Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-03-12
A QUEER FRENCH CITY.


built upon the top and sides of a
steep mountain spur, which at its
base joins still loftier height, while
its projecting point overlooks the
broad valley of Limagne-one of the
most fertile garden spots of central
France. The town of to-day is the
"modern" Theirs, constructed upon
the ashes of the ancient, which was
burned in 532. Its streets are most
ly narrow, many of them impossible
to carriages and some of them are
veritable stairways. There is one
principal thoroughfare, however, a
modern boulevard, which is magnif-
Gently constructed, climbing the steep
fianks of the mountain by zigzags.
In the older parts of the town, it
would puzzle a goat to skip in the
streets while the houses are so built
into the rocks, and the rocks so en-
croach into the houses, that one can
hardly tell where the rock ends and
the dwelling begins. This makes
most picturesque and artistic pell-
nell. But these ancient habitations
are dark and grimy, and are prevail
ed by rank smells, which may have
fingered there from the days of the
old Romans. In revenge, il one
turns about now and then, looking
away from the dingy dwellings and
the dirty streets, he will be rewarded
by outlooks of such magnifcence and
beauty, that the memory of his i'm
mediate surroundings will be at once
effaced. On one side of the city the
descent is exceedingly steep: and in
the narrow valley bellows flows the
little river Durolle, bustling and
busy stream, whose banks afford one
of the most picturesque walks of that
diversified region.
While one is rambling here, gazing
at the towering crags, or at the ter
raced rows of buildings which rise
through the quaint streets and alleys
of the town, his ears are saluted on
every side of the clink of hammers
and the whirr of wheels. Theirs is
one of the most characteristic of the
| old French manufacturing cities,
giving support, with its environs, to
10000 workers. 1t is renowned
throughout Europe especially for its
cutlery, the manufacture of which
has hourished here for over three
centuries. No dense clouds of smoke
float over the city, for steam
power is unknown. The Durolle
turns the wheels of the little shops.
But the most curious feature of the
place is the distribution of labor in
the private houses. These houses,
built, as has been said, mostly
against or into the rocks, have open
fronts in the lower stories, like cav
erns. Within may be seen the glow
of the forge fires, and the forms of
swarthy workmen moving mysterious
ly in the gloom, whence comes the
clatter of their tools. Hundreds of
these private forges are scattered
throughout the city. Before the
dwellings sit the women, knitting,
and not unfrequntly guarding show
case, where the completed wares are
exposed. They receive our party
with great politeness, and we pur-
chase few articles as souvenirs
four small, single-bladed penknives,
with wooden handles, for ten cents !;
a good pocket-knife, with rosewood
handle, for the same price; prun-
ing-saw and hunting-knife for a
trife more. Cutlery is certainly
cheap in this old-fashioned commu-
nifty.
The town swarms with little dogs,
and we are at loss to account for
this uncommon canine plenty, till we
enter one of the small factories on
the banks of the Durolle. There the
workmen kindly show us the various
processes of knife-making. When it
comes to the grinding, man extends
himself at full length on his stomach,
upon a plank, which overhangs a
rushing stream of water. The grind
stone revolves in this stream. AS
the workman takes this position, his
little dog leaps up, and coils himself
in the hollow of his masters launches,
thus guarding him against the chill
and dampness of the water. Every
grinder has his dog, trained to this
useful duty,
After we had been shown the vari-
Gus processes, one of the men asked
if had not a pocket-knife which
needed sharpening and polishing.
handed him a handsome knife, which
friend in Sheffield had given me.
As the workman's eyes fell upon it.
frown gathered on his face, and he
looked at me with sudden coldness.
ssOh, no. 1 am not English ~
hastened to say, 81 am American !
and explained my possession of the
knife. His face lighted up at once
and he threw up his hands, crying
"Ah, then we are compatriots fol
when | went into the battle where
, got this'-pointing to a deep sca1
upon his neck and cheek-smy com
rade in the file was an American
and when we left Paris the French
and American flags were crossed to
gether before the American consul.
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