Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-04-30
1T. GLENN TELLS
OF FRENCH THRIFT

A., > -.
! dier who goes to France and realizes
| for what the French ptoplc fought has
no regret for any sacrifice that he has
made. One o. the typical soldiers from
South Carolina is 1t L NJ Glenn, who
! IS now engaged in going over the
State in the Victory Loan Campaign.
Mr. Glenn is q very modest young man
and does not obtrude his opinions and
| it is only among those whom he has
known intimately that he will talk of
| Wha lie has seen in France
The thing which most has appealed
10 him is the thrift and love Of coUn-
try Of the French people and he
! thinks that the two are nter-dcpend-
cnt. 81 was sitting in my billet in
a small town in France Mr. Glenn
was telling Q friend ''when l observed
the French peasant trimming boughs
from the stumps of what had been a
tree of some size. This stump was
not more than 10 or II feet in height
and | saw that all he trees around the
billet bore the same appearance.
When I asked for an explanation I
was told that this is practically the on
ly way the peasant have to get fire
wood. If they should destroy the
i; tree entirely they would cut off their
| source Of supply SO they permit the
| tree to put out sprouts year after year
and these they cut off and bind into
bundles Of faggots. 1t requires less
| heat for them than otherwise because
their houses are built of stone and
they nourish every particle Of heat
generated by these previously es-
! teemed faggots. A great difficulty [
! had was in keeping my windows open
so that I could get fresh air. This
to my devoted landlady who took
keen delight in putting down the win
|
the moment my back was turned
"Another instance Of thrift which
observed in the same village was
that of the peasant who slaughtered
a good size pig which in effect had for
some months been a member of the
family. residing under the same roof
| tree and tended with scrupulous at
tention. I was nearby when the pig
was led into the middle Of the street
and my curiosity was greatly aroused.
The peasant mounted the pigs back
and thrust a long knife into its juglar
vein. Madame Peasant was there
with a vessel into which was poured
every drop of the pigs blood and
learned that this was to be made later
into a savory pudding. There was no
vat into which to dip the pig and I
was curious to know how it would
be cleaned. 7 soon learned that the
ways of the French pasant are as ef-
;ficient as our tremendous packing
plnts in this country in which we are
told everything about the pig is pre-
served except his squeal. A pile OF
straw was heaped ovr. poor piggy and
this was set on fire singing most Of
the bristles Now as it is we'll known
1f ,,-hn m
France water is a scarce article in that
country. The next step of the peas
ant was to take a number OF smooth
stones which were quite hot and with
these he polished the pigs hide until
it fairly cleaned in cleanliness"
II was interested to know how the
pig would be hung up as on our farm
in Anderson I had always seen the
pigs hung up in the cold air and saw
no way for the peasant to manage
his pig which was nearly as large as
the peasant himself. Presently he
produced a short ladder and rolled the
pig upon it. He then elevated one
end of the ladder and leaned it again
st a wall and there was piggie's car
cass hung up in the cold air. The
further nrrative Of the slaughtering
of the piggie is too intimate for publi-
cation. Sufficient to say that as de-
scribed by 1t Glenn no part of that
pig was wasted.