The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-08-31
European Letter.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, Aug. IL, 1900.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, Aug. II, 1900.
DEAR WALTER: AS Bacon has writ
ten you of our Switzerland tour and
Clay mailed you a letter a few days
since giving you an account of our trip
to the Passion Play, it is my pleasure
now to resume the thread of our travels
and tell you of our travels down the
Rhine This is a tour 1 believe that is
always looked forward to by Americans
with intense interest and pleasure
and SO it proved to us. Leav-
ing Meunchen (Or as we term it Munich),
Wednesday, Aug. 7th, at 1 p. m, we
had quite a run to Heidelberg, the famous
German University town Arrived at
$40 and after good night IS rest started
the next morning to see it's principal
points Of interest, namely, the old
Castle and the University buildings.
Here, for the first time on our sight
seeing tour, we were compelled to walk
around IN the rain. The Castle is the
oldest and grandest ruin in Germany.
Portions of this Castle were DESTROYED
at different times-frst by the French
In 1890, and last by lightning in 1889.
We spent several hours very pleasantly
wandering around the beautiful shaded
grounds, coming to q spot marked by a
slab, where Goethe is said to have med
itated and written some of his famous
productions. Leaving here we visited
the University and there saw in the
rooms where students were incarcerated
for various infractiOns Of rules The
walls and ceilings are covered with in
scrlptlOns Of all sorts and kinds, and
with gruesome and amusing pictures.
%*x
In the afternoon we left for Mayence,
by way of Franlzfort-on the Main. where
we stopped for a short time. 1t has a
population of 100000 and is the Wealth.
est and most aristocratic city in Ger
many. We regretted that we could not
spend more time here, but as our plans
were arranged ahead, we were COM
PEELED to proceed to Mayence, where we
spent the night and started on our trip
by steamer down the famous Rhine
Friday morning at O'Clock. The
steamer was crowded with Americans
and we soon felt very much at home
and before the day was gone had made
many pleasant acquaintance. We were
on an express boat that made only two
stOps-at: COblentz and Bonn-the prin-
cipal cities on the way. The former is
a beautiful little city of about 10000 in
habitants on the West bank of the river,
Here we saw, facing down the stream,
a magnificent statue of Emperor Will
lam l, who was the first Emperor after
I the FrancO-PruSsian war. and the
grandfather Of the present Emperor. /
do not feel equal to the occasion Of Civ
! ing you detailed account of a trip on
the Rhine, for tourist has no time to
look up statistics. The stream per Sc is
not attractive, especially not SO to us, as
we had just completed our tour Of the
Switzerland lakes, the most beautiful
bodies of water in the world The
stream IN some places is about the
width Of the Ohio and to all appearances
is very treacherOus. What renders it so
attractive and gives such intense inter
est is the beautiful landscape on both
sides, dotted with numerous ruins of
Castles built on solid rock peaks and
dating back many centuries. In their
time they must have been works of
majesty and beauty. Cologne, or as the
Germans know it, Koln, was reached at
6 p. m.
The next daywe visited the Cathedral,
Gue IOurGn largest III the world, st.
Peters in Rome being the largest, the
Milan Cathedral second and st. PauI'g
lin LOndon) third. 1t is a very impos-
ing and massive structure and very
unique in its architecture.
*x*
Friday afternoon we Travelled to
Brussels, the principal city of Belgium,
with population Of half million. 1t
is one Of the most charming cities we
have seen, with its manylpoints of inter-
est, namely, its royal palaces, numerous
art galleries, parks, hotels, business
blocks, &c. The principal, or rather
the most universal language spoken is
French. We also find pure and un-
adulterated Dutch, and very little
English. Belgium is the richest farm
ing section on the Continent, and we see
it at very attractive time-the harvest
season. 1t is four times smaller than
the State of Kentucky, having only about
1000 square miles, with total popula-
ton of 100000. This you see, makes
it the most thickly populated country in
%,n