The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-14
The French sure are great on sculp-

The French sure are great on sculp-
ture, and On every building there are
statues carved in it. The whole
Notre Dame cathedral is made up OF
images and statues,
Our ships chaplain. who has spent
several year here, took us on sight
seeing trip and it really seemed as If
was in Fairyland, Paris is 800
1 miles from Brest SO we had to ride
/ all night. We arrived in Paris about
$3.50. Had breakfast in a Red Cross
canteen for ten cents, good one too.
Then another boy and / went sight.
seeing in the morning. We saw lots
of beautiful buildings like the >Ritz
IhoteE They. all are profusely orna-
imented. There are no skyscrappers
lin Paris like in New York, about
eight or ten stories being the high
est. Il bought quite a few souvenirs
SO, I'll send you them when we get
back to New York, We ate our din
Iner in a French restaurant aud as
Everybody drinks wine in France we
had the rottenest coffee / ever tasted.
The dinner cost about fifty cents, but
it wasn't what l call dinner
! At one o'clock we met the chap
lain in front of the Opera" and all
the rest of the party were there too.
He got taxicabs for us and we piled
itselfIto ride in French taxi. We
passed miles of captured German
trench guns, big ones too believe me.
The first place we visited was the
Eiffel Tower. You have heard of it.
1t rs the biggest tower, in the world,
912 feet high. In peace times We
could take the elevator and take a
trip to the top but now as it is war
time no one is allowed to go up. 1t
has wireless station on top
| Next we visited Napoleons's tomb.
This was made very interesting by
the guide who showed and explained
everything in it to us. From here we
went about half block and there
we saw lots of more guns captured
also aeroplanes. Jumping back to
our taxicabs we were driven over TO
Notre Dame cathedral. The chap
lain explained lots of history about
| it to us before we went in. Most of
their beautiful windows have been
Iremoved ard maize glass substituted,
that was because of the air raids
and the. French people think a lot
to tell how it looks like inside. I
will try to remember and tell you
when l get home. Then next we were
shown great big place used by
kings long ago. Gee it sure was a
big one, about two miles long.
From here we were taken to the
War Panthenon" or in other words
fthe war picture. 1t is the most won
derful picture in the world. ALI the
figures in it seem to be moving
After this we visited the place
where the famous statue "Bastile"
Isl Here we also inspected many war
trophies captured from the Huns, one
which was.a tank.
BY this time it was nearing sup
per time SO we went back to the Red
Cross canteen and had our supper,
cost fifteen cents. Our train left
for Brest at eight O'clock and before
gems the Red CTDss gave is oar
breakfast in package for the next
day. The French trains have no din.
| ing cars. We rode second class to
Paris and first class back. We ar
I
morning, making the trip in fifteen
hours one way. -
! Well from the latest information
hear we leave here for the states
next Saturday, February 10. We will
lead the way for the president who
will follow on the George Washing
tom We are getting prepared now
to receive about 1000 troops to take
back ourselves. Two big warshjps
left Mis- morning with big loads of
soldiers.
/ received your last letter which
was addressed to the Receiving ship
| at New York just about ten minutes
after / mailed letter to mother.
haven't heard from Csc yet. IAguess
he's on his way home, hope so. ! Hope
will soon. Well want to write
to Walt yet so I'll close now. With
! lots of love and kisses, From your
son, Rob.
Brooklyn, New York. March L,
1913. Dear Mother: Well l. think
! it is high time was writing a few
lines and letting you know how
am getting along.
We have at last reached our dock
oAiu ho uOuDt ILLS snip Will stay mere
for quite a while. Before coming to
New York we dropped anchor at
Hampton Roads,, Va. That was day
before yesterday While there, We
let off Vice admiral Wilson and his
staff and also about twenty army Of
ficers who had made the trip across
with us. The editor of The New York
Times was also q passenger and he
stayed on till we got to New York.
Those army officers sure were a sick
bunch on the way over and they
didn't show up very much on deck
during the stormy days when our
ship did all the modern dances, in
Guiding the schimy was bit diz-
~ myself the first few days but 1
soon got over it. - ~
We left Brest in fine shape and
little did we reckon what would hap
pen before We reached port again
The New Mexico was the leading
ship Of the presidents convoy. There
were also four submarine destroyers,
two on each side of The George
Washington" We struck rough
weather soon after leaving Brest and
at times we couldn't see~the George
Washington. Those destroyers were
tossed about just like chips but they
stuck with us for a while, Then when
we were passing the Azore Islands
/ 4. I-e1 = =