The Red Cloud chief., 1919-03-06

JOTTINGS !
! From a War Core
spondent's Notebook 5
BY ADAM BREEDE

'iiSio HidhCS IL patent WY there was
plenty 10 eat in that country at all
times during the four years of war.
Inc average French farmer cuts his
grain by hand, and then after it has
Deeh properly gathered, the children
are put in the fields to search the
gfsund thoroughly for such grain as
has not been gathered. The children
carry baskets and as fast as they find
loose grain they place 1t into the bas-
kets and carry it home. The women
and children also take care of the gard.
ems and in order to do this they arise
about four.thirty in the morning. Need
less to say, during the harvest season
they retire with the chickens"
one walking along the streets Of
Paris n looking at the tops of the
buildings cannot help but notice what
appear at first to be a lot of earthen
pots ornamenting the tops of the
buildings. But an Investigation proves
them to be small chimneys.
Paris is a cold city and most build
lngs are poorly heatcd-in truth there
are not so many buildings that have
up-to-data heating plants Most of the
rooms are heated by small individual
wood or charcoal stoves, which &C.
counts for Paris being a city of chin.
neys
Annfhnr thin0 n,,tta ~nt.nnallz a..
Paris is the uniformity of the build.
ings There are no high buildings
there unless seven story buildings are
to be called sky.scrapers--most of the
buildings in the business district are
but six stories high
In all large towns and cities the
cafes and restaurants have small ta-
bles or the sidewalk in front OF their
places OF business, from early spring
until late in the fall. 1t Is at these small
tables that the butcher, the baker,
and candlestick-maker" gather daily to
discuss the topics of the times and to
visit owe a glass OF wine or beer. And
on Sundays whole families sit around
these small tables and enjoy the an
tire afternoon watching the passing
show, between sips.
1t is the same way in the Bots dc
Boulogne, and other public places OF
amusement.
Wine is the national drink OF
France. 1t Is openly drunk every
where.
Very little water is drunk; in truth,
1t would be an easy thing for one to go
from one end Of France to the other
without finding water served at the ia
BILE. And there is a good excuse for
that, as the water at all times Is con-
sidered very poor. This is attributed
to the fact that for hundreds OF years
the soil has been treated with stable
manure, as its principal fertilizer, and
in most places the water is said to
reek with the faeCal bacteria.
Women and men drink light wine
and beer in public with no more con-
Germ that the people drink soda-watc'
in the United Statcs. or course theN
have always done that thing over there
and the chances are, they always
will do it.
| have seen three families sitting to-
gether at the same cafe. in the same
place Sundiy after Sunday, and at no
time did any of them show any signs
Of having consumed too much liquid
refreshments.
In France the people seem to under
stand that wine and beer are made
for use but not for abuse.
The world has given too much credit
to the French chefs, as the average
chef in Paris cannot "hold a candle"
to the average cook on a Nebraska
farm. Even in the Cafe de a Paix,
and such restaurants as that, - food
is not properly seasoned, and their
French fried potatoes are invariably
served cold. And as for service
well, you pay for all you get. You also
pay for the use OF a table-cloth and
napkin.
Meals in Paris, during the war, cost
on an average twelve francs, or about
s2.15, but outside of Paris they did not
run quite that high.
. 1t is true that the French have a
great respect for the Americans, but it
is also true that they shot their prices
sky high when they saw the Ameri-
cans coming.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by an
act I saw in the "Follies." Two men
were doing a little stunt when one
complained about the high cost OF liy-
ing. The other said that living in
Paris was not so very high If n only
knew "the ropes" To prove this he
put a large easel upon the stage. The
easel held four or five large pieces Of
white cardboard. Then he said;
"Now, for instance, we will take n
sandwich. Here is what it costs"
Then going to the easel, he took off
a card, and there III another card was
marked in big, black figures, l franc
Eyes" said the other. 'only l franc
for the French, But how much for the
Enslishl..