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

gian cities and villages, and that is,
shot to hell" There we're 100 peo-
pie refused to leave the town when
the fighting started, and we are told
that 1900 of these people were killed.
After we had walked over Rheims we
trenches about seven kilometres out
of the city. Everything here is one
vast, barren, ruined piece of land,
covered by trenches, dugouts and
barbed wire entanglementss Most all
OF the trees along the road we're eith-
er killed by gas or torn up by shells,
and where the lighting had been in a
forest of small pines, only the dead
stuinps stood as silent monuments OF
what had at one time been accurately
laid off rows OF pines. The truck
that wss to take us back to Rheims
was ate and we did not get 10 take
The express for Paris as we had ex-
pected to do, but we got train that
was due to leave at $50 Ohe other
one left at s). and it never left until
80, anu then this train went ba TX
to Paris an entirely different route
from the one we had taken that
morning. This way we were AZ kilo-
metres south of Chateau Thierry. The
wrecked building, overhead bridges
and bullet -shattersd station buildings
all showed that the Germans had
made mighty effort to take this
line of railroad We passed through
Meaux (pro. Mo, as in now, the
furthest advance of the Germans in
1914 1t isls7 kilometres from Rheims
to Paris this way, | think about 90
kilometres further than the other
route (eight kilometres is FIVE miles).
1t was IL 80 when we reached Paris
that night, and while we had intended
spending the evening in sightseeing,
don't think our time was wasted at
that.
Monday morning we visited the
Pantheon de la Guerre, or view or
painting of the war. This painting is
the coming masterpiece in art of the
world II Is painted on massive
canvas that is circular and dome
shaped just as the sky. 1t was begun
shortly after the beginning of the
war, or after the first battle of the
Marne, and from that time until near
the end of the war, when il was COM
pleted, nineteen artists worked OH it,.
1t is the most wonderful work OF art
ever have had the pleasure of see
ing. The wole history, or ! should say
outline, OF this war is portrayed in
this painting. Each nation among the
allies is represented and the soldiery
and civel population of these nations
that contributed toward the success
of the war is portrayed both in the
reproduction of the principal indi-
viduals and types of individuals who
made victory for the allies possible.
This painting occupies whole build
ing, as it is 800 feet long and IS feet
high, containing $500 square feet.
After we left the Pantheon de la
Guerre we visited the Invalides, where
we saw the tomb of Napoleon. The
Invalides is wonder of beauty. There
are parts of this building that by a
feat of the architects you may look
out of the windows on any kind OF
day you choose, and yet you always
see blue sky, though the glass is per-
fectly clear.
The trip through these two build
ings was conducted by the Y. M. c,
A. Then we were dismissed, to spend
the balance Of the day as we pleased
until $3.50 that afternoon, when we
were to leave for Bourges. Lahines
and myself visited the shopping dis
trict OF the city. The Y M. {. A. in
{ tended taking us through the Louvre
! but it was closed that afternoon; but
Lahines and | visited the gardens oi
. the Louvre, or the Tuilleries (Twee
leries). The Trocadero and the Lena
II Bridge, passed the home or apart
, ments OF the Spanish Ambassador
and the Ambassador from Guatemala
; the Triumphal Arch that Napoleon
erected on the return from one OF hi
I successful campaigns, crossed tn
Victor Hugo Avenue and the Avenu'
OF the Grand Army, then we went t
= the station and caught the o'clocl
express for home, or Bourges, as W
call it. | certainly had one great tril
A and the only bad part about it wa:
: there wasn't enough of it, That tri
. to Paris is we'll worth the month
/. that / have stayed in this countr
h after my buddies left, and will neve
. call this time that | have spent owe
= here lost or wasted. 1t has all bee
! one great experience and education
. me in the highest priced and deares
,r college on earth, the School OF Es
perience." | never got to see Notr
~ Dame while in Paris, and regret tn
e. very much, as love to see these ol
,r wonderful cathedrals; but checkin
g up on the places of interest we ha
,e seen, think Lahines and myself sa
II Just as much and perhaps more OF II
.h;roe That are worth seeing in Par