PICTURE UNCLE
VERDUN, Oct. 3. — Just west of |
here, in the forest of Argonne, there
is a remarkable military tunnel, forty
five feet under ground, running right
up to within 300 yards of the German
trenches, it is one of the most hard
pressed points around Verdun, but
through this tunnel reinforcements
are moved forward without danger,
relieving every two hours the men on
the firing line.
There was a very American atmos
phere about this tunnel when the As
sociated Press correspondent visited
it for the curious fact developed that
the two officers in command were
American residents, one a stock raiser
in Alberta, Canada, and the other a
hank official of the Eranco-American
Rank at Eos Angeles, Cal. Both were
born in France, and when the war
broke out left their American business
to come home and fight. And now
they are in full charge of this under
ground highway, leading up to one of
the most desperate positions along the
front. They are so American that
they speak English instead of French
and the commandant’s headquarters—
a little nest in the clay—has a big
picture of Uncle Sam hanging on the
wall.
Creeping through this tunnel toward
the front line, the members of the
visiting party knocked their steel
casques on the roof, and plunged
through water ankle deep, Paul Fra
vath. the New York lawyer, a man
of large build, six feet six inches tall,
was bent double in the struggle
through the tunnel. Along the way
they passed an electric plant, throb
bing with energy, and pumping the
fresh air which keeps the tunnel habi
table. Farther on, in a large clay
hole a kitchen was in full operation,
with soldiers eating bowls of noodles.
“Let me introduce you to our chef,”
said the commandant, as a young sol
dier cook came forward. "He is now
the cook for this tunnel and he ought
to be a good cook, for before the war
he was chef to the French ambassador
at Itotne.”
Emerging from the tunnel into the
front line French trenches, the Ger
man trenches were plainly visible on
the crest only 300 yards away. The
intervening space was swept as
though by a cyclone. Instead of the
beautiful green of the forest, that was
left at the other end of the tunnel,
here the whole outlook was gray and
desolate; the ground jagged and torn
as by eccentric ploughs; not a vestige
of grass or verdure, and the few
gaunt trunks of trees stripped of their
last leaf and looking like so many
scarecrows.
“This has been a rather quiet day
—only two mine explosions,” said the
commandant “two men Injured, one
in the shoulder, the other in the leg.
That is little, for often we have 40
to 60 men killed or injured in these
mine explosions, which go on con
tinually ns the Germans try to mine
under our trenches and we try to
mine under theirs.”
Even beyond the front line French i
trenches, the French soldiers had
pushed their observation posts into
the fire-swept dividing line, 300 yards
wide. Some of these daring men
could be seen almost up to the crest
where the German line ran. They
were crouched behind heaps of boul
ders, rifles ready.
•'Those men are only ten yards from
the Germans," said the commandant.
As he spoke. Mr. Cravath of New
Yoik, said:
"I see a German: there he is on the
crest; you can see his uniform with
the round cap."
"And he sees you, too," s lid the
commandant. “You have been under
fire," he added, as he led Mr. Cravpth
and the others to a more secure p >
sitlon.
"It’s good that German didn’t fire,"
remarked Cravath. "II might have
been an international incident. Think
' of it — killing an American visitor to
the French trenches.”
Coming back from the front line
t: onehos,one had a view of the many
ceaseless activities in carrying on this
great battle. At one point soldiers
in sbiit sleeves were digging graves
in an improvised cemetery along the
forest path. The cemetery was very
large, and had been given a name:
“Maison Forrestier," or Forest Home.
Kvery grave had a wooden cross above
It, with the name and regiment of
the dead soldier.
The shells kept whizzing and burst
ing ns the party moved along, and It
got to be a pleasant pastime to note
the long 8-21-2 as the shells flew over
head. One of them Btruck a few hun
dred feet away, throwing up trees,
earth and clouds of smoke.
To those who wanted souvenirs
.....~-"T" ^
there were big fragments of shrapnel
lying at every turn, it was p'easanfc
at first to pick them up, but after
three or four of these heavy chunks
of steel were carried half a mile, the
task was abandoned.
The Ingenuity of some of the tronch
quarters along the way is shown In
the use of empty glass bottles for win
dows. One officer pointed with pride
to the very artistic effect he had se
cured with thes empty bottles. A
triple row extended all across the
front of his log shack, giving light
within and having rather a cathedral
window effect without. The bottles
are of white glass, used for bottling
the w hite wine of Bordeaux.
The headquarters of General Ne
ville, In command of the operations at
Verdun, are quite a way outside the
city, at a little cross road hamlet,
which cannot be named for military
reasons. The general's offices are
in the town court house, a two story
stone structure. It was In this same
building that General Petain, who pre
ceded Neville, and General de Castel
nau, quickly made the plans on the
first onrush of the Germans, which
held them until reinforcements could
lie brought up.
