Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-06-27
MISS GRAHAM ON VACATION.
Writes Her Father Here Interesting
Account of Visit 10 Battlefelds.
st. Nazaire.
June Sth, 1919.
My Dear Daddy:


June Sth, 1919.
My Dear Daddy:
| I've been complaining TINT lad
nothing interesting to write and now
have so much that is interesting
and so many things want to say that
| scarcely know where 90 start. Well
to begin ut the beginning.
We left for Paris last Sunday night
the first day of June. 1t had been Il
very busy day and when went to
the train ut SAB | wondered why |
was leaving when | was so tired and
worn out. and would rather have gone
home to bed. An all night trip on
/ these trains is not II thing of pleas
ure, but after two o'clock slept II LOT
and with the funny experiences EliZ-
abeth and had just after starting,
felt rested and ready for anything
For n wonder we readily got II
taxi Mt the station in Paris and drove
to the Metropolitan hotter on rue Cam
bon, II very nice place. centrally To-
Gated. Immediately after breakfast.
we went to the Headquarters
to get our Paris permit card and a
travel order for our trip to the bat
tleiiclds. That took all the morning
with IFS unnecessary hold-ups and
red tape. but. as usual, was most
fortunate and got what we wanted
with minimum of trouble.
We met one of our soldier friends
who went from here to Paris TO at
tend College and took him to lunch
with us. After lunch we went to see
the Pantheon and La Gucrrc, II most
wonderful panorama. suppose YOU
would call il an allcgorica picture
of the war II was made during the
war IL is marvellous. but | can write
you no description of il as would
have no room for anything else.
When we had taken typical tour
lists view of it, we went to Napolcon's
tomb which was not visible for sand
bags when was in Paris in October
and felt that that was one of the
things was compelled to see. saw
1t and was so glad. 1t was now time
10 meet dinner engagement ut the
CASTLE Hotel. We met "A friend of
Ellzabcth's in Paris who WAS roipr
over the same trip we wanted to take
and he asked us to 20 in his car.
which invitation was accepted so quick
~ that we were scarcely polite and
our arrangements were made at once
We had such nice rooms ut our bo.
tei---one with bath and that bath
was one of the events of the trim. IN
tell you some day how much en-
joyed it,
The next morning, Tuesday, June
Ind, we tried to do - little very NO
cessary shopping, but did not accom-
plish anything as the larger stores
were closed ON account of strike of
the clerks; also, the subway trains
were not running. We got nothing
done that morning, but did not care
much.
Alter lunch we started for Chateau
Tmerry mt $50. We had Chinese
chauffeur who is in the W service. !
lie lived in the United States for ri
years and speaks better English than
do, without II particle of accent.
we had very little baggage, my lit
tle travelling bag given me by the
ladies when | left home, carried NV
belongings, with the exception of nv
rain coat. Elizabeth had n knun-
sack strapped across her shoulder
so the little Ford car was very com :
Portable for the four of us.
We went through some lovely. fer
tile country and then began to see
the trenches and wire entanglements.
theh suddenly, on top of hill, there
was splash Of color and when we
got little nearer, il proved to be
little American flags nuttering ON the
graves III II little road side cemetery
ihcy are so clean and bright and
fresh and look so well cared for. Inf
IL gives one catch at the heart TINT
Is real pain. ! thought had run
the gamut of emotions over here, but
had missed Il lot of them. for there
was an entirely new set added to the
list on this trip, but no matter yhnt
they all were. there was always nm
overwhelming pride that came from
the same country these boys did.
We struck the Marine river oo,Iv
IL very name awes onc---it played
such part in the history of the war
IL rs green in color---a regular sen
green and in following il, we went
through most beautiful couni,.v /
The valley of the Marine, which will
always he noted in history, | cannot
describe, of course. But, take some
OF our pretty little valleys and mi
inns rather narrow, rapid deep green
stream through it; cover the fields
win green grass and scarlet popnics
millions of them everywhere--in some
places there are entire fields of scor-
let poppies-bluc, corn flowers and
yellow buttercups. Imagine nil this
then place through it, if you can
rows of deep ugly entertainments. wirn
entanglements, shell holes and dumns
Of ammunition ready to be used and
every little way grave, always nice
and clean and marked sometimes
with the rifle stuck in it, sometimes
with the helmet hung on the cross.
one ! saw had the gas mask in IFS
case. These were almost alwovs
French soldiers; the cross had tbo
French colors, and there were pener-