The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1919-07-24
From Henry Howard.
Bourges, France, June ls, 10

morning and left the camp for the
station at FIVE o'clock. We went to
the station in trucks, got our
breakfast at the Red Gross canteen
at the station. and left for Paris at
6 20. There were about two hundred
enlisted men and a few officers and
w. A. A. C.'s went from
this post. We had to change cars or
| should say trains, two times on the
way to Paris, first at Vierzon { pro.
Just as it is spelled, Veerzon), and
again at Orleans (Or-lee-anz. This
is not pronounced as we pronounce
it in New Orleans, more accent is
put on the last syllable. punctu-
ated it the best ] could, but it has
been so long since ] studied punctua-
tion that | know didn't use correct
markings). At Orleans we got good
train, but we had lost time in making
the changes, and although this train
made about as good time as the Mem
phis specials make, we lost time and
arrived in Paris about an hour late.
We arrived there about ] 20 p. m
We were too late to get dinner as
we had a schedule to work as we
were getting an intensive educational
trip. AS soon as we checked in al
Paris we went to another station and
boarded a train for Versailles (pro
Ver-syl by the French). At Versailles
we were taken by Y. M. c. A., who
conducted US over the palace and
grounds, showed us the points of in
terest and told us the history of each
and every one. The palace at Yer
sailles was built by Louis XIV, XIV.
and XVI. Each OF the three kings,
despite the evil life that they lived,
to one of the most beau.
tiful buildings and grounds in the
world. The building is 1900 feet long
and there are four thousand acres in
the park. ! have seen pictures OF
these grounds all of my life, but no
picture ever has been or can be made
that will justly portray the beauty OF
this great piece of landscape work.
For beauty in the blending of colors
in shrubs, flowers and water | think
the orangery. part of the gardens
closest to the palace, surpasses any
thing else have ever seen. The
grounds of this palace at first
consisted of swamps, meadow
land and forest, and in the
the palace was used
by Louis XIV for a hunting lodge.
The place where the orangery is was
a swamp and it was drained and the
lake built by Swiss regiment. This
task was imposed on them by Louis
XIV and they certainly erected a
beautiful monument to themselves in
this piece of work, but l expect while
they were building it they kicked just
like we kick about some of the tasks
that are imposed on us. would love
To know what that regiment did that
they should get such punishment
They may have built it while waiting
to get their discharges from the army
| don't know. There is another lake
in the grounds that is very much
larger than this one. it being over
mile in length and is in the shape o.
a cross, but it in no way compares IL
beauty to the small lake, in my opin
ion. Louis XVI instructed the sculp
tors at work on the palace to ust
child life wherever possible in tn
work on the palace and in the stat
ues in the grounds. When the Ger
mans were bombing Paris and drop
ping shells on it, they never droppe'
any in or near the palace or ground
at Versailles. They may have di
rected their fire so as to spare thi
place in the hopes that if they sue
ceeded in taking Paris it would max
an admirable place for the Kaiser t
live and have the seat of his worl
government, or this place may hav
been dear to the Kaiser. There is
rumor among the French now that h
directed that the palace should not b
shelled. The great grandfather of tn
Bill who is now spending vacatio
| in Holland was crowned in this pa
ace, tut / think that his ambition
were what caused him to direct ths
the pa.ace should not be shelled.
saw the room in which the peaC
treaty IS to be signed in the palac
The paintings, statues and tapestri'
in this palace are beautiful, in fa'
they are more than beautiful, and
haven't the gift of language th'
would allow me to express the bea'
ty and splendor of this palace.
4 We went back to Paris from We
sailles and were to take two ho
truck trip around to the princip
parks of the city from 5 to 2 p. m, b
the train | happened to get on goii
in was not fast section and tn
made us late in Paris, and then OWL
to a truck breakdown we didn't g
to take this trip, but were carried
Z Red Cross number Is, where we we
to stay while we were there. He
we had supper and cleaned up. a
Lahines and myself started out
Z see the city. We intended to go
+hs ooera hut betno inst an hour L