The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-09-02
OUR EUROPEAN LETTER.

Special Correspondence Anderson Intclhgenccr.
We mailed our last letter at Bar lie Due,
but we will not take the time to describe
our journey before reaching the frontier.
We we're assured that we had crossed the
line by meeting squads Of students here
and there with their parcels of school
books, thing we had not seen on trip
ofmore than 400 miles in France, except
in Paris. The next object of interest
that met our gaze was the German SOL
diers, who surpass anything we have seen
on our trip in the military line. Thurs
day night We lodge at savern, "a miles
from strasbourg. We are off early in the
morning, and nearing the city we climb
a long hill which overlooks the beautiful
valley of the Rhine. We have hardly
reached the top when the great cathedral
looms up in the distance and to the right
and to the left of the city as for as We
could look the valley appears as level as
quiet lake, the hills upon either side
shooting up like mountains and fade out
in the dim distance. We put on little
more steam and soon reach the heart of,
the city, being able to ride our wheels
the entire distance up hill and down
between Dieppe and this place. But we
are now in the land Of sauerkraut and
limburger, and what of it? Well we
observe that many of the people of this
section develop different physically
speaking than do the citizens of central
and western France, and ne conclude
that the beer 80 celebrated for 400 years,
and manufactured at Strasbourg, possess
es the same Initiating qualities as our
American beverage we call lager. Please
don't get the idea that Frenchmen don't
imbibe for they drink most anything else
but water. That was made for the lower
animals aud to sail ships upon. A.
Frenchman told me in good English that
he had not tasted water fol three months,
but modified the statement little and
acknowledged that he had used the fluid
a few times for cleaning his teeth. After
careful observation we are impressed
with another fact, that this country, both
France and Germany, though as beauti'
full as God aud mai. can make it, is ter
ribly hard on women and dogs, the dog
having it the easier of the two. Many
from the country do their marketing in
small carts, and its a common thing to
see woman and dog hitched uptogeth.
er going totown with their load of truck.
We very, seldom see the man of the house
on market days, SO we conclude stays at
home to take care of the babies. If there
is work to de in the vineyard or garden,
the weaker:vessel straps her long basket
upon her back, takes the dinner and tools
to be used, then away she goes to return
at night, distance Of perhaps several
miles with a burden heavy enough to
break donkey's back. The other part,
that some one has seen fit to call man,
carries little of the respect and love he
had during the honeymoon, and concludes
that the wife has load enough and walks.
Poor woman, and yet she seems as con-
tented and as happy with her lot as the
proprietor of so valuable a piece of pro-
perty. We have reasons to be thankful
for many things that we enjoy in this
world and especially are we grateful for
the privilege of. travelling abroad in
country SO mature with age, so beautiful,
so full of romantic history, butparamount
to all of this are we thankful that not
many centuries ago child was born and
named Christopher, and that he lived to
be man and conceived the idea that the
world was round and sailed westward
upon the unknown deep and discovered
land that we are proud tocall America.
Ladies what do you think about it? We
are in strasbourg, "the wondriousty beau
tiful city," as it has been styled of old,
and as we observe the odd construction of
some of the very old buildings, the pc.
culiar but picturesque dress of the Alsa.
tian and Bardeu peasants that swarm the
streets on market days and become more
acquainted with the history of the city and
people, we are much impressed with the
truth of the saying, that the great attrac.
ton of the city is the cathedral and clock,
together with the Cologne cathedral, the
Minister of Strasbourg ranges as the no.
blest creation of medieval architecture,
existing in Germany. 1t is built out Of
the red sand stone of tie Vosges which
by its durability preserves even to this day
the finest sculptures as if they had just
left the sculptor's hands. Tradition tells
us. that upon the ground where the pres
ent cathedral stands stood all old heathen
temple consecrated to Hercules which
was destroyed some time in the 4th cen.
tury. The present building was complet.
ed in 1865 and though it has been
considerably damaged by var, especially
by the bombarment of 1870, it has been
repaired and to day is in fine state of
preservation. AS far back as the year
1852 may be traced the existence of a
celebrated astronomical clock in Stras.
bourg cathedral. At the beginning of
the 18th century the first clock ceased to
work, and second one was constructed,
the machinery being destroyed in 1859.
For the third time the municipality of
Strasbourg decided in 1886 that new
astronomical clock should be placed in