St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-09-26
A FLY THROUGH BELGIUr1.
Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN

Endeavor tourists, left Paris by special
train one hot morning last July, and
were whirled along rapidly through
that beautiful agricultural region in the
northeast of France. We arrived in
Brussels in ample time for supper, after
that we saunter into the unknown city.
The wooden clogs worn generally by
working classes and the youths amazed
us. Many purchased small models of
them, about two inches long for a few
confines. Two ladies of our party
bought well worn pairs of them from
women on the street, who readily sold
them for a franc and gleeiully went bare
foot on their way. Their wicker-work
plates for pies and cake in the bakery
windows attracted our attention. After
great difficulty, because of strange Ian
guage and stranger customs, we manag-
ed to purchase one of them which now
adorns our dining-room sideboard 1t
is called "frond du tarte"
BRUSSELS, spelt in their local dialect
"Bruxelles, is wonderful city, almost
as interesting as Paris, and we liked the
people generally great deal better; not
so polite nor demonstrative, not so
tickle nor passionate, but more hearty,
stable, honest, straightforward and
reliable.
The palace de Justice" analogous to
our capital at Washington, is claimed to
be the largest building in the world,
covering 100000 square feet, with
mass of sculptured and polished marble,
with tower 400 feet high and costing
some said nearly $2O,OO0,OOO. The
Bourse is celebrated as the most magni-
icent exchange building in Europe. We
inspected the marvellous royal buildings
and royal guards, but the king and
family were at their summer country
seat.
We drove along the famous boulevards
which encircle the city proper, with its
| 100000 population, separating that
from the suburbs which have as many
more inhabitants. This avenue is 300
feet wide, with different tracks and
streets for carriages, heavy teams, trans,
. trolleys, horse riding, bicycles and walk.
erS.
F., The St. Gadule cathedral, which ex.
tends back to the 18th century, is one o.
, the finest on the continent. The pulpit
e is of deliberately carved wood represent
S ing the expulsion of Adam and Eve from
Paradise. 1t was made in 1899 by Yer
briiggen, whose eyes were put out by
order of the King so that he would
# never do any better artistic work.
S Of course we visited one of the factories
n for making the celebrated point lace, and
the ladies of our party went wild over it
i became absorbedin watching the womer
e so skillfully making it, and then they
e extravagantly made rash purchases O
'' it. A franc day is the ordinary pay tc
the women.
The origin of the lace is enshrouded il
# beautiful legend Of lovely princess il
" the olden time who hid herself so as moi
l. to marry prince of the kings choice
IL and to remain true to her own knightly
', lover. When discovered, the enraget
d father ordered her walled up in he
tower-dungeon so as to never come fortl
alive. When languishing therein TO
al several years, she became intently in
l. terested in watching spider weaving
20 its web at the window with delicat
'e design and artistic skill. Obtainin,
ID some silk thread she initiated tina
III pattern, and after many failures fnall
succeeded in making the first lace of his
. tory. Upon the kings death, she wa
= released and enthusiastically began tn
is manufacture of lace.
d We went by rail some dozen miles t.
l. Waterloo, and then in buses about thre
II, miles to the Lion Mound, which is erect
~ ed in the middle of the old battle felc
The mound is formed by two millio
70 brick being filled up, and covered with a
k enormous amount of earth which wa
III brought in baskets on the backs OF man
i women during three years OF time 1872:
- 5, 226 stone steps lead to the top, O
which rests the granite colossal Belg
Lion with the immortal date enscribe
III on the pedestal xviii JUN M
a .r CCCXV."
of An interpreter points out the differei
rs parts of the historic field and explain
the battle.
On returning to the station, one b
D. has "haltseas-over" rollicking driv
al who tries to "show off, his horsema
ne ship by running out on the pole betwe
u ~ the horses and jumping upon the back
be the nigh one, which does not like it al
r. begins to jump and prance. Meeting
small donkey cart, there is reckle
collision, an upset cart, an enrag
animal, a scattered load of fruit al
vegetables, and our driver is thrown
49,, and entangled in the reins and dragg