The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-01-23
News of Kenosha County

peal 70 AmeflcanS used to up-t0-date
methods of living and all modern con-
veniences. France is far behind the
times with its old fashioned buildings,
streets and cities The last convoy
Company, who heard the accordian re-
made was to Dion and Langres when
we drove all night, pulling into our
stopping place at 1880 in the morning,
eating and getting to bed at 1000.
We conveyed 81 trucks and carried car
goes which were unloaded at different
points along the route and new ones
put on. There was only one man on a
truck and our First Serg. lead with
Ford and [ brought up the rear with
another Ford to keep all of the trucks
together and fix up any that needed
attention. The officers had Cadillac.
1t was an interesting trip but the
hours were long and it rained practi-
cally all of the time. The roads are
improved, mostly macadam with good
drainage along the sides.
Dijon and Langres were built by
Julius Caeser and are about 1000 years
old. Langres is the more interesting
as it is fortified city with two walls
around it and is built on a high hill.
Outside the walls is trench, or moat,
with draw bridges crossing it at the
entrances of the city. These could be
9rawn up to prevent horsemen or foot
men from entering but would be no bar
TO an army of present day artillery.
There are some large Chateaux there
and in several places along the route.
While at ST. Andrae, where we were
sent after landing in France, we were
about two miles from a famous chateau
used by Charlemagne. Tn St. Andre is
a church which is 900 years old with
4 pipe organ which is 800 year old. Z
saw wonderful old Cathedral in Di-
jon. The other gay, I went through
the Tower of the Laterne, or the Tower
of the Four Sergeants, in La Rochelle,
where four Sergeants were imprisoned
in the days of Napoleon for some con-
spiracy that they were in, and saw
the cell they were confined in. There
are number of different sized cells
and a spiral stairway leading to
point very near the top of the tower
where one can get very good bird s.
eye view of the city. There is an old
keeper who sells cards and curios.
The city Of La Rochelle is much more
up-to-date than any Of the cities we
have been stationed in SO far. They
have the usual narrow winding streets
with ntmberless three cornered blocks
and on the main streets the buildings
extend over the sidewalks and YOU
walk beneath the second story. There
is a roller skating rink but it is small
and the floor is portable affair and
not very smooth.
LaPallice is one Of the most import
ant points at which the United States
ships unload their cargoes for the
army. It is small town on the Bay
of Biscay. Thousands of trucks, au-
tomobiles, and tractors are brought
here, assembled and conveyed to points
at the front or now into Germany and
Alsace-Lorraine. I heard that 400
trucks had just been unloaded so we
may have considerable work here be-
fore we can go home. On one of our
trips I'VE stopped at Tours. Here, one
of our fellows who was an engineer,
and another fireman took charge of
railroad train and covered the dis
lance in one day that the Frenchmen
require two for.
1t rains every day and the mud is
about foot deep. In place of snow
we get rain. The climate is mild and
snow almost unknown. There is a
funny tramway between here and La
Rochelle which has small cars propel-
led by compressed air carried on tanks
on the forward end OF the car and
they have to be reflled every little
way. It's cost about three cents to go
three miles.
/ bought French Croix de Guerre
In La Rochelle as a souvenir, also an
aluminium ring with German crown
set in it which was cut out of pris-
oner s coat button. A Belgium boy
who comes to the infrmary every day
selling papers saw the awful slaughter
of the people in his own country but
escaped with his Father to France. At
Dijon / met Frenchman who had been
taken prisoner by the Germans at the
beginning of the war four years ago
and he told an awful story.
Sgt. Russell ]. Montgomery,
G. d. 311th.
SIP. Tn. Amer. E. F. A. P. 0. 735.