Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-28
TRAVELS IN BELGIUM.
THE DRUMMER Or coMMIs-voYAaEuR
AND HIS METHODS.
he Laugh Best Who Laughs Last-Inter-
esting Description Of Antwerp :
visit to Gheel the City of Fools.
LFrnm Professor .. Kemen !


were en- route from Spa to Antwerp, and
travelling in a third-class passenger coach
for curiosity's sake, and were listening to
. commits. voyageur, or drummer, as they
are called in the United States. AS l have
said, in Belgium they affect extreme po-
likeness. but are the most unaccountable
brsegarts, and are always in search of a
victim for his third.rate jokes and tricks.
AS we were leaving Liege and ascending
the steep mountain, the train being drawn
by an endless cable and the locomotive left
behind, fat Fleming passenger seemed
quite .astonished to see the train running
up. hill without any visible means of assist.
ance, and was looking down upon the
track with perplexity. The commits. voy.
ageur noticed it, and asked him in loud
voice if he had lost anything "No, sir, y
said the other, "but l wonder how this
train can run uphill without an engine,
almost as if it were living being. y
"Why, my dear sir, replied the drum
mer, 6 thought everybody knew such a
simple thing. They have fixed
BIG LoADsToNE
On top of the mountain, and in front Of
the train they place car with tons Of
iron and as soon as the car is hitched on
to the train, up it goes" The Fleming
said nothing but the peals of laughter
which followed showed that the joke had
been appreciated by the audience. Now
that he had found defenseless victim the
commis.voyageu did not stop here.
'sWhere are you from, then, my friend, if
you don't know what everybody knows "
he continued. From Fermonde, sir. F"
Z" And where are you going" ITO
Ypres. "Whv. man, that's where every
fool goes "What do you mean? said
the honest Fleming, getting somewhat
angry. "Don't get excited, my good
friend, replied the wit "we all know
that the State Insane Asylum is located at
Ypres. and therefore every fool has to go
there" Another burst of laughter. "Of
course, it was not your fault" continued
he, "that it was located there, no more
than it was your fault that frogs never
had any tails" Still more laughter. The
departure of passengers and entrance of
new ones interrupted the conversation.
We shall soon see how the good-humored
Fleming got even with his prosecutor.
Next to US sat some stockholders some-
what under the influence of liquor, and
who kept up boisterous conversation. At
most stations they went out to satisfy their
passion for drinks. There was some straw
on the floor of the car to keep the feet
warm, as the weather was cold Moving
our feet we encountered hard object, and
looking down, we discovered
LARGE SACK OF MONEY,
Belonging to one of those men. So it
turned out to be the case. This individual,
having lost his seat on account of having
left it frequently, began to search for his
sack. Having found it, he quietly said to
us, st wasn't in your way, was it ?" This
carelessness proves the honesty which
reigns in that country. We soon enter
again the Flemish country and pass Lou
vain, a city of 40 600 inhabitants. Here is
the celebrated Catholic university, with
over 700 students. 1t was founded in 1926.
The next station is Malines, a town of
about the same size. Here we have to
change cars for Antwerp. At this station
six railroad lines converge, or rather cross
one another, as it is only an intermediate
station, and there Is considerable hustle
when all the trains meet and depart imme-
diately. Passengers changing cars have
hardly time to get upon their respective
trains. On the track next to ours stood a
train just ready to start; other trains
were further on. A number of passengers
hurried out with us, and among them was
THE CoNISus-voYAGEUR
Of whom we have spoken before. Being
embarrassed with his sample.boxe and
perplexed about finding his train, he in
quired loudly for the train for Fermonde,
which was his destination. Nobody could
tell him; but one man showed him the
train just starting, and he jumped In.
Soon the doors were locked by the guards,
and the train began to move, when some
body called out of the window "Hollos,
guardsman ! let me out quick. want to
90 to FeImonde, and not to Liege; just
came from there" But it was too late /;
the train was running and the doors were
locked, This man was the commis-voy.
ageur, and the train he was in was speed
ing toward Liege, the place he had come
from. The cause of his misfortune was
the honest Fleming for it was hewho had
shown him the train, and | heard him NUT
ter elf every fool goes to Ypres, | know
one that will 60 back to Liege." At Ant
werp we stop at hotel on the Place de
Mer Near by is the Place Verte, most
- FILL Is
surrounded by magnificent buildings.
Antwerp has a population Of 10000 1t
lies near the mouth of the river Scheld,
and is sn important seaport. Its docks
and quays have room for two Thousand
vessels. 1t is, besides, one Of the most
strongly fortified cities in Europe. A num-
Der of forts protect it.
THE WALLS ENoIRcLING THE CITY
Proper are fifty feet high, and are sur
rounded by ditch several hundred feet
wide and filed with water. While Ant
werp has number of fine streets, beauti.
full squares, and splendid buildings, great
portion of the city presents an old appear
.ance, with narrow and crooked streets, not
over clean, and queer looking houses. On
the Grande Place stands the City Hall, a
very imposing building. and close by the
Cathedral This is one of the finest churches
In Europe. The interior is like museum,
and is filed with grand and original paint
ings and sculptures of the old masters
Van Dyck, Rubens, Teniers, Seyher, etc.
Its tower is masterpiece of the art of
sculpture it is the highest in the world,
its steeple being 444 feet from the ground
that Of Ssrasbourg is only ASS feet. The
bones of Rubens are resting in a side aisle
of the Cathedral. We must not forget the
chime of bells, which is an interesting feat.
ure of all the large churches in Belgium.
Here in Antwerp it is simply delicious.
Figure TO yourself an assembisge of several
hundred bells of all sizes and tones, from
the smallest to the largest, nearly four
hundred feet in the air, and producing
THE MOST CHARMING MUSIC.
A number of different pieces are executed
every day. The chime sounds every hall
hour. at the full hour it lasts from five
TO ten minutes. Antwerp is the birthplace