Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-07-20

recount them. Ever since that mem
orable time the town has gone on i'm
proving, and it now presents quite a
business-like appearance. From a
little village it has sprung rapidly
into town with "citifed pretensions. y
There are in it probably more hotels
and shops for the sale of religious ar
ticles than any other town of its size.
The "Rue de la Grotte' is now the
principal street. Years ago it was
merely a road with immense rocks
projecting over it, but all traces of
these are gone and it is now lined on
either side with shops and stores.
Their occupants are the most enter
prlslng and importunate persons we
have ever seen, and every stranger
that passes along the street hears
from the beginning to the end about
two or three hundred yards from the
grotto, the same ry-"achetez qatel-
que chos sN vouS plat.' At the
grotto candles, large and small, are
kept constantly burning, and on line
stretched from one end Of the grotto
to the other are crutches left by those
who have been restored at the foun-
tain flowing below. High up above
the grotto is built fine chapel cost
ing 100000 francs, or 100000,
which was received from all parts of
the world. 1t is very beautiful and
the interior is richly decorated with
the banners and flags deposited there
by the different bands Of pilgrims
who have visited it. In it we saw
the "Stars and Stripes" the only
American flag we have seen since we
left Paris. Hardly a day passes but
that party Of pilgrims from some
part Of the world visits it. When we
were there we met party of Portu-
guese pilgrims and became acquaint-
ed with one of them. He was very
pleasant, spoke several languages and
felt slighted to think we were not go
ing to visit his country. The scenery
around this little town is perfectly
delightful. All around in every di-
rection are the towering Pyrenees
Some Of The peaks are SO high that
at times, they are entirely hidden by
the clouds, and sometimes the clouds
come away below them and leave
large portions of the peaks visible
when the lower parts of the mount
aims are entirely lost to view. Some
of the peaks, to the naked eye, APP
pear to be very close, but they are
really miles away. There are several
mineral springs in the vincinity Of
Lourdes and they swarm with visi,
tors from France and England during
! the summer season. The little city
has a wooden shoe manufactory and
many of the people wear them, wo.
men as we'll as men. They look al
neat as other shoes but cause as much
noise as regiment of militia march
ing. On the way from Lourdes te
Farbes the railroad winds along the
Pyrenees which look beautiful Cat the
distance) with their many peaks, anc
the sailors of the air above and be-
low them.
At Farbes coal mining is carried
on. They had good deal of coal il
the cars and piled up in VOWS were
long black bricks, like coke, mad.
from the coal dust. On account O
the inconvenience of the passenge
trains it is very unpleasant travelling
during the night, and on this accoun
we stopped in the evening at Toulouse
This city was founded by the Romans
but has little left to indicate its an
cient settlement 1t is the fourth city
in France and has doubled its popu
lation in the last thirty years. 1t
streets were thronged with busy peo
pie and its stores could have ha,
painted on the windows, "Ne phl
ultra, for they were elegant enougl
to compare with those of London an,
Paris In the place du Capitole,
said to stand on the site of Roma
building, is the Exchange and Cit
Hall. It has large open space wher
the market is held, the city bein
without one. 1t has also what ever
other city which we have visited ha
namely, statues, monuments, muse
ums, churches, libraries, etc,
On this Journey we concluded t
brave the fatigue consequent upo
travelling all night and in this mar