Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-06-04
SOLDIERS LETTER,
A letter from Ray S. Jenkins to his
parents in West Charleston:
Rapperath, Germany.
April 3, 1919.

snail nnlSn IL OF HOC DIS IIeafS OSSia
to Coblenz and want to tell you all
about it.
We left here Sunday morning at
s o'clock in a truck, which took US
to Serbenborn. Here we took train
for Wingerohs, where we changed
again to a special train, that carries
soldiers only, to the Coblenz leave
camp. We reached Coblenz about IL
o'clock and were taken to our bar
racks, which were in an old "maga-
zine" q suppose it was an ammu-
milton storehouse during the war;
Here we had our passes arranged,
received our meal tickets and had
hunks assigned US. The captain in
| charge of the leave area made us
| little speech and gave us directions
as to where we would find our res
taurants, Y. M. G. A. canteens, K. Z.
rooms, theatres, etc. Then we were
turned loose in the city. The first
thing we did was to find our dinner,
as it was nearly noon. There are
| two German restaurants that have
been taken over by the Y. M. G. A,
where leave men are fed free. You
have tickets that tell you which one
YOU may eat at. There are other
restaurants where you can get meal
| for a few francs. Here we had reg
ular tables and dishes and our meals
were served by German walters In
their cut-away coats and white shirt
fronts. some class, Ell? All the work
is done by the Germans, and under
stand the German government has 10
paw for it. Immediately after din
ner (excuse me, l mean lunch) we
started out sight seeing. First we
visited Feast Hall. don't know
what the Germans used it for but 1t
must have been a theatre of some
kind. On the first floor is large
reading room which has stage in
it, 1t is sometimes used for lectures.
There is also a news stand where A.
E. F. papers may be purchased. There
is a check room where you can leave
your coats and baggage. On the
second floor is a theatre, Y. M. G. A.
Canteen and money exchange. In the
rear is a restaurant. In a wing of
the building is the American Library
association room.
After leaving Feast hall we went
down and crossed the Rhine on one of
the large bridges of which there are
two. We took a little stroll over
there and looked over the large fort
there. This fort is on a high hill. I
forget how many men there are ac-
commodations for, but it is a large
number and they claim that they
could keep a three years supply of
provisions for them, too. At pres
emit two regiments of American ar
tillery are billeted there and the
American flag flies over the fort. We
returned to Coblenz over the pontoon
bridge and visited the famous Deut-
schen Eek, one of the largest eques-
trian statues in the world. This is
at the junction of the Moselle and the
Rhine.
After we had our supper we went |
to a German theatre, where they had |
movies and vaudeville. The pictures |
were all Dutch to US but the singing |
and music were American so we en-
joyed that part of the program.
The next day we took our trip up |
the Rhine. This lasts from 10 a. m. /
until 4 p. m. with lunch on the boat. |
There were several Y. NJ. g.. A. /
girls and nurses on the boat, who /
passed around candy, cookies and /
gum. A lecturer was stationed at each .
end of the boat, who gave US the his /
tory and legends of the towns and F
castles along the Rhine. The boat .
ride was certainly very interesting
and I think the best part of the trip.
This evening we went to the Gilt
tie Play House." which is a theatre
run by the Y. M. G.. A. They had
movies and the vaudeville was the
best l have ever seen.
The next morning we spent looking
over the town and spending our mon
ey. In the afternoon we visited the
Stolzenfels castle at Kapellen, eight
kilometres above Coblenz. This castle
is owned by the Kaiser, and the old
,aretaker is still on the Kaiser's pay
roll.
The floors are all beautiful inIaid
hardwood, and we had to put on felt
slippers over our "hobnails" when we
vent in.
We were shown through beautiful !
reception rooms, dining rooms, music !
DOM, ETC., They were filed with old '
paintings, armor, swords and all the
I'd hghtlng outfits used by knights 7
u old. We were shown bedrooms C
Vhere princes had slept, and one in
when queen Victoria slept when she
pent ten days at the castle in 1916. I
here are pieces of furniture dating
ack to the year 400, also MANY in
eresting cabinets and writing desks. r
wen to German rulers by rulers
I all the nations of Europe. There
model of the first castle which
7as built IN 26S B. c. The one there
ow was built by Frederick the s,
ourth in 1912. There is a life-size r,
tatue OF him in an alcove off one
aception room. .,
In one of the courts in front of the l.
ast!e are old stone balls which the n,
aretaker told US were used in the old 4,
atapults. There is one statue in Ia
i'd with silver. 80
Our trip will certainly ALWAYS he r.
and thought of with Il
AT four o'clock we returned to our 81
Vn town. Believe me, was tired 10
1T nevertheless it was worth if. f.
l am sending you few pictures M
nlch will show you something of the m
ip. - '-- 90 20