Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-19
The French Country in Canada.
From Harper's for August. "a

IICHCH III
From Harpers for August. ~
After crossing the Victoria Bridge we
frequently read from the ear window.
the sign, "Tr0vea'se de Chenans de
+ fer, and4we realize that we are in the.
French country" We become inter.
ested nthe oddly built houses, and the
long lines of fences, only a few rods
apart, yet parallel and stretching far
out Of sight. We hadnoticed the same
curious features as we passed down the
rapids to Montreal During the occu-
patton of this country by the French
those who had been Of service in the
war were rewarded by the French gov
eminent with grants of land bordering
on the St. Lawrence or it's larger tribu-
taries. These grants were termed seig-
niOries, and within their limits all prop
erty, real or personal, WAS affected by
the Coutatnee de Paris of 1866. The
seigneaers Cor grantees) held in feudal
tenure, and to them were owing money
and service from the ce1asit0ires. In
1856 the law of tenure was done away
with, and even realty ceased to be affect
ed by the act above noticed. The orig
inal seig1aiOries contained from 100 to
500 square miles the frontage (upon
some streams was narrow, but the
depth was great, the proportion being
as [ to 10. On the death of the father
the land was divided longitudinally,
the eldest son taking the largest share
and the younger sons taking .fefs.
When roads were opened to the interior,
latitudinal divisions were also made
p,,+
ing the paternal acres, and settling
down at home, have SO reduced the size
of the farms that the land is 8" all lon
gitude," the frontage often being 49,
feet and the depth 1000 feet, or as / to
| 60. This causes the row Of old houses
to have the appearance Of village
street.
But what can we say the of farms?
The poor soil is exhausted, and the
whole French country is overstocked
with wretched and shiftless habit0aas.
Thousands of them travel many miles
to help Vermont 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 exhausted before they
reach home. Their cabins are often
squared logs, the clinks filled with NOR
tar 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 a ladder for the rats,
stands the ponderous cart, with wooden
axles and double springs of the same
material. Within call is the small
bodied but large-limbed "French
horse,'' originally from Normandy,
and as his master drives him he will
first deal blow, and then you will hear
"Avaunt! All! pauvre chevel vous
avez Jun bon maitre !" The shaggy
brown and white dogs, unlike any other
of his species, also appears. It is well
| that these animals can subsist on little,
and that little of the coarsest kind for
their masters have nothing more or bet
ter to give them. Besides onions and
potatoes, peas form the chief diet; and
SO common is this staple that "pea-
soup" is used derisively as an adjective
or noun. Poultry and salt pork. are
the more substantial dishes, and the
only meats on their bill Of fare. Yet
they have one luxury-the boudi'a or
bodybuilding, as the English 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 it
say that it is excellent.
Tobacco is not luxury but neces-
sity to these people. After raising and
curing it they twist it into rolls like a
Bologna sausage, and smoke the strong
and filthy stuff in short clay pipes.
In person the habit03as are small, and
have the regular features of the
French If any boards are worn, they
very thinly cover the face. Upon their
heads are hats with narrow brims or
of course wooden stuff, called "French
gray" In cold weather several pairs
of stockings cover their feet, which are
then thrust into moccasins, or immense
boots without heels, secured bya strap
over the instep. For merely wet wealth
er or for standing on ice, wooden shoes
(sabOts) are used. In personal habits
cleanliness seems to be unknown. Small
pox prevails to al alarming extent.
The language they speak does not arise
to the dignity Of potois. Even when
French is spoken entirely, it has the
English construction and idioms. They
are poor, but seem to be happy, es-
pecially in the enjoyment of their
numerous holidays, the number of
which they ever strive to increase. On
saints days professions are formed, and
all lookers-on are expected to uncover
the head and kneel as they pass with
banners and images.
A Curious Birds Nest.
There is bird in New Guinea called