Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-03-11
de Triemphe. lie Louvre, Place della

uc iEiSuiPhc, LS A<ouNtS, FiaSc ueia
Republique. and Place de Concord,
ETC., etc. Also visited the church
that was hit by the German big |
Bertha" This church, the st. Ger
main, is cathedral, nearly as i'm
posing as the Notre Dame. was
struck near the roof and hole
some 20 feet In diameter was caved |
in on the worshiping congregation.
Fifty or more were killed outright
and some 200 badly injured. Most
OF the casualties were from the fall |
ing masonry. We we're fortunate
enough to be able to so to the roof
of the place and saw all that was to
be seen. II was here that the Swiss
minister was killed.
Had a very interesting experience
while in Paris that shows how small
the world is after all. One night
my roommate suggested that We
try a small eating place in the rear
of a wine room that had been sug-
gested to us as a very good place to
get a meal. We found room filled
with tobacco smoke where we're
seated a number OF French soldiers
and others drinking wine and con-
versing in a language little under
stood. (Our two or three months OF
French has not made us proficient
in the language.) woman with a
babe in arms was serving the pa
irons. l hardly knew what kind of
den was getting into but decided
to see 1t through. AS l was taking
seat my roommate spoke my
name when some one from another
table echoed "Gilkey." you don't
happen to be the Gilkey from Mon
tesano, Wash, who was in the bank"
found It to be a man by the name
of Taylor, formerly county treasurer,
whom ! had known more than 20
years ago.
On New Years day a party Of "Y"
/ men decided to visit Chateau Thierry,
the first real battle where the Amer
lean boys turned the Hun from fac
ing Paris to facing the German bor-
der and then kept them going till
the armistice was signed. On our
way out there a Frenchman who
was thoroughly familiar with the
country advised my friends and I to
go on to Rheims and see that great
city that was under bombardment
for four years. Permits we're not
being granted to visit this place but
we took a chance and the two OF us
went on and met with no obstacle.
We were certainly repaid for our ef-
fort for we saw the effects Of the war
in all its horror and destruction. This
city was in the hands of the Hun
for IL days, then they were driven
out, but from their vantage points
continued to bomb the place till
peace came. Not house in the
whole city but is in ruins. The great
cathedral still shows the beauty of
: its architecture and grandeure, but Is
beyond repair. II stands as a monu-
ment of Hun "Cussedness."
: We visited the battlefields and
trenches both Of the French and the
Hun and saw the home OF the Goo
tie and the rats" How men lived
in the mud and filth for weeks at a
time is beyond understanding. There
seems to be barbed wire enough in
> the entanglements to fence the state
, OF Oregon, and then have enough to
patch up all the broken "Fords" oi
the country. wanted to pick up
some OF the hand grenades for SOU
: venirs but was forbidden to do SO
: on account of the danger of handling
them.
AS far as the eye could see the
landscape was marred with trench
= and shell pits. We saw no less than
4 Is or 20 small villages as we road
i up the valley that had been des.
: troyed by the Germans. The little
crosses everywhere told the story OF
Y the real sacrifice made for France
v and the freedom Of the world.
: Sometimes am inclined to expres'
: my views of the effect OF the war on
: This country and more especially on
e our own boys, but on second thought
. l think there has been too much Of
g half baked judgment passed already
. so will withhold my opinion till
e have been here longer and had more
}, opportunity to make impartial OBJ