El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-02

I san october Is. Iucay'a instalment con-
Times the Eenerai uarratire from the
diary with account Of conditions in thl
training area I'm Northeastern France.
IL IS suggested that readers clip these
articles each day and paste them in scrap
books; they viii not Be- reprinted and back
Numbers cannot be supplied
] DECEY-SUR-OURCE, my headquar-
N tiers for the present. Is a small
town by a sparkling little river in
billy country, the region generally sug
costing that above Mountain Park to-
wards CloudcrOft, or the high country
IN northern Arizona and New Mexico
along the edges of the big forests. This
Is the department or county Of Cote
I dor or golden slope" on the water
shed between the Seine drainage which
I empties into the English channel and
I the headwaters of the Rhone which
empties into the Mediterranean. and is
noted for the grapes, wines, wheat,
/ and butter 1t Is the province Of Bour-
I gogne or Burgundy, and a wealth Of
historic interest opens up with the
I very calling Of the name.
II July l0lS-I have a pleasant
room in an old house overlooking
I garden; high quaint bed, polished floors,
carved and mlaid furniture The man
/ OF the house is q veteran, the married
daughter does the family washing and
there Is a girl whose chief junction
seems TO be ornamental Several 9th
ers IN the family. Another officer in
the house; a squad Of soldiers iu the
two STORED barn hack Of the house.
The headquarters Of the 1S0th bri-
gade Is in the town hall, and the 359th
infantry regiment is in part biileted
in this place.
ReceY Is very ancient town Church
700 years old, Norman type Ancient
towers, walls, arches, houses. Beauti-
tul private gardens and terraces be-
hind the high walls, which shut off
from the streets all private premises,
and which enclose tie entire town sep
arating 1t from the fields which sur
round It.
Am especially interested in the stone
roofs which are universally used; stone
slabs , to > inches thick and from ] to
3 square feet superficial area. These
stones are laid ike shingles, and their
weight must be tremendous, bus the
entire hplding construction IS adequate
IN proportion All building construc-
ton is stone and the wood beams are
enormous Even the barns and little
outhOuses have the stone roofs.
Is July l9lS-By being billeted we
get entrance INTO intimate life Of pe0-
pie behind high stone walls. Homes
uniformly comfortable, wen furnished.
quaint, elem, artistic. Painted panels, /
old mirrors and carved wood. Stone I
barns and fat cattle Our walks at
sunset on perfect roads over the pleas I
ant hills. Farms and pastures and /
woods. Superb scenery. The little river I
winds amid smiling fields and fl0werv I
borders, whispering over silver pebbles I
or n0isiy Lurrying down the rapids I
and tumblng over the hedges. Fisher I
men and girls catch their evening meal. (
Serenity and twilight peace such as 4
the poets sing of. il is an q historic I
area. Towns have 1000 to 1900 years
of history.
10 July l9ls-To the front lines
within 30 days, is the word TO Us. A
months hard training prescribed We
sit IN lovely garden amid flowers under
arching vines, eloudless blue skies, by
stone walls and houses many centuries
old, preparing schedules. Running
water everywhere in town from springs
Old fashioned garden flowers that re-
sive memories of childhood.
% July l9lS-Eine weather, clear
Ike El Paso in late August, the heat (.
not at all oppressive. Training Of in
fantrv follows hard schedule. long DAYS,
out Of the village before dawn, back
sometimes at S or D. m. Intensive
training, battle maneurers in open
order fighting, as wei as bayonet and
grenade work and target range. Spe-
cial attention paid TO liais0n, or main
tanning communication in battle
Troops IN good trim
We hear that the 5000 ton White
star liner Justicia was sunk By sub
marines north Of Ireland on her return
voyage 10 the United States a few
days after our arrival at Liverpool l.
She ian alongside of us all the way {
over and brought 5000 Of our division;
a fine ship almost new.
q July l9lS-Attended mass in an
eient church; interested In old folk
songs adapted TO the iturgical hymns,
but most Of the music is Gregorian.
In tins region grape vines and trees b
are trained fiat against the walls on
the sunny eNposure5 odd effect Of
.ruIt trees having no spread Of
branches except one way, in one plane,
Hat against the wall Object is to get Z
maximum benefit OF sun and reflected
and stored heat from wall, TO mature
.he fruit in the short seasons In
Unite care IN cultivation. Vegetation
-hriTes in spite of drouth.
Shortage of wood. Need of strict
economy IN many things. People here J
-alue the pennies Sometimes soldiers
axe advantage of their ignorance; one ]
I'D man engaged in changing money
shows me a number Of Confederate I
pills and old Mexican revolutionary q
paper currency for which he has given {
soldiers good French francs and be
wants TO know how much the phoney
PAPER Is worth. I regretfully tell him.
1t is cooler here now; the morning E
g much Ike Coudcroft in midsummer. E
sweet scents all over town from myr-
ad garden flowers; the old chateaU I
are beautiful. People are kindly The I
children crowd around the soldiers and
want to be made much Of. The small /
BOYS, even up to y or "a years, wear
black pmafoTe aprons or frocks over
heir hreeches that make them look
Ike girls. Curi0uslv, the small boys 7
IN the average are prettier than the
mail gIrls-prettY in a feminine way, Z
ret they have the boyish tricks and
ames.
interested in the large proportionate
given to nature study in
lie schools. Even in the primary
Tades there IS a course in the elements
IF farm science, horticulture. viticul-
ure, and care of dairy cattle. Adj
8nced courses Offered the older chill
iren. Much of the Instruction is by