The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-07
YANkS MAKING
GOOD IN FRANCE
Have Not "Amerlcanlzed' coun-
try, but Meet Success
in Business.
some HAVE BECOME WEALTHY
Several Thousand discharged Ameri.
can Soldiers Remained in France
to Try Their Fortunes--News-
paper Men Land on Feet.

American soldiers who remained In
France to try their fortunes are far
Ing as must fare all pioneers. A few
have become reasonably wealthy {;
some are reporting progress" the
majority, however. are flying rather
lower than they were when they set
out to "Americanize France"
Nearly 5000 American expediti0nary
force men were released here, and it is
estimated fourth Of these have set
tied down to work here. The others
are visiting, sightseeing or have gone
home after discouraging look at bust
ness prospects.
Several hundred found employment
with large concerns chiefly American
firms preparing to do business In the
devastated regions. Another group
took various small places to pay their
way while studying. The majority, II
was said, started to make good by
capitalizing American methods. But
most OF them agree that easy money
Is not one Of the natural resources OF
France, but a few have proved that II
is. A negro made 125,000 francs
\ normal value, S25.000) buying and
selling army and navy supplies u.
Brest. His case is vouched for by q
well-known American commercial ex.
ecutive.
Chicago Press Club Driver Wins.
The most striking success reported
Is that of ''the fox-trot kings of Paris"
as they term themselves. Gerald Kiley,
who drove the Chicago Press club am
bulnnce, and Harold Fitch Of st. Paul,
who was at the wheel of one Of Mrs
w. X. Vanderbilt's ambulances and
later went to the front. Kiley and
Fitch, the former said, got their start
over here when the wife of an Amer
lean banker pressed 500 francs
tabout $100) on US" when they played
In three-man jazz band at a dance
she gave. They organized Wilson
welcome BAH at leading hotel wher,
the president arrived in Paris and net
ted more than 10000 francs on the at
fair. This success, they said, they
often duplicated at the Dixie club
dances they organized.
Knowing that good things must not
be overworked, the men took over the
ice cream making equipment of the
Y. III. 9. A, which has capacity Of
thousand gallons an hour, and late
III October began whole hing Dixie
Ice cream.
Some of the most interesting of the
American business experiences here
are those of men who married French
girls. Three OF these are farming
east of Paris, making more money
than they ever thought possible in the
United States" their business adj
wiser said. One man married into
dairy shop. Another returned to his
trade of tailoring in the same way.
Scores of American boys are in bust
ness with their French fathers-in-law
Introduce Rebuilt Typewriters.
Rebuilt typewriters, familiar to
Americans. have been introduced to
the French by Lieut. J. L. Mccain o.
Tuscaloosa, Ala, and George z. How.
ard of Pasadena. Cal Their difficulty is
too much business. Isadore Court, who
was paperhanger, boldly set himself
up in the decorating business in d
fashionable suburb. Lieut.. S. L. Tyler
Of Memphis, Tenn, became merchan.
disc broker. Harry L. Drucker, pho.
tographer, returned to his trade.
One man who wanted to bring in
carloads Of automobiles and bicycle
tires turned defeat into success by
opening tire sale and repair shop.
Another one with the Nime idea is
awaiting arrival of a real steam vul-
canjzing plant to give Paris taste of
fast work. He said virtually all tube
repairs here now are made with ce-
ment patches instead of vulcanizing,
and take week instead of an hour.
Newspaper men seem to have landed
on their feet most quickly. Nearly all
If those who stayed are developing
some idea" outside of Office hours.
Ideas for wealth may result in the
establishment of chain Of hotels and
restaurants along the battlefront |
towns. One young man who missed |
the American "shine" is negotiating q |
lease for shoe-shining parlor.