Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-17
SEEING THINGS IN FRANCE.
Claud Zimmerman Writes lnterestIn!
Letter to His Brother.

Letter TO tbs bfotneT.
The following letter is addressed to
A. B. Zimmerman, No. 7, York:
American E. F. University, Beaune,
France, May 29, 1919.
Dear Brother
Just received your letter dated May
7th, so will try and answer 1t before
we get home. We expect to leave here
about June 18th, so won't have much
time yet in this country. Although
will be glad to get home I somehow
or other hate to leave this town.
Beaune Is a noted wine center and is
one Of the most historical places IN
France. 1t was at one time trading
post of the old Venetian merchants.
1t is also a we'll located little town. as
from. here it is possible to get in q few
hours to Paris, Lyons. Nice and Mar
seilles.
I have been lucky enough to make
trip to these places. Was gone from
the 26th of April to the 9Th of May
Also visited Monte Carlo, the great
gambling province; Mention on the
Italian border, and Cannes in the Per-
fume district. The scenery on the
Mediterranean coast is wonderful. The
hills were covered with flowers and
palms, which, contrasted with the dark
rugged coast line, formed scene so
beautiful that it cannot be descrlped.
I do not believe there is a people on
earth that was not represented IN
Mention. There were the dark south
ern French, lighter Alsations, Italians,
Chinese, Algerians, Arabs, East In
dians, Russians, Americans OF three
colers, and a lot more that cannon
remember. All shades and shapes OF
uniforms are here and you can hear
about thirty different languages spoken
in as many minutes. They even speak
about ten different kinds Of French
Each section of this country has Ian
guage of its own and they all are rep
resented there. The newest addition IN
this line, and the hardest to under
stand is the American-French. In fac'
most of the American soldiers say thai
the French can't understand their own
language. When you ask the French
for a couple of "Woofs," they think
YOU are trying to initiate dog. NC
sense in the language anyhow. 1t Is
never spelled like it is pronounced
Seems to me that with a civilized IAN
gauge like English spoken so close al
hand that no one would go to the trou'
BILE to learn French.
Just returned from Paris Monday
after a three day leave. Never enjoy
ed myself more in my life. Visited
lLaFayettes tomb, Eiffel tower, Napo
Icons tomb, Napoleon's triumpha
arch, the QUARTER Latin, the palace o.
Louis w at Versailles, the Louvre, th'
Tuilleries, the old Basrile prison ane
spent every evening either at the Palal'
or the Folies Bergere. l believe th'
best scenery was at the last two places
On my last day l took q flying triI
to the old trenches at Rheims. WIS
tied the ruined cathedral, but dldn
have time enough to see as much as
wished. The place looked more like
| rock quarry than city. The peopl'
are beginning to return and the worl
of reconstruction has already begun.
imagine it was once an interesting city
It is still an interesting place, but l
can hardly be called city.
Today is the last day Of the Ameri
can E. F. university, which has beer
running for three months. Have beel
in charge Of the 10th regiment inflrm
ary and have been having a rathe
easy time, but it is strange how sol
diers will get sick around time for drill
Have been running around with on
of the students, who Is marine. III
and I take promenade to Beaun
about every evening and sit in an opei
beer garden and look over the beauu
ful madamoiselles. The marine wa
one of the first five thousand over her
and is now wearing three serVic
stripes, one wound stripe and is almos
ready for the fourth service stripe. III
was hit in the leg with machine gu
bullet at the battle Of Blanc Mont IN TN
lChampagne sector last October. II
speaks French fairly we'll, beau-cou
in fact, so we get along fine with tn
people.
Guess you haven't time to read IN
i lifes history, so l Will stop HiVe III
love to all the folks.
! Your brother,
Claude A. Zimmerman,
Sergeant, NJ. d.