The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-06
THE CONTRIBUTION.

| A Renaissance of the Franco Prussian War.
The truce which North France had
| concluded had not stipulated for the
South. A wreck of the French army
still held possession of a small bit Of ter
ritory on the Swiss border, and the de-
predations of the Franconians terrified
the department. of Jura. Long stretches
of forest and mountain gorges formed Sc
cret hiding places fer single assassins as
we'll as bands melted by national hatred,
and scarcely a day went by in which
news was not brought to the general in
command OF the murder on the march of
some poor sick fellow struggling in the
| rear, the overthrow of some rider, the
| robbery of an outpost or something of
the kind. The iron general who had in
command the German division in the de-
partment of Jura had ordered the sever
| est reprisals to check the outrages in
| order to awaken the interest of the prov
ince to suppress these bands. Among
others he issued the following order:
yesterday a corporal of K regiment
was murdered on the road from Pontar-
lier to ,Lous lie Saunier. AS a punish
ment for this assassination every city
must pay twenty-five francs per capita Of
her inhabitants contribution; every vii
lage, fifteen francs per capita. This con
tribution must be raised on the east side
of the province by the x brigade, on the
west side by the Y brigade.''
A district was assigned by the brigades
to each regiment, the regiments divided
the districts among the battalions, and
in our: battalion the disagreeable com
mission fell upon Lieutenant Wendt.
Wendt was very much out of humor at
the order. Himself raised among farmers
he knew how hard it would be to collect
such an insignificant sum in such times,
especially in the villages, and how dread
fully severe it would come upon the poor
people to seize their cattle. He resolved,
therefore, to present himself before the
commander of his battalion. Having
done SO he declared that he did not think
himself adapted to rightly enforce such a
command; that if the execution of it
were carried out to the letter he posi-
lively could not stand the weeping and
lamentation among the poor women and
children that it would cause. The maicr
laughed heartily and assured him that
the order was intended to take strongest
hold on the French in order 10 check
their sncaking outrages; the lieutenant
need not carry it out to the letter and
could levy the amount Of the contribtl-
ton according to what he Judged the cir
cumstances Of the villages to De- Wendt
was rather better satisfied with this. and
IN the afternoon marched along the road
toward Ions lie Saunier with seventy IN
tantry and ten dragons in order to turn
into one of those beautiful provincial
roads for which nearly all the depart
ments have to thank their much abused
Napoleon ILL., sih55A@ Al5 i]aa2i5
A few statistical hints from the lines
of the command regarding the villages
to be fined were given to the young offic-
er, and the first town he came to, which
made quite an appearance, had been
reckoned as containing about six hundred
inhabitants. The lieutenant placed
guards at all the roads leading from the
the village, left the detachment under
arms in the large square before the court
and had the bailif of the village called
out. He ordered the rather distinguished
man who appeared. looking suspicious
and gloomy, to call together the council
ors of the town. Directly several children
ran in different directions over the village,
and in few moments old and Young Be-
gan to assemble before the court house.
giving expression to their anxious antici-
patton by whispered questions among
themselves. At length the corpulent
curate appeared which did not better
matters much in the lieutenant's eyes
and the assemblage waa completed. Y. b
II Acko. - Tx15EE -
peasants and stated briefly that he had
l received orders to raise from the village
i contribution Of nine thousand francs;
that he would allow the bailiff a half
hour to collect it; that in case Of failure
to give the amount demanded he would
J seize their cattle; that such fines were be-
! nj 9e )ud 10, to ell Us xodY5fl8d9 yuaa
! iI-yTng.5i 7,i f4.I !st.r.