the Little Emperor's day the man who
did it died long ago Of old age.
Hamlet in the Hills.
at looks like someone carelesslN
dropped the hamlet down amongst
a lot of big hills and then
forgot about It. The location Is
beautiful. The people just now
consist Of old men, old women and
kids and if anyone can sea the my
RAIDS of YOUNGSTERS running clichety-
clack over the soap stone paving ana
believe that race suicide exists in
France he can believe almost any
thing.
Hob nailed, wooden shoes are the
common footwear while most OF the
old men decorate themselves with blue
cloaks and hoods to match and wrap
ped puttees talso whskers'. Young
men OF military age are seldom to ne
seen altho occasionally a French SOL
der In his bright. red pants and blue
coat o.. the service uniform OF Ereenish
gray meanders thru.
Everything in White.
Everything that is built seems 20
be made out OF white stone blocks; the
street paving fhuried under several
inches OF mud. the high walls that
surround every yard, the cemetery
walls. and the houses are the same
color.
The houses are built flush onto tho
al n n
big and heavy oakon doors that fur
nish cgress into the walled yards. Half
The house generally q could as well say
alwsys) is ueed as a dwelling by the
family or group of families that calls
it home. while the other half furnishes
shelter for the cows and chickens that
each family owns.
The old ladies get up In the morn
ing and go into the next room to inc
COWS for le lait for breakfast, and
usually spend the rest Of the morning
piling just little more on the family
manure pile that banks the dwelling
door. They take great pride in their
manure piles. and there were many
heart rendering scenes when the
American soldiers carted them away to
the fields.
Daddies Putter About.
"Whiie the old ladies are doing the
chores and Juggling in fagots from the
woods the old men walk to She bakers
ard carry home the heavy round loaVcs
of bread which are allowed to each
family daily.
The town has its town crier, ven
cradle. bent over old fellow, who wears
a green. faded hooded cape. basgy
brooches and blue wrapped puttees and
carries an old dilapidated drum. which
he hammers at the street cbrners to
summon the inhabitants out to listen
to the last proclamation by the mayor.
Regular Sleepy Hollow.
'1t also has its cure--a fine looking
old priest With an ages-old church, sur
rounded by messy high wall and
chateau with beautiful grounds which
the people are allowed to look at over
the wall If they can stretch that far,
a castle and n station where trains oc-
casionally arrive. The station, how
ever is half mile from anywhere.
"There is tradition that there Is
a telephone in the postoffice. This Is
more or less suppUftSa by sign on
the door, stating that telephone
'publique' can be rented within II one
wishes the experience OF hearing
someone speak. who is beyond eye
sight. ! haven't been able to discover
whether anyone in the village has ever
yet had that experience. Occasionally
q Paris Matin or London Mail can
be bought In the confect!oner's store
(run by really intelligent young
wOman). ... ....
First to Arrive.
1--WE we're the first American troops
to come here, and naturally excited
much curiosity. The men are stuck
away in haymows, private houses. ana
Lord knows where. but are getting
American cooking and are happy as
United States soldiers usually are.
After the dinner a p. m.) the old
men and kids gather around the cook
shacks and remark Americainc cafe
until some good-hearted but rough
doughboy cook invites them In with
| cuss words politely spoken.
Generally. as he pours out the cafe
he informs the old man that here
old timer, boiled my dirty cocks In
this blowing and scraping az he does
i SO, W iIiie line oil SSoy.s :et.-. The hoy.
with 'Mercl. monsieur. bon cafe OF
| @oras sounding like that.
Satisfaction Of Il.
ut would be a tough life X It wasn't
for the laughs, but what life wouldn't
beg Then, besides, We have the satis-
faction Of knowing that we are on the
winning side. ard THAT We aren't f'eht-