WAR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 187, 16 January 1915, Page 6

WAR NOTES.

A LOAD OP BUTTER. ! A butter dealer of Normandy, whose < acquaintance I made, among many others, during the present war, tells me a quaint story, which shows that in the midst of the turmoil of battle business is not always forgotten. He had sent a. railway waggon full of butter, some I five tons, in fact, from Xormandy to | Lille, at the beginning of October. The j waggon was shunted somewhere in the j station, and he learned from a friend, | who sent him a timely wire, that the Germans were expected any day. That was no time to lose a consignment of such a valuable household article, and my friend hastened lo Lille, which place he reached on October 4, whilst the j first bombardment was in progress. In the midst of it all, lie persuaded the stationmaster to have the truck containing the butter brought out from the sheds, and a drummer was sent intS r the streets to call the housewives. Quite | a number of them responded, and in less J than half an hour, while shells were being hurled into the town, the butter [ was auctioned ofl', and, to his surprise, I the sale actually brought him the pro- ; fit of GOOO francs. j few.days later my friend was standing in frpnt of the Hotel de TStvtagnc, near the' post office, when a Taulie dropped a shell, which demolished the upper storey of the hotel and sent splinters of wood and glass into his face. That day lie left the town, with liis fane and hands badly cut, and joined a King procession of refugees who finally made their way to St. Pol.—Daily Telegraph.