General Neville goes to Verdun and
along the trench front frequently. But
most of his time is at headquarters,
in telegraph and telephone communl
cation with the whole circle of defen
ses, and in tough, too. with the other
army corps and masses of supplies
ready to he moved forward to fill
any gap the Germans may make.
As we were at General Neville’s
headquarters, a party of German pris
oners came by They marched two
and two, their gray uniform and
round cap contrasting with the French
blue and casque. Already they were
being set to work, and instead of a
gun each German carried a spade over
his shoulder. At Verdun there is
no civilian life whatever, but around
General Neville's headquarters there
were peasant women and girls ming
ling with the poilus, indicating civil
ian life still existed thus near to the
bombarded town.
The roads back of Verdun present
the most varied scenes of activity.
On one side is a vast aeroplane camp,
with some twenty enormous hangars
>1 basket steel construction, covered
with canvas. Across the road is a
riding course running for miles, where
officers can exercise their mounts,
md cavalry can push forward in em
ergency without blocking the high
-oad. Every now and then one sees
i big vehicle shoot by bearing the
sign “American Ambulance Corps."
The thousands of horses and mules
along the road are In good condition.
Many of the horses came from Ameri
ca, and were run down by sea voy
age, but after a month's feeding they j
proved very serviceable. On seeking
the mules, one of the officers said:
"The demobolizatlon of the Greek
army had one very important result
for the allies — it released 10,000
mules which the Greeks had been
using, and now these mules are prov
ing invaluable to the allies."
The last glimpse of Verdun came
as the party passed a detachment of
French soldiers, just out of the
trenches and going to the rear for
rest. They were tired and heavily
laden, but happy and cheerful as they
swung along in irregular ranks, laugh
ing and smoking as though they came
from some agreeable occupation. They
were all fine looking young fellows,
and they typified that calm and In
vincible spirit which the young French
soldiers are putting into their service.
-♦—
Order your letter heads and euve
lopes now
in the oistrict court for the
TERRITORY OF ALASKA, THIRD
DIVISION.
No. 852.
SUMMONS.
John Christensen, plaintiff, vs. Matilda
Sweeney Christensen, defendant.
The President of the United Stutes
of America, Greeting:
To Matilda Sweeney Christensen,
the above named defendant.
You are hereby required to appear
In the District Court for the Territory
of Alaska, Third Division, within thirtv
days after the completion of the pub
lication of this summons, to-wit, with
in thirty days after the 30th day of
October, 1916, and answer the com
plaint of John Christensen, the above
named plaintiff, In the above entitled
cause, which cause is an atcion for
divorce in one of the cases prescribed
by law, wherein the plaintiff prays for
a decree dissolving the bonds of mar
riage between himself and you and
tor such other and further relief as
to the court may seem right and pro
per In the premises. And you are
hereby notified that if you fail to ap
pear and answer said complaint as
herein required, the said plaintiff will
take judgment against you for want
thereof, and will apply to the court
for the relief demanded in his said
complaint, as hereinbefore set out.
The order for the publication of this
summons was duly made and entered
on the 15th day of September, 1916.
Witness the Honorable Fred M.
Brown, Judge of said court, and the
seal thereof this sixteenth day of Sep
tember, in the year of our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and sixteen
and of our Independence the one hun
dred and fortieth.
(District Court Seal)
ARTHUR LANG,
Clerk District Court, Third Division,
Territory of Alaska.
By T. P. Geraghty, Deputy.
9-18, 25; 10-2, 9. 16, 23, 30. __
»- -NX •
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IT IS Ml Cl I SAI'HjR Ml HAY E Y Ol R MuXEY in a SAYINGS account than in your house your
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IV'
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Insure your property against fire in
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We represent the Niagara, London,
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CORDOVA, ALASKA
1 ^ — ... ■■■■ —
Mr. Workingman:
After reading the following
letter can you vote for John
Reman for Senator.
Ml. » P,H CIm t C-.«* U« C'M*
C V„ -«- SwjS ■
n..„ ...h, MI|JE OWN Kits A.NO Ol'KH ATOMS iASST I..^ c.*
ASSOCIATION SXae
n..«, -
*• HKauS U*. .. uw r*.
4 A tew i—w M «4N
C BBAAKV SasMONU ASSIST
chard*, also an aaeoeiation card vbich vtll ant itIs, hia to
doctor'# car# and hospital trsatasnt fris, should ha get hurt or
inour elcknsee vhtla In your eaploy or tn th* saploy of any avatar
of our Association. dv understands that ha it to ha vs nothing to 4o
»lth any union federation #r any other agitators whatsoever, but
report dtreotly to you laaediately upon his Arrival in Fairbanks
Mining District; and hs further understands that should hs In any way
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violate ths conditions herein sonlstned, hs forfeits all his olaia
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on you (or oxployaont or to tho roooipi of on 4**o«t*tloa ccrl.
*C»ot «y. Onion kill Op.rotor*
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BioAri* t.