Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-10-14
Quaint Community Living on the
Islands OF Miquelon.
cuRFEw RUNG EVERY NIGHT.
Many Curious Customs of People who
Are mt Once Simple. Industrious
and Poor, but Happy.

Duty, pushing tONn where noIho MVuiu
be more OF a curiosity than an elephant on
broadway; a place where the old and the
new strangely mingle. where tho sound OF
the curfew and the click OF the ocean cable
instrument arc heard together. All this
within four days Of New York. Go TO Hall
fax. take the fortuightly steamer thence.
and two days later you will be in the harbor
OF st. Pierre. the capital Of the French col
ony Of ST. rre-Miqueon-three little
Islands of the south shore Of Newfoundland
which constitutes all that remains TO France
OF her once magnificent possessions 10
America. There is a distinctly old-world
flavor about tho place and The tourist viii
nnd here much that is curious. strange and
picturesque.
81. Pierre Is the mediterranean Of the three
ialands--Great Miquel0n and Little Mique-
Ion, or Langlade being the other Two
As one approaches It from the sea there
are no signs Of habitaton; nothing Is
visible but ragged outline OF rock rising
600 feet into the air. As the steamer draw
near pilot lugger the exact counterpart
Of those TO DO sean at Bordeaux, draws
alongside and from 1t climbs to our deck
grzsled, red bonneted. bluo-blouEed. ear
rugged pirate. Under his skliinl guidance
the steamer dashes along close beneath the
beetling cliffs until fuddonly an unexpected
turn brings her into noble rOadstead with
busy harbor beyond. Nowhere else 10
America Is there to be seen such forest Of
naatg and such perpetual maritime actv-
lty as In the port Of ST. Pierre during the
summon months. aud nowhere else IN the
new world Is there toSbe Heeu such a varied
and curious adsemblage OF water craft
Luggers Of ali sizes. clumiy-looking plro-
CUES de pechu. ships, barks and brlgs with
peculArilisz In tholr rigs seen nowhere else
save In the Mediterranean ports, whence
they sail. aud thousand and ono other
nautical oddities are here 10 be found cheek
by joWl with trim Gloucester schoOners aud
modern men-of-war Aylng tho uri-color Of
France.
But n the Wow IN the harbor IS curious.
even moro so Is the town itself which llu
nestled In a nearly level spot. which nature
almost seems 10 have seoopad out on pur-
pose for it from the towering rock. Imagine
Il you can. the bordeaux. Csite Maraolles
and 81. Nalo OF a hundred years ago rolled
into one and reproduced in miniature and
you have tho ST. Pierre Of to-day. The
massive stone quay. which takes up nearly
the waoie water front OF tho town. Is de-
clde1y modern. Back Of that everything
has Distinctly old-ume favor. Upon stcp-
ping ashore one feels that he has lee Amori-
ca bohinu and Is among foreign people Of
a past century. Tho wgitOra up-tu-date
clothing nooma an neongFuiIy as he watches
the procession Of people 10 ODD and pictur-
osqua tusgery, tho Orlgut-colored Hashes and
bcrQ;a OF tie bsoQGo oA-dgiyurs, tho won
douui headgaar q the ngoton women
rldrcnol aud Hhto a moryeilloJ. the bright
klrdea VI the Norman girls and the gay head
Srr0Acia OF the dusky MasouIaae. Ewing
color to the lceue, Eyeyy BODY hpr0 WeAm
Eab1u with tho exception 0l the 81. Ma!0
fishermen. who gNeCt euathlAu1 lagEhuOiai
and the patterlnE OF the wooden suuga over
the narrow brick sidoWilkJ ua1s ahlye
tho musical yoicCa OF the sailors A, work on
inc quay, for hero every KIND ul manual
labor Va done To a vocal accompaniment,
The town ~ clonely built, tho houses and
stores being mostly OF brick. with gable
ends laclug the street, aud cafes and vino
shops arc 10 DO found on about every
block. Immense oil Tampa on beautifully
wrought iron brackets project from every
corner. and here and there are TO be soen
inches containing brightly painted images
Of the Virgin, Half way up tho cllh, which
overhangs tho town, Is an enormous crucl-
ny. Facing Ito quay are tho duane and
other Government buildings all solidly
built OF stone aud Whitewpshcd. A spa
cluus Cathedral. not without architectural
pretensions, faces On n large public square,
and nearby are the Hotel Diou. a m0nas-
terry and convent.
A conspicuous figure on the street Ia tho
DindTmc, a magnificent creature, glitter
iug with gold lace, whom the newcomers
would imagine must at luast be a General
Others Of military dresa and mion are
the dlscpllnaircs, a Bpeeies OF convict.
who for minor oitonses are sont hore from
France to labor on public workR and under
go military discipline for short torn OF
years. Their lot does not seem a very
hard one. rs they are enabled TO earn a lit
Tie money and are allowed a fair amount
OF liberty as reward for good conduct
The wine shop " to them strictly taboo.
Tho island of st. Pierre is about four
milea long and three wide. It's only lnhab.
ited portions arc tho town, rIslo aux
Chinus, an island In the middle OF tho hnr-
Dori AMI the savoyard farm on the op.
posite aide OF tho island from the town. where
few tillablo acres exist At MiaueIon
there 70 village OF about 800 tnhabitants
and Little Mlquolon, or i.anglade. IA occu-
pied by few farmers whose butter ia re-
garded as an nnattalnabic dream by the
opicurea OF France. 1t Is tho most de-
icious In the world. and almost worth its
weight In gold. The permanent population
OF 81 Pierre Is about 5000, but from May
TO october this Is Increased 10y nearly 20 900
souls THIS Is tho greatest lshlng port in
the world. and by the middle OF May tho
whole OF Frances great Newfoundland
banking fleet Is here, bringing an army
OF fishermen, fnh dryers, clerks and others
VINO make their living In connection with
the catching, curing aud selling OF the cod.
iish. From then until the last homeward
bound ship sails away about the middle or
October St Pierre IL al busy a place ns
one could wish TO see; lar too busy. in
deed. 10 bother itH head with social affnirq
but after tho 'aHt bundle OF salt cod has
been dispatched to It's destination. the nor.
nianent Inhabitants settle Themselves down
for a winters enjoyment. Rails. ain.
ncrs concerto and private theatrieais ara
the order ~ The DAY. and notwithstandlns
that for many months the town ia prac
tlcally cut on from the outside world ray
ETY. feigns supreme. The colony 4 ID ali
inteuts and purposes self-goyornine, Tho
Governor ls sent out from France and
serves for a term Of four years 10 Ia adj
viEed by two councils Of representative in
hnhltnntS. one elective and one anpointive
and as the machinery OF this mimic govern
neut 10 very complete. thcrn Is hardly a
merchant OF standing 10 the community
who does not hold some public once. al.
though tho clerical work OF tho Govern.
ment Is mostly done by young mon who
socuro their appointments from the home
civil service authorities. The people Of N.
Pierre are very conservative In their views
and tlttIa fhpv fnlnraf, fna Rayutt4. -