The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1919-04-18
FROM FOREST HAZEL


France. March 18th. I9l9-Editor
News # you looked through my
eyes on Sunny France" this morning,
the following is graphic word pic
ture of the familiar scene that you
would Sc. for believe me this scene
is getting tres" familiar to a few
hundred thousand Of US boys over here
waiting impatiently 70 take that
much talked Of trot down the gang
plank
Just to pass another day away. |
waited at the railroad crossing at
Monitor for a chance TO nab truck,
for here they must slow TO make the
crossing and this gives hundreds OF
boys the opportunity every day TO
catch a ride 10 town Finally big
three ton Pierce-Arrow hove into
sight and | hooked or to the rear. for
ride of about four kilometers down
through the narrow filthy French
streets. In very few minutes the
truck swing into the Rue De Ia Care,
which means Street TO the station, and
l left It for a stroll along the docks
and piers
\ heavy fog lowered over the har-
Dor and a chilly wind drove mist in
sheets and waves. this : the one pie
ture Of Sunny France" that will lin
ger long in my memory 4 strong
wind was driving up breakers on tn
headlands Of old Inferiuere. which
fact reminds me that the sea must be
choppy this morning for II is always
this way after a squat on the Bay
Of Biscay. To d landluobcr like me,
the harbor presents a variety of i'm
pressions. The always present. sail
ing vessels ride restless at their
anchors, as # some strange sea was
Turing them From every corner o.
the world these strange craft come
on their many missions The moan
ing sound Of the wind as it whistles
through their riegings and masts
sends a wave OF ave and wonderment
over me. for | fancy some Of them
have had adventures at sea or III Is
lands trade that would fill many a
page with gripping tales Of sea lore.
TIE tug boats toot their whistles and
sound their sirens as they gang
around big transatlantic liner and
Jose her INTO her perth and make her
fast .Toute de suite there is
"Beaucoap. activity alongside. The
noise of strainiae cables and ropes
aaa hosting engines greets ones ear
as the huge cranes swing to and fro
busily discharging cargo direct into
string Of French CONS or wagons as
they call them. ana that IS about all
they are. In very short time the
small dock engine IS hooked MP and
the brakeman blows his horn, which
resembles ar old model bugle. waves
MS red flag and after about q dozen
+, screeching whistles the Toy train
pulls out The trains have no bells
bur they make up for that deficiency
by making liberal use of the whistle
Stevedores Of the black '.Soldah Amer
acaine" type are busy with THEN
trucks. bic two wheel French -Four
CONS 90 Gathering by over the cob
blestone payements. but above all thi,
din of hustle ard hustle with its
strange foreign customs, my cal
catches the familiar lullaby of ole
Dixie" faint but distinct these quaint
chantings of my homeland drift away
from this scene with my mind, to tbs
land Of the free. and as | face tn,
direction in which the sun sets my
mind turns back few thousand mile:
and see all your familiar faces an6
the local scenes about Springdale
As | turn and walk along the pier,
notice many old Frenchmen, dressed
in their baggy knee'd pants industri
ously tending their nets. They q
claeking along over the stone pier,