Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-19
GREE.
TIE LITTLE TOWN OF GREE AND HOW
IT BECAME FAMOUS
Its Picturesque Scenery, its Handsome
Peasant Girls and its Rude
Manners
GREz. France. July a. 1880.

GREE, France, July "a, 1880.
| As eTeryw here in the world, there are
| throughout France number OF grumblers
who protest against any change in the sur
roundings IN which they have been born.
and, as difficult as it is to believe, their
greatest animosity is against railroads. In
their native country everything has grown
dear and been raised to double the former
value, and not only that, it becomes al
most impossible to obtain outside Of Paris
try is renowned. 1t is an actual fact that
in the cities of the provinces when rich
gentleman gives dinner he is obliged to
send to Paris for his vegetables, and knew
a lady at Freport 1.-THE most noted fish
depot of Francel who, when she gave a
dinner, sent to Paris for her fish. Ii a
gardener has big pumpkin in his garden
he nurses it and cares for it only with the
prospect of being able to send it to Paris.
The people around in vain offer city prices
and even higher ones they can obtain
nothing but what is considered unworthy
Of the great city, in fact Paris is
BIG OGRE,
Which eats up everything, and leaves
nothing for the little folks. There was
time when tired city clerks could leave
their Offices, and reaching a little town
short distance away, could find comfort
able accommodations for a moderate price,
but it has only been necessary for peasant
to look at o locomotive for nina to raise the
value of everything he owns, and learn to
skin hints as closely as any miser. The
little town Of Gree is certainly more
familiar to eur American artists than to
French artists or PaIisians. 1t is SO hidden
down in a hollow on the river that it re-
quIres yeritable explorer in order to dis
cover it. The discoverer was MIR. PaliZZi,
celebrated artist, an Italian by birth. but
a master of the French school, and deco
rated and honored as far as possible by the
French Government. He built little cot
tage containing studio by the side of a
peasants dwelling and the rivers bank.
He considered he had discovered little
paradise bat he kept his retreat somewhat
secret, knowing that should travelling clerk
or insurance agent make his appearance
the artistic qualities of Csrez would some
what diminish. One day some young
Scotch and English artists on their way
from NemOurs TO Barbizon came accident
ally across the little town, and perceiving
the graceful and limpid stream, plunged
into it, and on coming out decided on TAX
ing up their quarters there for the summer.
The little peasants inn was at once be-
sieged and as in this country of the French
language the English and Americans are
fIaternally united, both nations became so
extensively represented that there was as
much emulation in the peop!ing of Gree as
of some newly discovered colony. Many
little quaint hooks and corners were
discovered by the artists on the
inside and outside Of the little inn.
and all of them were many times photo
graphed to canvas. A hotel soon sprung
up beside the inn, endowed with modern
improvements such as made the inhabitants
stare, and it has for three years been filled
with American artists, who paint the river
and the garden while their wives seek
health and rosy cheeks in the meadows
around, and their children learn French
at the village school. The railroad is a
considerable distance from the town, but
its ,shrill whistle Is distinctly heard here,
whose sound alone seems sufficient to
awaken the lnha itants out OF Their honest
sleep with the desire of Kidding ycu OF all
you possess, and that with the ardor of
professional bandits. The little peasants
inn one day
CRCMBLED AWAY,
And with it the artists little hooks and
corners the proprietor, ever jealous of
the family hotel, profited by this circum,
stance to build a house OF such an impos.
ing exterior that many of the inhabitants
declared that its equal could not be found
outside of Paris; yet they are peasants,
and do not understand the meaning Of the
little comforts on the exterior which civil
iZation has converted into mans necessi-
ties. Besides, all that was picturesque of
the house is gone, and as artists only filled
it, it now remains empty, with the excep-
ton of the few workmen of the village who
drink their wine i'll corner set apart for
them.
There is fine old ruin at Gree, situated
almost in the heart of the town; there rests
a portion OF the tower and walls which, set
against the sky, with its open lofty arches,
seems some sp5c.re of the past to inspire
short-lived nan with awe. 1t is called the
Chateau de IL reiae Blanche, and the last
person who inhabited it was Louise of
SAVOY, Dnchess of Angouleme, who died
in 1881 These ruins are the delight of
the artists, who paint and repaint them
from the many surrounding sites. Then
there is the bridge, perhaps not quite so
ancient, bat even more picturesque, and
which has found its reflection SO
often on canvas that could it have
been in the least affected by the
operation, would have entirely crumbled
away. Tie bridge at Gree How often |
have seen its familiar moss-covercd gray
stones at the salon above the name of some
American artist, and even at the EXPOSE
ton, and should you pay attention you
also may see paintings and sketches of 1t
by our California artists. The river which
passes beneath it is exceedingly pretty and
graceful, and although not Very wide it is
quite deep and in many places dangerous
for the swimmer bur that which consti-
tutes the danger Is a part OF its attraction,
for along the banks and even into the
middle of the stream are great, bod look
ing green plants, which at certain time
of the year are accompanied by beautiful
white lilies. Gree is desolate, cherries,
looking viilige from the streets, but the
houses are like so many harems whose
bleak white walls hide beauties within, for
after swinging back the tall, white
gate through which pass both man
and beast, one enters 4 garden filled
with flowers, trees and vegetables, their
regular beds almost as pretty, all sloping
down to the river, on whose banks stand
willow trees, bending over like so many CO.
quettes, to see themselves mirrored be-
meath. The costume of the peasants is
very simple, but is not as picturesque as
throughout Normandy Brittany. All
the old women wear their heads bound up
as the negresses of our country; and even
the young ones wear large colored hand
kerchiefs pinned under their chins, which
does not however altogether hide their
LONG BLACK LOCKS
Beneath The young peasant girl is tall