The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-06

IHslsS1 recent letter from Major
INA.1Nl Stephen s. Markley in a
tI letter to Mrs Markley of
gsG this city. Major Markley
now has charge Of a large
medical division In mutilated western
France. He visits the military hos
pitfalls OF that district.
Il started last Tuesday morning In
a large ambulance to innoculate
against typhoid the military police in
several towns, and just got back at
noon today. took Lieut.. Makay with
me; the driver and an orderly. We
took our bedrolls, besides some ra-
tons. Went to st. Menehold. Chalons,
and on to Epernay. Near Epernay we
had an accident. Just as we approach
ed place where lot OF Indo-French
Cinnamon were they kicked a small
differentiation tank Of gasoline right
out in front of our car. The driver
could not stop soon enough and We
ran over it, throwing the car OF thu
road. and almost upsetting 1t. We
finally jammed up against French
truck and found our radiator smashed,
the steering gear bent and other parts
injured. The car was useless.
Shell Hole In Bed Room
nay, and on Wednesday night at Cha
teau-Thierry. The hotel there was full
and we got a room with private
family; slept in room German shell
had come through. The wall was
broken and the shell had passed d.
rectly through a panel of the door.
The Germans had also occupied the
house later, and we were shown some
picture frames in the parlor which the
oil paintings had been cut from, and
the painting taken. Two big mirrors
had also been broken.
Next morning we went to Belleau
Woods where you will remember, our
marines stopped the German advance
early in the war, and where they put
up such a heroic battle. There arc
162 marines buried there on one side
of the woods. Probably there are
more on the other side. but We did not
go there. The trees are full Of bullets
and some have been cut of by burst
ing shells.
Visits Paris
I'VE then continued our trip on to
Paris, arriving there about noon. In
the afternoon we went sightseeing in
and about Paris and then went to Ve-'
sailles which is very beautiful place
There is a wonderful palace and gar
den, but one must see it to appreciate
the beauty. A word of description
could not convey the proper idea. That
night we went to a theater in Paris
and then the next morning started on
our journey again.
ST went to Beuvais, about eighty
live kilometers northwest of Paris
After finishing my work there, we con
tinued northeast to AMiens. There
are about 300 American troops there
but the town is mostly occupied by
the English This is in their area
We stayed all night there. Amiens
has a splendid cathedral. one of the
largest and most famous in France
The town was shelled badly by the
Germans but most of the windows
were taken out of this cathedral ant
secreted before this took place. The
Sommer river flows through this
town and is broken up into seyera
channels which find their way through
the middle of the town. In some
places the houses are built up close tt
the stream on one side, and the street
is on the other side. Each family
goes into the house from the stree
over a little footbridge. In peace
times, Amiens had about $4,000 Of
5000 inhabitants. Next morning, We
continued east and reached Perronne
1t evidently used to be nice town
but not now. 1t is shot to pieces. We
next reached Roisel where we alta,
dinner Roisel has no houses. A few
people live in temporary woodel
structures.
I'VE had taken with US bread, can
and cheese and drinking water. 1t
a good thing we did for we did no
see a restaurant or hotel during tn
whole days travel.
Next we reached st. Quentin,
nice town but shot to pieces like tn
rest. On the way here we passed tn
famous Hindenburg line In fact W
paralleled this line for quite di:
lance. He used the natural defense
of the country along this line an
heavily fortified them. His boast wa
that the allied armies would never b
able to break it. They did break i
however and Iow old 'Hindy' and til
kaiser are out of a job. are exiles an
hope will get the just punishmer
that is due them.
when one passes through thi
wasted desolate country. it does NJ
seem like the world, but like som
sort of inferno; towns gone, no peopl
there: no cattle in the fields, {
horses along the roads; no whes
fields showing green at this time I
the year The trees have been CT
down or shot to pieces. Ammunitio
boxes are strewn along the road
Piles of unused shells, big and littl
everywhere. Helmets and rusty rifle
are seen so often that they hard
cause comment Another sight th'
Is very familiar is the great numb'
of white crosses along the roads an
in the fields marking the places whel
so many brave men fell and are bu
led. The fields are full, of shell hole
and tangled barbed wire.
RIVE next came to Rheims. TIL
town is quite badly shot up but n