Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-08
WATERLOO.
A Recent Visit to the Famous Battle Ground
Correspondence San Francisco Chronicle.

Correspondence San Francisco Chronicle
BRUSSELS, Sept. 15.-The battle ground
of Waterloo lies almost on the direct
route from London to Cologne. 1t is
situated few miles from Brussels, and
can be reached either by stage-coach or
rail. If the former method of travelling
be adopted, the traveller will start from
the HOlel de SAKE between 8 and 10
o'clock In the morning, and after mag
nihcent drive through the forest of
Soignes and country teeming with his
torical associations, will arrive at the end
of his journey by noon; but if the travel
er 60 by rail, in scarcely more than an
hours time he will find himself at the
station, alta considerable distance from
Mount st. Jean, or the centre of the field.
In either case the village of Waterloo
must be passed through, and here
French guide Tor the excursion may be
found. Being alone on ny trip, my trav-
cling friends having hurried on to the
Rhine, and finding my stock of college
French but little better than no French
at all, was accompanied by an indivi-
dual whom I had met on the way. and
who had assured me at the start that he
knew English "like a book But be-
fore proceeding far l ascertained that
his knowledge of the language was con-
fined to the pronunciation of score or
more words, and of the meaning of these
his ideas were very indlstinct. A Wa
terloo guide, of which he was a very fair
type, is remarkable character at best.
Ia h,,u1oc he 80 q
on hot day, and, treat him as you will,
he cannot be shaken off. If he be smlt-
ten on one cheek, he will turn the other
also; if he be treated with contempt, the
tourist is laughed at for his pains. He
is importunate, but good natured; ignor-
ant but conceited; scarcely civilized, but
Boosting OF high descent. He has a
set speech for every monument and place
of interest on the field, and when you ar
rive, tired and dusty, at the spot, he be-
gins and is done before you have fairly
begun to listen. His controlling idea
being to gain every loose franc the tour
ist may possess, his contrivances towards
that end are as ingenious as they are
spurious and absurd. Whether it be a
photograph, primer-like description of
the battle, a map. cane cut from the
surrounding wood, or stray bullet said
to have been picked up on the spot where
some great warrior fell, the price is
in general from three to four times
as great as that demanded for the
same article in Brussels, and
THE LOWER PRICE
being offered, it is in every case, with
out much delay, accepted. And this
thieving practice is not confined to guides
alone; hotel keepers, tobacconists, farm
ers, peasants and others, with whom the
tourists may have occasion to trade, re-
gard the stranger as their legitimate prey
and extortiOnate prices for their wares
and services are everywhere demanded.
purchased u book for one franc for
which four had been the price first asked
and drank cup of coffee in w,etch-
ed little cafe for which paid eight times
the sum for which it could be purchased
in any respectable German town. The
best view of the famous battle ground is
obtained from the mound upon the top
of which the Belgian lion is placed, and
to this spot l Immediately repaired. The
mound marks the spot where the prince
of Orange fell, and million barrow loads
of earth were used to pile it up to its gil
gantic height. 1t IS pyramidal in shape;
it has base with circumference of half
a mile or more, but there is scarcely
space for mere than the pedestal for the
statue at the top. The hon itself is said
to weigh twenty-eight tons, and the ma
terial for its construction was the metal
of cannon captured from the French.
Once on the way to Antwerp, the French
soldiers, indignant at the thought of the
Belgians claiming the glory OF the great
contest, savageiy hacked of part of the
metal tail, but further injury was pre-
vented by the interference of the COM
manders. 1t was on the base of this gi-
gantic emblem, at height of two hun
dred feet above the surrounding field,
that we chose our seat to study the bat
tie in detail, and to view the mighty pam
Drama of nature and art around. 1t was
about noon of a clear September day,
and as the sun shone brightly on the
scene the surrounding landscape was one
Of undisturbed. peace and repose. Save
an idler lounging here and there on the
streets of distant village, or a peasant
hurrying from his home to his work in
the field, or traveller examining the
spot where some desperate struggle had
been fought, scarcely a sign of life could
anywhere be seen; and the field of Water
loo, once the theatre where was played
one of the greatest dramas of the world,
lay calm and peaceful, like stage with
It's curtains drawn and the lights gone
out. Let the reader imagine
OUR POSITION
few PAGES distant from the road run
ming nearly due north and south. To our
left, in the direction of Brussels, was the
Forest de Soignes, part OF which was
once presented to the duke of Yelling
ton 10y the king Of the Netherlands, and
in front of which was the allied centre
during the progress OF the fight. Nearer
was the village of Waterloo, with its one
long street, paved with cobblestones and
borderedDwith stately elms, and thence
to Mont ST. Jean the succession of houses
was almost interrupted. Still nearer