The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-08-31

OF Europe, as see Dut very little. am
not certain of having seen an appl, tree
before reaching Switzerland, and but very
few there. | afterwards found some in
Germany and France, however few and
far between. There are some cherries to
be seen occasionally, but not as plentifully
as in our country. Strawberries are cul-
tivated very successfully, and we had the
pleasure of eating the largest and among
the most deliciously favored, in this city.
Wheresoever have been find large
mass of vegetables planted, of all kinds.
and having been several times to the mar
ket of this place, found the vegetable
kingdom well represented. The demands
of the people are not as heavy in this
country as in the United States. Farmers
do all their work on very small scale.
having but few cattle, horses or hogs.
Their implements are very meagre, the
land being easily cultivated, much of the
land being dug up by spades instead Of
plowing.
Whilst taking a walk to the suburbs OF
Ems, | saw robust German girl spadinG
up lot of ground, and desired to know
why the men did not perform the heavy
work she was at. She replied that they
had other work to do. | then asked her
what she received day for such work.
She answered one mark, which is 224
cents in our money. At other places
ascertained, to some degree, the compen-
sation paid for labor. In Florence some
workmen were engaged on the street near
by our hotel, and | was informed that the
stone masons received three francs per
day, but that sculptors, working on mar
BILE, received each from five to six francs,
franc being equal to twenty cents of our
money.
Animal food is eaten everywhere but
once day, at hotels and all other places,
unless a special call is made for it, and
when meats arc served no coffee or butter
is used. The laboring classes get very
little of either at any time. Red wine,
too sour for pleasant drink, is used to a
great extent in the place of meats aud cof
fee, the wine being regarded healthy and
possessing some nutritivc qualities. As
have stated before, no farmers reside in
the country like in Washington county,
excepting in Switzerland, and in riding
through the rural portions one is lead to
believe that the country is very sparsely
settled, no houses being seen for some
miles, yet no woodland, or trees, or fences.
but one universal garden of patches, with
fine roads winding through them, present
ing beautiful aspect, the women and men,
generally in groups or pairs, engaged on
their respective parts at work.
All through these large scopes of couu-
try one sees no pleasure carriages or peo-
pie passing to and fro, like farmers in our
country. They usually ride on their carts
and machines used for farming, and live
in small villages, generally composed Of
one-storied houses, and very small barns.
This rule applies to France as well as the
other portions of the countries have Wis
tied. Having now given you this brief
summary of the country, | shall close that
part and proceed to other scenes.
Versailles, the seat of Government of
this Republic, lies about twenty miles
southwest from Paris. On Thursday
morning we took the cars aud in a short
time reached the place. l found it to be
q pretty large town, but as anticipated, of
no attractions, excepting the Government
buildings, their surroundings and contents,
which are truly grand History shows that
Louis the XIV, King of France, had like
hispredecessors, his summer residence at St.
Germain, but becoming dissatisfied because
it commanded view of the burial place
of the Kings, he determined to build a
palace at Versailles. The site was not
well adapted to the purpose, and the cost
aud labor expended seem incredible. Thus,
no fewer than $4,000 men, at cost of
one thousand millions of francs, were for
a long time engaged in constructing the
terraces of the gardens, leveling the park
and constructing a road to it from Paris
The palace itself stands on an eminence,
it being very eligible location. Ap-
preaching it in front, the visitor enters a
large circle, about eight hundred yards in
diameter. Around the base of this space
stand the quarters of what were at one
time Napoleon's Horse Guards, the square
itself being called Place d Arms From
this, passing up the gradual elevation to-
wards the Palace, the Court Royal is en-
tered, being large yard extending out
from the Palace, surrounded by stone
wall, and mounted by sixteen colossal sta
tues of distinguished personages, whilst in
the centre is an equestrian statue of Louis
the XIV. This Court is paved with cob.
blestone, and the whole space covers the
front of the centre building, towards the
south and fronting on the opposite side
towards one of the most beautiful and
handsomely adorned parks in Europe. 1t
has in many respects the same appearance
as the Capitol at Washington, one stand
ing on the west front looking down the
avenue, and is fully as long as from the
Capitol to the White House.
Near the Palace on the northern front
is large lake, filed with artificial dol.
phins and water gets, the lake being about
three hundred feet in diameter. Beyond
this descends long stair case as wide as
the lake, and near the foot of the stairs is
another lake. From this second lake a
beautiful lawn, as wide as the lake, with q
carriage way on each side, runs down
through the park about six hundred yards,
to another large circular lake, about eight
hundred feet in diameter. In the middle
of this lake is a group of "the god of the
sea in his chariot" being life sized fig.
ure on a two wheeled chariot, attached tc
four horses abreast, about half immersed
in water, making an effort to drive out,
surrounded by tritons, nymphs and dol.
phins, throwing up beautiful jets of water
Leaving this lake and passing on sever.
al hundred yards, another long lake, reach
ing to the end of the park, is met, on
which pleasure boat is used. The steps
descending from the first elevated plateau
are l03 in number and 22 yards wide, all
marble, whilst all of the lakes Wi.e sur
rounded by very elegantly worked marble
for the purpose.
But the most interesting thing in this
immense place is the large number of stat
ues standing along the walks, around the
lakes, and in every conceivable place in
the park, mostly in marble, but some are
of bronze. We spent very pleasantly
n day among those smiling waters, the
multiplicity of statues and the beautiful
IL l.. Il l.