The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-01-17
JOTTINGS FROM MEMORY
HERE AND THERE.
Written for the MIDLAND JOURNAL.
WATERLOO.


Field of Waterloo be cannot but feel
disappointed and at the same time sur
prised. History demands that the
fields upon which the greatest battles
have been fought shall be kept in sac
red remembrance and marked by some
lasting tribute, but when an En- glish-
man strolls over the Sacred Soil of
"Gettysburg" and views those long
lines of monuments erected by the sur
viving in honor of their fallen comrades
he must hang his head with shame,
when he thinks low little has been
done TO adorn or perpetuate the locality
of Waterloo; that battle field which
marked the inevitable downfall Of
Bonaparte, one of the greatest of great
men one who had assembled to the d.
ziest heights of fame and glory; one
who was the idol of his countrymen and
one whose career has never been par
alleled. To reach Waterloo under the
most favorable circumstances one
should drive by carriage from Brussels.
You will find a roadway leading from
Brussels to Paris, about 80 miles, made
Of Belgian Blocks 10 where perhaps
is such an instance to be found wi ere a
road stretching through such long
expanse of rural district paved through
out with square stones set on end it
never grows muddy butts not SO desir-
able road by any means as the broad
macadamizcd main driveways all over
Europe.
Long before you reach the Battle
Field you see the Lion Mound, about
two hundred feet high a circular pyr-
rnid built of earth conveyed there by
the women Of Belgium, the sides are
natural incline caused by the dirt al
ways being unloaded on the top and
allowed to slide down. On the top is
a huge stone pedestal upon which is
fixed an enormous bronze lion looking
towards France. You ascend the mound
by stone stairs. 1t was erected in 1921
six years after the battle and Yelling
ton is said to have visited it just prior to
his death and directly after its couple
ton, and granting that the achievement
was wonderful he said, "But you have
spoiled my Battle Field,' the earth
being hauled from mounds and eleva-
tons over the field. No other marks
exist save two old upimportant small
gray stone monuments erected in honor
OF two officers who fell where erected,
and Hotel and Museum at the base
of the mound near the foot of the stair.
way. The field and locality is fine
farming section and the standing shocks
of grain that lay before US on every
hand gave little evidence of the great
event that transpired there in 1915, so
important to all Europe.
BIcYCLERs.
We met at Waterloo two gentlemen
from Melbourne, Australia, G. W.
Burton and H. R. Stokes, familiar
names in our own section.
They were members of Melbourne
Bicycle Club. They were on tour
around the world. The papers had
heralded their progress from place to
place although they were on a tour of
personal pleasure. They left Melbourne
on Nov. LIST. 1888, and this was July
18th, 1889, hence were giving each
country as much time as desired. Their
route had been by Java, Singapore,
Bramah, India, over Himalaya Noun
tains, Bombay, Egypt, Holy Land, Con-
stantinople, Greece, Italy, Switzerland,
Germany and had been through Eng
land and Scotland, Qreland yet to be
traversed), then they propose to sail for
America and return to Australia from
San Francisco. They rode 1900 miles
from Naples north to Rotterdam, show
ing the circuitous character OF their wan
behring's, and 1900 miles also in Eng
land and Scotland and estimated then
that they will have ridden on Their
wheels over 10000 miles before sailing
for America. Much of their trip riley
said was impracticable on Cycles. They
rode Sc inch wheel made by Bassett
in Australia, (uot patented), and had
only cost them the price of two new
tires for repairs and had not broken a
spoke.
They talked English. Their ex,
penses average about pound day for
each one. Nellie BLY, and her compel.
;.or ann oo oround the olohe muah