The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-05-08


Judging from a letter written to,
the home folks, Private Cecil Lee Of
Base Hospital No. 1O7, had most en-
joyable and instructive trip through
France in company with a number of
his comrades. His letter follows:
Base Hospital No. 1O7 A. P. o.
780 A. T. F. April 10, 1919.
Dear Folks
| received your letter written the
30th, and also the Sank Centre Her
aid. Mothers and Blanches' letter
and also the sweets, and believe me
they were sure welcomed. It seems
to be rather difficult proposition to
get candy just at present. Of course
we can get all the French candy we
want but it doesn't amount to much.
In case you never received the let
ter I wrote you since I returned I'll
now give in detail the trip l took. On
the last day of February I was dis
charged from the hospital.
At 10 p. m. I got train at Morle,
changed again at Nevers leaving at
100 p. m. Changed again at Roanne
about 5 o'clock, arrived at Lyons at
1870 March 3rd. I was allowed to
stay in town until 9:20 p. m. During
that time I visited large Cathedral
and high signal tower, I went up in
the tower, it is s3 meters high and
is built on high cliff. From this
tower could see the foot of the Alps
mountains and the foot of the
Pyrennes mountain, also I could see
many towns in the dinstace. There
was a fair at Lyons which lasted a
month. At this fair was shown the
products of the different countries.
Australia had very good exhibit but
their small grain can't begin to come
to the equal with what is raised in the
United States. The wool was their
main exhibit. America was not repre-
scented. ~
I>arrived at Mines about 9 a. m. on
Tuesday morning, as checked in and
taken to a hotel which the Y. M. c. A.
had already arranged for during my
stay. The hotel wasn't first class, but
at that it was better than some of the
fellows had,
Wednesday I went to Montpelier,
took in quite a few sights while wait
ing for my train to go to Balavas,
which borders the Mediterrean Sea.
Most of my time was spent picking up
sea shells, and also taking little
ride in one of the skiffs. / got back
to Mines about Z o'clock, ate supper
and then went to the Y. M. c. A.
Thursday 1 went to the park and
took pictures. At this park are the
Roman baths. They were built during
the reign Of King Louis the XIV.
King Louis did very much towards
making the conditions of living better.
On large hill in the park is signal
tower. 1t was built by the Romans.
All the signaling was done with
smoke.
Friday 1 got up at 900 o'clock, and
went over to the Arena, and played
baseball. The Arena is one of the
three in the world which is now in
use. The records were destroyed
when Alexandria's Library was burn
ed. Also of number of other ercords
were burned, which would be very in
teresting to know. We had some
moving pictures taken of us playing
ball in tire Arena, also we had to
take the part of the audience cheer
ing. N.-
Friday afternoon I went to Lafoux-
Les-Baines, about twelve kilometers
from Mines. Outside of this town
about three kilometers is Roman
Aqueduct. 1t was supposed to have
been completed during the year Christ
was born. It's structure was started
about 10 or 20 B. C. This zAqueduct
known to Americans as big bridge
was used by the people Of Mines to
cross and go to large spring further
up the stream and get drinking water,
for drinking purposes. Several humid
red years later the SaXons captured
this bridge from the Romans and
since then it has not been in use.
Americans say it was then that the
French people quit drinking water.
This bridge is 100 feet high and $50
feet long. There has been an ad-
dition since so that there is a large
traffic, but not to the springs. Leaving
the bridge I went to. the quarries,
where the rock for the structure Of
the bridge was cut by hand. ..2
Saturday got up at 10 a. m. loafed
around till lunch and afterwards |