The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-12
WAS GREAT LIFE.
When Traub Had His Head
quarters at SOmmedieue.
Boys Were Kept Busy Making
Themselves Comfortable.
DODGING DUTY WAS SPORT
Finding Amusements Was Not
Hard at Night.
Many TOpekans VIII Remem-
Der Winters Experience.

The little village OF sommedieue
nestles in the hills to the south Of
Verdun. Unul the great offensive the
Germans launched at Verdun three
years ago, the name Of Sommedieue
meant little to anyone except the few
hundred residents Of the village. But
in the great Verdun attack. the French
maintained several batteries OF heavy
artillery at Sommedieue. and the Ger
mans, in trying TO locate these guns
with their own artillery wrought
great havoc in the peaceful little ham
let
Then followed a lapse Of time-two
years-when Sommedieue was the re-
cipient Of a few dozen shells daily
bur otherwise figured not in the an
nails OF the world war. No one lived
there. and except for occasional stray
bodies of French troops, it was for
lorn and deserted. Then, suddenly
the town again was buzZing with the
activity of humanity. fer the 35th d.
vision. which had been relieved from
the heavy fighting in the Argonne
forest a few days before, moved into
position on the Verdun front on Octo-
Der Is. 1918. and established divisional
headquarters in the little village
Headquarters OF Traub.
In a chateau owned by one Of the
Oldest and noblest families of the roy
alist regime Of France, Maj. Gen.
Peter r. Traub maintained his head
quarters. and directed the operations
of his infantry and artillery. He, in
turn. took orders transmitted to him
from the Foch supreme headquarters
by the French general commanding
the 33rd French colonial corps.
Shortly before the armistice. the
35th division infantry was relieved by
the s1st division; and the artillery re-
manned in position. After November IL,
the S1st division removed itself from
the vicinity and Sommedieue became
the home and headquarters of the
13Oth field artillery. Billeted in the
half ruined stone buildings, and regt-
ment remained in Sommedieue prac-
tically all winter. burning promoted"
firewoOd in ancient crates and small
French stoves. The large number of
Topeka men in Sommedieue at that
time is surprising
Take any wintry afternoon along the
main stem of Sommedieue. The first
sight to greet the eye, on most any
day in Decem Der. January or Febru-
airy. would be Lanceweu NJ. Barbour,
more often called Slide" He was a
corporal in headquarters company
and would assume a listening attitude
a Ia Colonel House. leaning back
against the relic OF flourishing
French bar and scratching coolies.
Upstairs. the warm cracking of a
wood fir indicated that someone was
being comfortable. despite the chilly
air. Upon entering a room. you would
see Sgt. Mai. Phil II. SprOat, seated in
a comfortable arm chair. his feet
stretched out ia front OF the fire,
smoking a pipe and reading year
old copy Of the Ladies' Home Journal
Entertaining Visitors.
Sanders Sproat would bawl out
in loud tones when receiving visitors.
you little devil hustle in and put
some more wood on the fire"
At this. Floyd Sanders. a youngster
from North Topeka with an excellent
record for carrying messages under
fire. would usher his buck private
self into the room and replenish the
fire.
Just downstairs a big noise would be
heatd. The sergeant-major. with. a
sigh, would arise and excuse himself
Some ones probably stolen Jake's
cognac again" he'd say. 7 guess I
had better straighten it out store
there's hell to pay
Jake was the familiar term used
for Mai. William A. Brady, comman-
der of the second battalion. formerly
a sergeant in the regulars
IN another room, Corporal Glenn
Keith would be presiding over game
of draw poker. and many Of the cen
testants are now back in Topeka
Charlie Blakely and Joe Marshall.
the latter with his wound stripe glis-
tening in the breeze. frequently ar
gued political questions of the day,
thus causing Art Overstreet, a form er
Wichita minister OF the gospel, to
heave a hoh-nailed boot at them, and
break up the meeting.
The majority Of Topeka youthhood
generally gathered down the street in
the quarters maintained by the instru-
ment detail of Battery A. The oil
lowing was an every day occurrence
within the building:
There goes retreat" said Sergt-