The Topeka state journal., 1919-02-01
Sanford FARRELL Writes of "Ten
Days in Paradise"
Describes q FurlO From His
Regiment in France.
HE ENDURED AtONe TRAM RIDE
Found q Y Hut-Fable Led the
Opening Conversation.
Wells College Unit Had Charge
of the Hut There.

a 4OpShd SOlulGI
now in France, has written the story
of Ten Days in Paradise" by which
he means his furlo near the first of
December. Five hundred of the en-
listed men of the Sixtieth field artil-
lery brigade were given a furlo, and
Sanford, formerly of the Topeka State
Journal, describes the vacation as
follows:
I'VE left Verdun on a crowded troop
train. Travelling three nights and two
days on a leave train in France on
iron rations is neither novel nor COM
packed in each compartment Corned
willy and hardtack formed the major
portion of our rations. We shaved
not. neither did we wash.
Just before dawn of the third
morning, having covered a distance
and st. Louis, we arrived at La Bour-
bouleS and were informed that we
would be taken care of at Mont-Dore,
seven kilos further.
Had a Grand Room.
1.-THE village, we discovered, was
largely a collection of large, modern
hotels. I was given a room that
major general at the front would have
envied- The great crowd of men, col
iSSt4fCly d STOuCH aSdlIlSI
themselves and everyone else, did won-
ders to their faces and hands and
necks and ears with hot water and
soap and safety razors.
After Breakfast, Sergt. Maj. Bill
Sproat suggested to me that we hunt
a Red Cross canteen, a government
commissary or Y hut Gathering
several Topeka and Kansas city men
under his wing, the sergeant major
Jared forth.
Then Found the Y. NJ.
"a block or two from the hotel we
noted a large structure of marble and
glass. The American flag floated
above it, and the red triangle of the
Y. M. c. A. was at the door. The
building, formerly an elaborate gam
bling casino, second only to Monte
Carlo, is now Y hut
We entered a spacious lobby Sever
al pianos were being played and SOL
diers were seated about on upholster-
ed chairs and lounges. Some were
playing cards. others were reading the
papers. Here and there were young
women, regular American girls of the
type we once knew and can never for
get. A girl from the Wells College
unit made me welcome. I had been
in France eight months, and this was
the first time 1 had seen any of the
fair sex from the land of the free.
CONS to direct the fire of our six-inch
hoWitzers at the boche, but we had
been leading such a primitive life that
we had forgotten the niceties of con-
versation. However, Sergeant Fable
of Battery A, was able to humble a
few words of thanks. Needless to
state we began to make rapid progress
along conversational lines in the next
few minutes.
Met Andy Smith There.
Eve had not been there long before
we met Andy Smith. He is the Y. M
c. A. live wire in that area Before
he took up that work he was a part
ner in a large bonding house in New
Jersey. Since he took up the job
there, not a dull moment have the
boys had.
About 20 American girls at the Ca
sino brought the boys to a realiZa ton
that there is something in life besides
shell holes. wrecked cathedrals and
red wine. The girls dance every even
ing with the boys who wear their hob
nailed boots and who come to the en-
tertainment fresh from the memories
of war just over.
Every day one of the Y. NJ. c. A.
secretaries took the boys on hikes in
the mountains. But there was plenty
to do for everyone at the Casino.
Sergeant Major John Keys, who
used to be a reporter on the Kansas
City Star. is stationed in that part of
the country, and is said to live in bar
baric splendor in one of the hostelries.
"Our furlo was originally for
seven days. but on account of lack of
transportation facilities, it was ex-
tended to ten"