Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1918-08-16

July ord and Atm ana meant 10
write you yesterday but was
pretty busy. 1 mailed you IA
letter from Paris July 4th which
you have already possibly re
ceived but did not tell you any
thing of the great celebration in
honor of our Independence Day.
You will no doubt read about it
in the papers. but will enjoy my
telling you about 1t more Of
course it was the luckiest thing
in the world for me that | could
be in Paris at that time. went
on the end and all day of the grid
people were decorating every
where. There must have been
millions of Americans and French
flags and no where one without
the other, and by night the great
city was bedecked in all the
beauty that flowers and the
Grand Old Stars and Stripes
could produce Late il the af
ternoon l was on one of the main
streets and heard a band coming.
1t was leading a regiment of
French Infantry, just back from
the fighting line for the purpose
of marching in the pardade thd
next day. They were a great
sight, with their steel helmets,
fully equipped and their rifles
aid bayonets glistening in the
sun. They were just from the
heat of battle, many Of them with
uniforms worn and dirty, faces
besmirched and unshaven, but
you forgot all that as they swung
down the street with a smile and
a song, and with u wild flower of
some kind from a rose on down,
stuck in the barrel of his rife.
You only remembered that they
were heroes, every one. That
night attended the meeting at
the Soldiers and Sailors Club,
which was addressed by Marshall
Joffre, the Hero of the Great
Battle of the Marine, besides
everal other interesting fea
lures including the singing of
the National Anthems of Great
Britain, the United States and
France, by singeus representing
the three nations. There were
several pictures of this meeting
taken and If yon chance to see
one of them you can possibly find
me in it. The morning of the
Fourth dawned cloudy and with
every appearance of rain. 1 was
on the streets before eight
o'clock and they were already
crowded. The French Govern
ment' having declared a holiday.
all stores were closed and the
people were on the streets enjoy
ing the day as only the French
can enjoy a fete day. Everybody
happy. with nothing to do but
cover themselves and everybody
else with American flags and
flowers and be happy. The
greatest event of the day of
course was the remaining of the
one of the principle streets, Rue
du Pre- sident Wilson and Mr..
Howard 4. Taylor of Berea Col
lege had managed to get US two
invitations for seats to witness
the dedication, which was held in
the Place d'Iena around the great
statue of Washington on his
horse. There were amptheatres
arranged in half circles on either
side of the monument with just
room for the troops to march
between and we We're located
just to the right and a little in
front of the statue. The speak
ers stand and seats flor all the
officials were just across from
us so we got a good view of
everything. that was done as well
as the parade AS far as we
could see as we went to the cele-
bration along the line which had
been announced for the parade.
I have never seen so many PEG
pie, and everybody happy. You
could Ilhardly believe that these
people have been engaged for
four years in death struggle
for their national existence, but
they seem to see in this glorious
flag of ours a sure sign of victory