The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-11-07
WITH THE coLoRs IN FRANCE
Ie Z du Octubre, 1918.

Hello Folks: From q plain of
France again I say, HeIloI Pm still
on NJ P work at night, sleep as long
as I want to in the morning. Today is
my long day. Go on duty at the gate
at noon. Am on duty till midnight.
But there is not much to it. Just to
be there is the main thing. This is the
most timekilling job 1 ever had.
And to have a job like this when
there is so much doing up on the line
But it all has to be done, 1 guess.
Takes at least five men in the S. O.S.
for each one on the line. And Pm
still one of the five.
The stable sergeant sleeps next to
me. The other day car load of mules
came In and he brought the fellow
who came with them up for dinner.
We've got things pretty well fixed up
here now. Got a bench, bucket and
wash-basin, glass, etc. A little table
to write on too. When the fellow got
cleaned up, he looked out the window
and said, "Gee, you fellows've got the
world skinned for barracks. And I
guess he was not far wrong. We are
in the top floor of a two-story con-
crete building about 18Ox50 on the
ground. There are several of the same
kind here. In front of our barracks is
little building where our orderly
room is. Wide streets with rows of
shade trees on either side.
The leaves are still green and the
climate mild. Buildings are all
through the trees to the railroad
The Foyer du Soldat (Home of the
Soldier) is a big roomy place compar-
ed to most of the ''Y'' buildings. 1t
has counters where they sell things,
cookies, chocolate, drinks, paper, post
cards, towels. Just like an army can
teen in the states except they don't
know anything about ice-cream in this
country.
There are some French women sell
ing things. Then there is a room of
tables with checkerboards painted on
them. Another room is full of benches
has some paintings hung on the walls,
R. F. shields and flags draped- At one
end is little stage, and the, curtain
for cinema shows is also there A lit
/ tie electric lighting system illuminateE
the building and runs the pictures
But Pm on duty in the evenings SC
don't see anything there.
Just across the track gates, the R
R. crossings always have gates acros:
the roads and house just beside the
road where the gate keeper lives, i
a little square, track on one side anC
cafes no the other three. Of cours'
that is the entrance to- the grounds
here, and our entrance to the little
vile. ia Place of the village)
The last day when 1 was on dut!
all afternoon I saw some classy We
hicles stop at the cafes, unload, tn,
people get a drink, and then go on
You see we are not very far from on
of the biggest cities of France, AM
so far away from the zone of action
that there are all sorts of equipage
on the roads, some of them for pleas
J ure driving. So am getting chanc
to see France where fear of invasion
by the enemy has not left such dee
marks. This is a more pleasant par
of the country than any other par
that I have seen, and the people ar
: more prosperous. In fact, it is a 10
. more like home.
= But I meant to tell you about tn
vehicles. One was a sort of hacl
covered, drivers seat outside in from
and the interior seats on three side:
upholstered with cloth covered cusI
ions. Two doors the heighth of tn
seats closed the people in securel!
and left the rear open. There wer
four wheels and two horses on thi
: vehicle. Another one, perhaps muc
the English call dog cart. 1t ha
only one horse between shafts, tn
front wheels very small, and able I
= turn under the body. There was
C dashboard, nicely upholstered sea
Y for two, and behind it the body of th
}. carriage had a seat at each side, an
e doors to match at the rear. There We
o room for two people on each of thos
n side seats by little crowding, NAL
d ing the vehicle hold six people snu,
il ". No cover on it at all. Then sa
l. little cart with rubber tired whee
e carrying a couple of young ladies.
II Lots of bicycles, everybody rid
Y them.
Behind the cafe at the end of ol
little court the hill rises abrupt
e about so or rs feet. There is one
rt these excellent French roads comi1
, along around the foot of the hill,
/ course. Compared to France, Weste
ID Kansas has no roads at all.
le The sides of those hills, that is, {
N southern slopes, are covered with vi
N yards.
lie On the opposite side of our bs
u racks, we face a fat grassy plai
as Away IN the distance are blue hil
+ and farther, on clear days, we can S
10 white mountains. One afternoon
8 spent walking, walking, over the pls
About four or five miles off there