Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-07-17
THINGS SEEN BY A DOUGH BOY
Lieutenant Daniel L. Nc Williams
Writes To His Brother-in-Iaw
Nick Weber.

what saw on my leave to England and
part of the French battle front.
Left ST. Nazaire and went to Paris,
where I spent day. Then l went to
Bologne, France, and crossed the Chan
nei to Folkstone, England, from where
I went to London. While in London ]
visited many places of historic interest,
among others London Tower. London
Bridge, Westminster Abbey aud Scot
land Yard, the headquarters of the
London Police Department.
Remained in London two days and
took night train, $50 as to save time }
for Edinbourgh, Scotland. Saw the
wonderful Edinburgh Castle and the
Bridge of Forth. From here I went tn
Glasgow and visited the home of Robert
Burns, near little town called Ayr,
about ten miles from Glasgow.
crossed the Irish Sea to Belfast,
Ireland, and from there went to Dublin,
which is a very beautiful city and the
home Of Irish politics. After leaving
Dublin went to Killarney Lakes and
spent night in hotel on the banks of
one Of the lakes of which there are
three. Visited Blarney Castle next and
kissed the Blarney Stone. From Blar-
ney went to Cork, then crossed back
into Wales, crossed Wales and came
back to London, where I spent night.
| Went to His Majestie's Theatre to see
Chu Chin Chow, which is produced by
the original company.
The scenery in the British Isles at
this particular season is wonderful and
one would have to be of a descriptive
turn of mind approaching an artist to
try to describe it.
Crossed the Channel, which was very
rough, back to France and Paris.
Visited Versailles the most historic and
artistic place in Europe. You may re-
member that Louis XIV built all the
State Houses and the very beautiful
surrounding terraced Gardens of Yer
sailles.
The German Peace Delegates are
stationed at Versailles in one portion of
the Gardens. They are not permitted
to come outside of fence surrounding
the very elaborate hotel and grounds
Neither is any one allowed to enter
there.
in Dn1o n
the Treaty of Peace will be signed and
out Of curiosity I touched the table to
be used for the occasion.
Versailles is one Of the most beautiful
places in the world and rich in Art.
1t was here that the Kaiser was going
to have his famous Christmas Dinner,
which never materialized.
Also visited the Pantheon La Guerre,
where the most wonderful painting Of
the Allied Nations of the war can be
seen. The artists brought the Charac-
ters out so clear that one imagined they
were real.
Visited the Tomb of Napoleon and
while there saw an American General
decorating several French Officers in
behalf of the U. S. Army.
Visited the Louvre the home Of all art
and saw so much there that it would be
useless to try to write it, but one thing
of very great interest was the Original
Statue of Venus De lo,Ncredited with
being the greatest piece of Art known.
Having seen art and things of an
artistic nature up to this time and re-
membering the history Of the bloodshed
which preceded. and came with these
things I decided that I would visit a
battlefield of the present war which to
some one Of future generations will
mean art and history; but to me it will
mean real visage. I went to Reims and
saw the awful devastations, buildings
moved to powder and the most beauti-
full Cathedral in the world destroyed.
I then visited the surrounding battle
fields where thousands of acres were
torn by shell fire and trenches. Little
crosses were planted where some COM
rade buried his pal or where some one
was buried by military order.
Saw the once large French Fort of
Pompelle moved to powder, Poppies
were in full bloom in great numbers
over the battle field and added feeling
Of sublimity to the quiet, vast scene
which two years ago was roaring hell.
Here and there one could see the bones
of the unburried dead.
Next I went to Chateau Thiery and
thence to Belleau Woods where 22OO
Americans were killed. The Ameri-
cans were being removed from their
present resting place and placed in a
grave yard on gentle slope at the foot
of the famous Belleau Woods Hill.
The scenes that visited in England
and France on the first part of my trip
were pathetic to people of the age of
their existance; but these last scenes
were pathetic to me because of the
originality of their time and Mace