Directions
Read this article about a train from France. Then answer questions 1
through 5.
The Merci Train
by Rita J. Markel
Merci = a French word meaning thank you
On February 3, 1949, New York Harbor was an exciting place to be.
Airplanes flew overhead. Whistles blew, and bells sounded. Small boats
circled in the water. Crowds cheered from the docks. They were there to
greet a ship that carried a very special cargo. Onboard were 49
railroad boxcars filled with gifts from the people of France to the
people of America. There was one boxcar for each of the existing 48
states, and one to be shared by the District of Columbia and the
Territory of Hawaii. These boxcars became known as the Merci Train.
Following the end of World War II (1939-1945), France was almost in
ruin. Factories, roads, bridges, and farms had been destroyed by
bombings. Many French people were without jobs or money. They had
little to wear and little to eat.
In the winter of 1947, Americans set out to help. A train was sent
across the United States, stopping in cities and towns along the way.
At every stop, people gave whatever they could. Factories gave goods,
clothing, and medicines. Grocers and farmers gave food. Families gave
money. Even school children donated their pennies. The train's contents
were then shipped to France.
By 1949, the French had begun to recover from the war's destruction.
The Merci Train was their way of saying "thank you" to America for the
help they had needed so badly. French citizens had filled the boxcars
with gifts. They sent tapestries, china, statues even Napoleon's sword.
But most of the gifts were personal, like hand-made dolls, toys,
children's drawings, postcards, scrapbooks, even wedding dresses. In
short, the people sent the things they treasured most that had not been
lost in the war.
But the boxcars themselves were perhaps the most meaningful of the
gifts. On each, the French people had painted the coats of arm of all
their 40 provinces. They added red, white, and blue stripes, the colors
of both the French and American flags. Each car had an American eagle
painted on its front. These boxcars, which had once been used to move
troops into battle, would never again be used for war.
From New York, the boxcars were delivered by rail to each state. Both
children and adults waited eagerly for the Merci Train to arrive.
Everyone wondered what their state's boxcar would contain. When the
boxcars arrived and the contents displayed, there were celebrations
everywhere. Speeches were given, parades were held, and the news of the
event was broadcast on the radio and reported in newspapers.
A number of the states kept their wonderful boxcars. Some have been
carefully maintained or restored and can still be visited. Gifts sent
by the French people can still be seen at certain state museums and
historical societies. The Merci Train came out of the ruins of war, but
it is a reminder that nations can also work together in peace and
goodwill.
Now take the test