The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1919-07-24

the French call it La Placede la Con-
corde." Then by the Church of Mad
eleine, the Grand Hotel, the Opera,
! then to Louise Hotel (the American
, officers hoteD, and by thai time it
was getting late and we had to re-
trace our steps. The next morning,
Sunday morning, we arose at FIVE
o'clock, ate breakfast and went to the
Care del Est (Station of the East
r. RI, where we caught train for
RHEIMS. OF course the train was
about an hour late. We we're sup
posed to have arrived at RHEIMS at
l0:lS, but we got there about III. The
country between Paris and Rheims is
beautiful. On the way out to Rheims
one has the chance TO see the three
principal types of France. As you
leave Paris OF course you see the sub
urbs and large railroad yards OF the
city, which remind you more of the
American city than any other place
in France. Then the road takes you
into a beautiful gently-rolling coun-
| try of pastures and grain fields where
the red poppies and dark rich color of
the fields of grain present beautiful
| natural picture. 1t was q beautiful
day, reminded me more OF October
weather at home than of June. 1t was
not too warm and the sky was as blue
and clear as it ever gets in Gods
Country" The French peasantry
were taking advantage OF the beau
tiful weather and were making hay
while the sun shined." All along the
route they were in the fields cutting
grain, raking hay or hauling 1t. When
we crossed the river Marne | looked
at it and thought of what a difference
there was in the life along the banks
OF this beautiful quiet little stream
now and at the same time fast year.
The Marne Is one OF the prettiest
little streams | ever saw. In our
country It would be called creek. 1t
flows between low banks and not
ripple was to be seen on the smooth,
silvery surface of the water. AS we
neared Chateau Thierry the country
became more rolling and small vine
yards began to appear. and after we
passed the railroad station Cha
teau Thierry the hills got higher on
both sides of the valley, and now the
vineyards were in the majority, and
at one place we passed an apple or
chard, something had not seen be-
fore since had been in France.
After we left Chateau Thierry we be-
gan to see the effects of the war, and
though everything had Sabbath
like quietness, and we were still pass
ing where the peasants were at work
and the poppies were blooming, the
remains Of wrecked homes and whole
villages that were torn to pieces, and
cemeteries all gave evidence of the
struggle that took place in this sec
ton last year; and when we COM
menced to get into the outskirts OF
Rheims we saw more of the awful
effects of the war upon that city
We ate dinner at the Y. M. c. A and
then went on a walking trip over
what had been the business section oi
the city. 1t is now, as the whole city
is. mass OF wrecked buildings. Be
fore the war Rheims had popula'
ton of about 10000 or possibly 2O0,'
600 people, and the principal indus
try of the city was the manufacture
of champagne. There were three fac
tories in the town with twelve mile!
of cellars for the storage of this Joy
full drink. On Of these factories EN-
ployed 10000 people and the other tive
] employed $4,000 between them. Q
: course this industry was ruined JUS
. as everything else was, and their eel
} lars are now mass OF runs. w
visited the great cathedral which wa
: at one time one OF the most beautifu
/ in the world, now it is listed anon
, the ruins of the town, though it wa
: not damaged near as badly as som
: of the other buildings. No one is al
I lowed inside it, though, as it Is no
: safe and is guarded by French sol
S diers. This building was started !
t 1911, and $50 years were required t
| build il, and then it was never com
e pleted, as one Of the towers, owing t
:. its weight, had begun to lean, an
S therefore neither of them were eve
t built to the height which they wer
/ intended to be built. The French II
t tended Gaping the two towers wit
i steel steeples but this was never don
AS a work of art | don't think tn;
= this cathedral any way near con
Ir pares to the one at this place, hoy
al ever if this one was shelled for fo'
it years it might not be SO beautiful.
g The French and Germans foug
1t lust outside of Rheims from the b
g ginning Of the war until about TO
ct months before the close Of hostilitis
10 The Germans succeeded in taking d
re town one time, but only occupied
re for eight hours when they were for
I'd ed to make one of their numero
to "well-ordered retreats" There a
to said to be only three houses in Il
tc town which were not hit by shel