The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-02-03
NORTH YAKIMA. WASHINGTON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3,

Swiss carte blanche regarding the con-
tents Of certain demijohn which grsced
the foot of his bed. l can say that was
glad that got that lower berth, for about
twenty -four hours after leaving port we
experienced some very bad weather,
lasting about three days. during which
time an upper berth would have been for
me superfuity. However, the attend
ance was very good, and at each meal
time our garcon would appear at our
door breathing politeness (strongly fla
vored with garllcl and an invitation
to eat, which filed me with hatred of
him. As soon as The storm abated, how
ever, We made somewhat tortuous pill
grimage to the deck and, on comparing
notes, found (perhaps with little sell
fish satisfaction) that most of the other
passengers had been as sick as ourselves.
Fine weather was the rule for the re-
mainder OF tine trip, and was enabled to
do justice to the French cooking, which
is best done by letting the most of it
severely alone. As my friend once re-
marked, it smelled like carriage varnsh
and tasted worse. But We had turkey
and plum-pudding on Christmas and
roast beef at intervals sufficiently short
to enable us to keep alive. Wine was the
common beverage with the French pas
sengers, but found it poor stuff and
stuck to tea. We passed the time play
ing cards, catching gulls and wishing
ourselves on shore.
And no one was sorry when, on Sun
day at midnight, We locked at lie Havre,
town OF some 40 900 inhabitants, quite
gay and cosmopolitan. Late though it
was, O'Brien, a Spaniard whose acquaint
ance we had made on board, and my
self went ashore for exercise and some
thing that we could eat. We went to a
handsome cafe and got some oysters,
ham and beer, and everything went well
until the garcon handed the bill to
OBrien, who informed me in awe
stricken tones that it amounted to 1890.
1t was fiji cen francs and sixty confines,
a little over So, and, while too much did
not surprise me. But to the Spaniard
and O'Brien, who came from the east, it
seemed outrageous. The former surveyed
the piece of paper with all the gravity of
his race and selemnly remarked, my
friends, we are stickt," while O'Bnen
called for details. The garcon, with ever
increasing polteness, produced his price
list, when it was found that the account
was correct, except for a charge of sixty
confines Twelve cents) for laying the
table. This item being explained to the
lrishman, his kingly blood rioted all over
the place, so to speak, and he appealed
to us for aid in cleaning out the estab-
lishment. We got HIM out in time and
started back for the boat, O'Brien
carefully challenging every gendarme we
met to mortal combat.
The staterooms seemed hardly endur-
able after our short stay ashore, and at o
next morning we left the boat for good,
and after short interview with the Gus
toms officers proceeded on our various
ways. l left my protege with some
American friends and in few hours took
the cars for st. Malo, on the English
channel. had been advised to take a
second-class ticket, which / did with
some misgivings. found the cars quite
comfortable, as much 80 AZ on American
trains. They are about half the size of
ours, are upholstered and clean. They
four compartments, which can
accommodate ten passengers each or
forty for the whole car. There is a door
at each end OF these compartments, a
netting above each seat for luggage, and
heat is supplied by long fiat metal boxes
filled with hot water, which serve as q
foot-rest. | did not see conductor on
the trip, but there is an officer called chef
de CARS, who appears at each station and
parades up and down the platform an
the name OF the place and any
existing necessity for changing cars
(sometimes). Toilet conveniences there
are none, except on the first -class cars.
There is nothing to prevent anyone from
stealing ride, if so disposed, and the
country would be a paradise for tramps.
My ticket was punched as went to the
train leaving lie Hsvre, and was warned
that 1t would be required of me on arriv-
ing at my destination, but there is moth.
ng but regard for the law and lack of
eisure to prevent anyone stealing rides
At pleasure. The rate of speed is not
high, and had it not been for the neces-
'ity labored under of watching my grip
could have seen a good deal more of
he country than l did. The landscape
was fiat and uninteresting for the most
part. The soil seems productive and is
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