The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-18
Strange Quiet Now Rests Over
Land Torn by Shot
and Shell.
TRAVELLER AGAIN IS WELCOME
Plain Vegetables and Certain Meats
Even Choice Wines, Again Are
PIentiful-FriendIy Lights
Seen at Might.

land of recent battles Is a queer land
now. Over the shell-torn villages and
blasted woods, the pitted fields and
ruin of all that once was is a strange
quiet. The winter sky is lacking in
airplanes and great fiocks of crows
have taken their place.
A few villagers have crept back to
see what remains of their homes and
holdings. but probably the winter will
have passed before reclamation and
reconstruction are undertaken on
large scale.
Along the roads repaired and re-
bridged for the allies advance into
German territory long cannon trains
move slowly and always southwark.
They travel leisurely now, for the need
of hurry Is gone. They bring back
the salvage of battlefelds. all the
things that go to make war, abandoned
or captured.
Endless Trophies OF War.
Truck load after truck load of rifles
and shells, Of water bottles and haver-
sacks, cartridges, machine guns, bayo-
nets and trench knives and pistols,
mess kits, overcoats, caps, an endless
catalogue Of paraphernalia are brought
in. The battle zone Is still full Of 1t
all, In heaps and racks, waiting sal
wage.
Now and then come trains of air.
plane camions burdened with disman-
tied flying machines of every type and
every nation, engine and fuselage and
running gear on the truck and the
great wings on it's specially designed
trailer. Some of them are unharmed,
but many show bullet holes through
the frail fabric or the ruins Of crash.
A fair proportion of them bear the
Maltese cross that marks them boche.
There are trains of captured enemy
artillery, particularly of motor bat
teries, driven and manned by French
men, and these are happy OUTFITS
Often the guns are decorated with
evergreens and always the French SOL
diers laugh and wave q greeting. As
they creep through the villages the
Ipopulace fiocks out to view the can
non that for four years sent death and
devastation to their land. and the
children Chamber on the carriages and
rout on the grim barrels.
But It is the troops on the way back
that are most interesting, returning
to rest areas or to their ports Of en-
barkation for home. French or Amer
ican, their behavior is the same. Al
ways they greet everyone cheerily or
boisterously and always the French
officers salute with a smile when they
meet an American car. while the men
wave and shout: LA guerre est finis r.
or similar greeting. Even the chill
dren cry "Finisl Finis !" to the pass
ing car.
Travellers Are Welcomed.
Strangest OF all are the lights at
night in the hamlets and villages, sor
shining friendlily from the isolated
farmhouse, In regions further back.
For so long France seemed a deserted
land to the traveller by night. Hour
after hour the press correspondent
has Travelled at night without glim-
mer to be seen In the countryside, and
now from every hill and vale the
CHEEKY windows shine and the villages
are ablaze. The papers devote col
,umns to the illumination of Paris, but
1t is here In the remote part of France
where war has been that lights at
night seem most wonderful, even IL
they are but candle or little lamp.
Where once camions or stan cars
loomed lightless in the roads to the
imminent threat of collision, and often
its accomplishment, the brilliant head
lights stab the night.
There in every village now the trav-
cling stranger can obtain food, not In
variety, perhaps, but enough and
very Hospitality. The deprecatory pO-
lite and necessary refusal to requests
for refreshments that usually were re-
ceived In little hamlets or single farms
has given way to a cheerful offering Of
what there Il, for the farmers know
now that the specter Of winter Of
short rations has disappeared. The
rationing Of certain fo0dstufks n still
In effect. Bread tickets are necessary
In public eating places, no matter how
unpretentious; butter and milk are sel-
dom to be had and cheese IL scarce.
but Of plain vegetables and certain
meats there IL plenty. and the light red
and white wines Of the country are
forthcoming when demanded.
At this season there II game IA the
small town markets. hares and rab-
bits. venison, red-legged partridgea and
the large French quail and Wild boar.
II = high, but not 80 high as Il alxayo
II at home.