North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-03-18

France.
S. Sinnett, of Muscatine, is travelling in
Europe. He writes most interesting let
tiers to the Courier. We clip from Mont
auban, Feb. 18th: -
FRIEND BARNHARr I'll last wrote you
from London, and before left looked for
some numbers Of the Courier to have rea-
ched me from Dublin, but that pleasure is
to he postponed till return to London
Next to letter from home, there is moth
in. more welcome than a newspaper. 1t
brings so many home scenes and familiar
faces before Us. All the American papers
get are eagerly sought after, as you find
Americans at every town.
xx vg-% u
This is the centre of the great wine re-
gion of France. The vineyards stretch
away on every side. and are planted and
managed good deal like our corn. ANY
good corn land will raise grapes.) They
are planted the same way--four feet apart
and the cultivation is very simple-not
much more than corn. Few of the vines
are tied to stakes, the majority stand alone
Ike currant bushes and are no larger. The
first vineyards l saw l thought were fields
of currants. The vines were SO small. /
am taking good deal of pains to get post
ed on the vine business. Wine here is
about as cheap as cider with us. For five
cents you can get large (quart) bottle.
Everybody uses it. The poor man takes
his bottle of wine and piece of bread for
his breakfast. and the rich man has it fire.
auently instead of coffee. You never sit
down to table but it is there. The first
cafe was in, they placed bottle of wine
| beside my plate. and as could not ask
any questions | watched others around
me. They drank it like water or beer. l
poured out tumbler full but it took very
little to satisfy me. 1t tasted to me like
logwood and vinegar. would much pre-
fer hard cider. They have a singular mode
of serving coffee here; in the cafes You are
! given either white coffee with milky or
black coffee with small measure of brandy
to mix with it. think a cafe on that
principle in Muscatine, would be pretty
largely patronized.
A word to the advocates of the Maine
Liquor Law. There is no drunkenness to
he found where wine is cheap and general.
" used. / am informed that case of
drunkenness amongst the people of the
place here is u very rare occurrence and
there is very little crime in consequence,
though the best brandy in France is made
around here. The b. andy is made by
distilling the wine, and as there is no tax
on it, almost all the large wine raiscrs
have stills. They generally sell all their
brandy, as the French generally don't like
strong drinks. was yesterday taken on
to fine vineyard owned by Monsieur
Gascow, a New Yorker. He was very 20
lite, and gave me great deal of usetu
information. He bought an estate of abou
35 acres with fine chateau furnished ant
all the outbuildings, wine vats, presses, etc
for Sc 900. Now that is sufficient to main
tain family in France. Fuel is YER,
scarce and high, everything that will burr
; is saved, even the vine twigs are tied u
in bundles and sold.
This is quaint old town the houses
streets, ETC., are very ancient AND dro
looking things The floors are general
(all through the house) made Of tiles, an
sometimes laid very prettily in mosai
6 style. When they are of wood they ar
all mitred and waved, no carpets, sma
rug before the fire. The doors, window.
c and all their fastenings are things of til
past. You might imagine yourself bac
in the days of Martin Luther.
Before leaving London, purchased
! vocabulary containing the sentences an
= words generally in use, and with Frenc
pronunciation of each word. might Jul
: as well HAYES tarted with Latin sramms
to thina. Do all could was unable
make them understand their own languag
/. thousi twisted my jaws in every conce
vablc form. The more tried to con~inc
them and make them understand me til
more they stared, so as found the CHS
f hopeless / gave it up. As for the an
nouncement of the different stations by tn
, conductors, defy you to make anythin
out of them.