River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-06-05
From Professor
Hunt at Coblenz

"1iliaS dlcItST 10 the journal from
the Rhine Country.
On May 1st started for Germany.
| came from Beaune via. Paris. In
coming from Paris to Metz | travel
ed through Chateau Thierry. st.
Mehiel and Nancy, going to the
south OF Verdun. In the districts
around Chateau Thierry and St.
Mehlel we saw some of the fought
over" territory. The say that this
is tame compared to the territory
north of Verdun, but even in the
territory over which we travelled,
there is enough to convince person
that there has been war.
We saw villages and cities by the
dozens that are only pits of stone
and brick. There are miles and
miles of barbwire entanglements ex-
tending over acres in width, and
shell holes galore.
We travelled for long distance
along the Maine River, so you can
see that we were just on the line of
fartherest advance.
We reached Metz at 500 p. m.
and remained there over night.
Metz is very interesting as it is
located in Lorraine and is just pass
ing from German to French con-
troll. The people seem satisfied and
very much relieved that the war is
over for they lived in fear and
trembling for a year and a half, ex-
pecting to be bombarded by the
Americans. I have heard that the
Americans were ready to start
big air plane bombardment when
the armistice was signed.
The people in Metz talk every
thing. German of course has been
required but since the Armistice,
they have learned some French and
Englis 4 and now they are mixing all
three. esss.ssv..... s
We went from Metz to Berncastle,
Germany, where we were to work
for most Of the following week.
We passed through the province of
Gutenberg which is the most active
country industrially which | have
seen over here.
1t is also a splendid farming
country. l saw large herds of Hol-
stein cattle in pastures, the first
cattle running in pastures that |
have seen in Europe. In Germany
and France they have no pastures
nor nothing to put in them if they
had them.
Berncastle is located in the valley
of Moselle River and is the most
beautiful place / have seen in Europe.
The Moselle is very swift at this
point. On the right is Berncastle
and on the left is Cues. Back of
these two little cities the mountains
are almost perpendicular. On the
highest prinnacle above Berncastle is
an old castle built in the year 923
The vineyards extend up the noun
tain sides to the SUBMITS. This is
true throughout the entire Moselle
and Rhine Valleys.
Mr.. Beckmar of Ames, Iowa and |
were located at Berncastle and
Messrs. Call and Donald at Wittlech.
Our work took us up and down the
Moselle valley to all of the villages.
We also had a good opportunity to
see the farming methods used in
Germany. We have heard that they
produce more per acre then we do
in America. They surely ought to
do so, for | saw sixteen teams and
twenty-three people working on a
piece of land that did not exceed ten
acres. They may produce more per
acre but not more per man.
The horses and oxen were all
taken in the war, so all the work is
done with cows.
We reported, according to orders,
to Coblenz on Friday morning and
were dispatched by auto to Burgbrohl
about twenty miles northwest of
Coblenz, where we were kept busy
until Saturday night.
We returned to. Coblenz on Sat-
urday night, and Sunday took the
boat trip from Coblenz to the Swift
erland line. This covers the most
scenic part Of the Rhine. These ex
cursions are run every day by the
Y. M. C. A. free of charge to all
a F. r mon and onooro