The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-09-11

From Our Regular Correspondent.

OUR EUROPEAN LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, Aug. Is, 1878.
| have been tor the last week, and
would like to remain longer, in the
City of Brussels. 1t has been called
q miniature Paris, and in the number
and magni6ccnce Of its public edifices,
parks, and monuments, AS well rs in
the breadth, extent aud cleanliness
of its ~boulevards it has a strong re-
semblsnce to the smaller edition of
the French Capital. The language
spoken by the higher classes is
French, but the nomenclature of the
streets is net much like that Of Par
is. The hotel AT which ! am stop
ping is on the Rue des Douze APP
%otres," which in plain English is the
street of the Dozen Apostles. There
is another street having the name OF
"The street Of Good Herbs for Soup
Belgium has not along lis. of battles
and military heroes like France, so
she is compelled to use common
names for the streets of her capital.
In Paris nearly every rue, avenue,
and boulevard, suggests a history or
assists to perpetuste o fame. es the
Avenue Wagram, the Boulevard
Malesberbes, the Rue Voltaire. |
said the French language was spoken
in Belgium, but it is a very different
French from that spoken in Paris.
The working classes speak q French
patois, but their venacular seems to
be Flemish. Tourists do not usually
remain at Brussels much longer than
may be necessary to drive over the
city, make On excursion to the field
of Waterloo, and buy some of the ia
nous Brussels lace but there is
much here that will repay a longer
and more careful study. Some of
the most renowned paintings in the
world are on the walls OF the Brus-
sells galleries, and the works of the
great masters are only less numer-
Gus here than in the gallery of the
Louvre. But it is not my intention
to write about the galleries, monu-
ments, and architecture of this city,
there is a more interesting subject /:
Dogs! Here l have learned the
meaning of the expression, ''to work
like a dog" The canine species is
here used for the purposes Of draft to
an extent that | have never heard of
their being used elsewhere. They
are used 10 this way to a limited ex-
tent in Switzerland, and to a great
er extent ia Frankfort and Cologne,
but in Brussels they are i very i'm
portant factor in the economy Of
transportation. II is strange that
more has not been written on the
subject, and that. since they prove so
capable, they are not used FIR light
draft in other countries. The loads
they draw are greater than would
be supposed from the weight of. the
animal, greater, l am sure, in proper
ton to the weight, than those drawn
by horses or mules but they are usu-
ally employed only as auxilaries.
one dog being harnessed under G
cart the shafts Of which are held and
guided by the owner. The axle of
the cart is arched 10 the middle in
order TO enable the animal to stand
erect. Harnessed with a simple
round padded leather collar, a pair
| of traces, and a back band, the as
sistance be gives his master, who
does little more, except on ascending
ground, than guide the cart, is very
great. Usually not more than one
dog is attached to a cart, but | have
seen as many as three, and the
American Consul told me that be
had see six and eight to one wagon,
driven in from the country. loaded
with wood, with the driver on top.
In Brussels there are many shops for
the manufacture and sale of dog bar.
ness, and in them you may buy a
plain set, or o ornamented with
polished brass. There is a dog mar
ket held every Sunday in the city,
and here every variety of dogs is
bought and sold, the buyers and sci.
lers being usually market and milk
women. l was particular to inquire
of the American Consul in relation
to the species Of deg preferred, but ii
seems that they have no particular
breed, and that no systematic effort
has been made to improve the breed
l observed that tie dogs in most
common use were ours, of medium
size, aud of all colors. They seem
to be very enthusiastic pullers, NOV.
ing at the speed Of q brisk walk for
a man, and they never balk but the
moment the wagon stops, the dog
lies down /; be is always tired, or has
been taught the wisdom of conserv-
ing bis strength. To all appearances
the dogs of Brussels lead but q dogs
life, and all of them have dropping
tails, and a detected hang-dog air
but how much better it is for them,
for their country, and for their pros
terity, to be engaged in some re.
spectacle employment, earning an
honest livelihood, than to be killing
sheep, gnawing bones, baying the
moon, or rushing about the streets
with e tin pan to their tails, as is the
custom of two many of our free
American dogs. In Paris the white
woolly spaniel il indispensable to a
fine lady's toilet. The fair Paris.
ienne, whether she be OF the beau
monde or demi monde, must have her
dog, and she leads him by a small
chain when she p~romenades, or takes
him in her carriage when she drives.
She would no more omit the little
beast than she would forget her
boots. There are dog BARRIERS in
Paris who earn q livelihood BY trim
ming these little pets +; the style for
dogs this a is TO leave a girdle
of hair around .he body and around
each leg above the knee. c. A. s.
Bold Safe Robbery nj Atlantic CITY.
ATLANTIC Cry, August 29-The
Atlantic City RerieW has the follow
ing: This morning, about quarter
past 2 o'clock, thieves entered the
Delavan house, at the corner of At