The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-07-25


Aiss' crossing slle yicioria Bridge we
frequently read from The ear window sbs
sign 4 1SasesS Il osemia Il ~. And
we realize that We arc in the French
country" We become interested Il ~
oddly built houses. and in The lone lines
Of fences, only few rods apart. VI par.
allel and stretching far out Of sight. W.
had noticed the same curious features Il
we passed down the rapids to Montreal
During the occupation Of this country BY
the French those who had been OF service
in war were rewarded by the French gov !
eminent with grants Of land bordering On
the 81. Lawrence or its larger tributaries.
These grants were termed seigHiories, and
within their limits all property, real or per-
sonal, was affected by the C6mnDie dc Par
Is Of 1866. The seignears Cor grantees)
held in fendal tenure, and to them were
owing money and service from the ceasita-
Tres. In 1855 the law oftenure was done
away with, and even realty ceased to be
affected by the act above noticed. The
original seignicries contained from one
hundred to FIVE hundred square miles; the
frontage upon some steam) was narrow,
but the depth was great, the proportion
being as one to ten. On the death IF the
father the land was dividedlongitudinally,
the eldest son taking the largest share and
the younger sons taking fefs. When
roads were opened in the interior, latitu-
dinal divisions were also made. But sue
cessive generations thus dividing the pa
ternal acres, and settling down at home,
have 50 reduced the size Of the farms
that the land is @all longitude, THE front.
age often being thirty-three aud half
feet and the depth two thousand feet, or
as one to sixty. This causes the rows Of
old houses to have the appearance Of
village street.
But what can we say Of the farms2
The poor soil Is exhausted, and the whole
French Country Is oyerstocked with wretch
ed and shiftless habitanis. Thousands Of
them travel many miles to help the Yer
mont farmers, or TO work in the brick
yards Of New England. The summer over,
they return with almost the only money
they ever see, and which Is too often all
exhausted before they reach home. Their
cabins are Of squared logs, the chinks filed
with mortar the gables are Of sawed
boards, and the roofs are Of tin or wood.
The open summer kitchen is exposed to
every storm. Close by the adjoining corn
crib, and making ladder for tho nts,
stands the ponderous cart, with wooden
axles and double springs Of the same ma
terial. Within call is the smaIl-bodied
but large-limbed French horse, " original
ly from Normandy, and as his master
drives him he viii first deal blow, and
then you viii hear, aAyauntl All pauyrc
cheval yous ayez un bon maitref' The
shaggy brown and white dog, unlike any
other Of his species, also appears. II is
well that these animals can subsist on lie
tie, and that little Of the coarsest kind for
their masters have nothing more or better
to give them. Besides onions and potato
es, peas form the chief diet; and 50 com
mon is this staple that spea-soup" is used
derisively as an adjective or noun. Poul-
try and salt pork are the more substantial
dishes, and the only meats on their bin Of
fare. Yet they have one luxury-ths
boudia, or ablood-pudding," as the Eng
lish call it. A fine pig is selected, the
throat cut, and the blood allowed to drip
into pan; an old woman adds -four and
other things, as experience suggests, and
stirs the whole until it becomes cold. This
delightful compound Is then baked, and
those who have eaten Of il say il Is excel
lent.
Tobacco is not luxury but necessity
with these people. Alter raising and cur
ing il they twist it into rolls like Do
logna sausage, and smoke the strong and
filthy stuff in short clay pipes.
In person the habitants are small aud
have the regular features of the French