The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-10-01

1 y i
face bears some important monument
of interest in connection with the
civilization of France. In travelling
through this region one sees at q
glance the source Of the immense
wealth of France. In the valley of
the Isere, for instance, the noyer or
Madeira-nut tree is found, and grow
ing so thickly as to make the valley
look like an immense forest; no.
where else, l am told, does the fruit
grow so large. Between the rows of
trees the vine is trained on trellises.
while the intermediate areas ere
planted with grain. IN addition to
these crops there is the mulberry
tree, which is cultivated to feed silk
worms. And again, farther south,
the garance or madder is produced,
and likewise the olive. All these
crops, NUS, wine, silk, madder and
the olive, to say nothing of grain,
bring higher prices in the worlds
commerce than any other staple pro-
ducts. The income from them is
probably greater, considering the Ia
bor bestowed On them, and the
ground devoted to their cultivation,
than that derived from staple pro-
ducts in other lands. How much
greater may be estimated by the fact
of small estate Of forty acres bring
ing in revenue of fifteen or twenty
thousand dollars per annum. When
one considers that the soil is largely
owned by peasant proprietors, and
that they all raise these valuable
crops, it is easy to account for the
ready payment of our immense war
indemnity. 1t is said that Bismarck.
familiar as he was with French re-
sources, looks back upon his oppor-
tunity somewhat like Warren Hast
ings, who, considering the chance he
had to plunder the treasures of In
dia, was astonished at his own mod
Grafton.
Some of the picturesque and social
features of this region can be i'm
agined through a sketch of two or
three pleasant excursions. The first
one is a picnic. The scene a crag
crowned with a medieval ruin, stu
ated on an amphitheatre Of mount
aims, with an outlook on more level
country. a village of low gray
houses is built on the lower slope of
the crag, while the square walls of a
roofess tower grow out of the preci-
pice facing the mountains; various
walls, arches and vaults with green
sward, once courtyard, connect the
tower with high rock on which
stands the chapel now serving as the
village church. Cn our way to this
place we bought glgot and roasted
it at the village cafe. As soon as it
was done it was brought up to the
top of the crag, where our table was
spread beneath the dilapidated win
dows of the old banqueting hall. AT
this moment a boy appeared with
several bottles of wine and a message
from the cure conveying his compli-
ments. We of course accepted both
and in turn invited the cure to ioin
us. He came in about twenty min
utes. l was surprised to find him
young, good-looking and wearing
full black beard, presenting such
contrast to his clean-shaved brethren
Of Paris. He was very polite. He
talked politics with us and discussed
other topics. He told us the history
Of the ruin, took us to various inter-
esting points of view and showed us
into his chapel perched on the neigh
boring rock and commanding an ex-
quisite prospect. The chateau had
belonged to the Montauban family
and was last besieged and taken by
Lesdignieres in the wars of religion.
Until the revolution of 1889 it was
complete. At that time it was pur-
chased by two Of the villagers for
mere trifie and soon afterwards burnt
by the rest out of jealousy of their
ownership. One cannot avoid asso-
ciatlng this historical incident with
Others of the same sort in our gener-
alton, illustrative Of the sentiment of
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.
"This ruin,7 said the cure, "can
now be bought for two hundred
francs, (forty doliars,) subject to an
annual tax of four sous" To any
one fond of solitude, scenery and a
good companion in the cure, who, it
may be mentioned, is fond of hunt
ing, it is a good opportunity.