St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-03
In the PyreneeS.

Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN ]
Dear CALIFORNIAN:
Paris is now only memory, and am
writing from one of the many watering
places in Southern France, about the
same distance southwest from Paris, as
Washington from St. Johnsbury. The
first stage of the journey to Bordeaux
1865 miles) is made most comfortably
over the Orleans railroad in corridor-cars,
with restaurant attached, the number OF
stops four, the time seven hours. the
average speed most of the way over 60
miles an hour. In response to my re-
mark to the conductor that l had been
IL hours covering the same distance Is
years before he replied 1--WE have now on
this train" which is one of the fastest in
Europe IAN American engine" l know
that we had learned in America to make
the silks of Lyons and the pottery ware
of Limoges, but to find Yankee engine
careering about on French railway be-
cause it has faster legs and could be fed
more cheaply than French machines was
quite pleasant revelation. This was
side-show of the great International Ex-
position which had most practical
bearing, a shadow OF coming events in
dustrially, the products of our work
shops as much in demand abroad as the
products of our farms. In Europe the
| sign of the american dentist" has long
been familiar and hotels on the "Ameri-
can plan" and american bars" have
long been popular and well patronized,
aud in Russia had travelled years since
behind engines stamped Baldwin Loco
motive Works." but had supposed the
skill of French artisans would provide
her railways with homemade motive
power of the cheapest and fastest kind.
This compliment to American mechanical
skill is something to be proud OF. The
day may come when we can build ships
which will be sought after in foreign
markets for the same reason as our EN-
gines, because they are faster and cheap
err. The ship-building of the future lies
with the country which cannot only con-
struct it's vessels most cheaply and
equip them with the fastest engines, but
can furnish also steam and coal at the
lowest cost, and our country certainly
will soon possess all these conditions.
The country between Paris and Bor-
deaux is fiat and has only small percent
age of picturesque features. There are
grape-vines, grape-vines everywhere, but
not grape to eat. We are about three
months too soon for this diversion
Bordeaux, the fourth city in France in
population, thrives on wine, as Charles
ton on cotton and Chicago on pork
and wheat You come out Of vineyards
as you enter the city and they give you
welcome as you leave it, and the
flavor of wine in the commercial quarter
of the city is as strong as that OF tobac
co in Spanish inn. This green circlet o
vines is an appropriate setting for city
whose richest merchants owe their for
tunes to the favours of Bacchus. 1t is {
busting town like Marseilles and Havre
not on the Atlantic as my small school
boy map of France led me to think, but
on the Garonne, 60 miles from the ocean
The channel to the Atlantic is deep anc
alongside the wharves you see the flags
of all nations. Ofcourse except that o
our own country as we leave it to othel
nations to grow rich on the worlds car
rying trade. Measured by the tonnag
of it's commerce Bordeaux is the thirC
seaport of France in Importance ant
1900 ships can be accommodated in it
sale and spacious harbour. A bit OF in
teresting political history attaches tt
, Bordeaux. The National Assembly me
here in 1901, after the Sedan defeat
=, and here the prelminaries Of peace will
Germany were accepted. With one o
the finest theatres in Europe, with wei
equipped public library, with spacious
public gardens, with botanical ant
geological annexes, and museums quit
rich in ancient and modern art, with on
. of the finest Gothic cathedrals in France
7 with the ruins of an old ampitheatre
| to recall its early Roman history, Boz
deaux has really enough of interest t.
+, make it pleasant halting-place on tn
Journey south. We found a new hotel a
! the station, the Terminus Hotel owne
. and managed by the Sleeping Car CON
pany and it is clean and comforta blt
|, and great convenience for birds of pa:
= sage like ourselves. In extremely no
weather avoid Bordeaux for it is too ia
from the sea to be cooled by the breeze
F.? of the Atlantic and the Pyrenees wit
e their snow crowns are too far ava
= (150 miles, to temper the torrid heat {
/. the lower valley of the Garonne.