The Forrest City times., 1901-11-01
From Reims, France.

prove of interest to many, and show:
that there are other gay places In
France besides Parlee:
Dear Home Folks-I have spent q
NEST interesting day at Reims. This
is the very heart of tue champagne dis.
trict. and right now is the busiest sea
son with the vintagers.
Every American champagne driukei
is familiar with the Reims brand OF
wine. Some of the best comes from
Bouzy. very appropriate name, isn't
it ;, also from Eperney, two towns near
Reims.
The champagne grapes are small and
very delicious there are two kinds,
the white and purple. The purple
has an Incompatible aroma, aud makes
the best wine. have eaten so many
today, feel ike bunch.
The leaves de Pommery," known
the world over. for they supply every
country, are situated here, and it was
in these cellars that spent two most
interesting hours. We were furnished
guide, whose explanations were all
French, instead of "all Greek to me, y
but used my eyes and got much in
formation that way. As we descended
into the cellars l felt myself getting
gradually colder, they are deep enough
TO preserve an equal temperature sum-
mer and winter, and the number Of
bottles were bewildering There are
eighteen miles of cellars, possibly more,
| made calculations from Kilometres,
and eighteen miles is the minimum.
These cellars are divided into corridors
and each is marked with large placard
bearing the name of the place to which
il is TO go. London is the largest cor
rldor, though New York, Washington.
San Francisco, etc, attest the thirst of
the average American. The taste for
sweetness varies with the different
countries, Russia takes the sweetest,
then Germany, France, Belgium, Eng
land and Americas is I" iris see "
extra dry.) Not bottle goes out of
the caves that has not been there four
years. some remain longer. The spiders
have done we'll the work of covering
them with webs, some of the bot
tie look as old as the caves. The per-
manent reserve is Is 000,00 bottles.
so, if the vintage was short, there
would be no danger of wine being short
Only the very best grapes are used for
making champagne, every grape that
is broken or mouldy is cut off before
being sent to the press. An inferior
wine is made from the cast off ones.
The very best champagne can be got
ten here for ! francs, 81 40 a quart.
These caves have attracted many
distinguished visitors, among them
Napolean 1, Louis.Phillipe, President
Carnot in 1891, and others.
Possibly you do not know that the
first champagne was made by monk
Dom Perignon, and the abbey still ex-
lists, near Eperney, where he discovered
the art of producing the sparkling
wine. The best wines 10 France are
made by monks. The French all
drink, but it is rare that one is intox.
| icated. English and Americans drink
to excess. but as nations are temperate.
This subterranean world is lighted
| with hundreds Of incandescent lamps,
and is made as attractive as possible
with large paintings, statuary, etc
A groupe representing the Revelry
of Bacchus" seems quite in harmony
with the surroundings. There are
many interesting things in the process.
Of making, but | will have to explain
them with photographs.
The historical association of ReimS
makes it extremely attractive. There
is a we'll preserved arch of tritmpl
built by Cesar. He seems to have left
monuments of his glorious campaign,
everywhere, lin York, England, there
is still standing the old wall built by
the Romans. 1t formerly surroundeC
the place, but of course the town Ia:
extended far beyond it now. walked
two miles around it.
Reims is glorious with the memorie:
of Joan Of Arc, Here is the famou,
cathedral in which she saw Charles
| VII crowned. This too is considered
the most beautiful cathedral in France
Two weeks ago the Gar of Russia
came to visit this cathedral, and alsl
10 review the French troops
The great and small alike pay tribute
to the memory of Jeanne dare by
naming children, hotels. cafes
wines, etc, for the great saint. Hall
the girls in France are named Jeanne
aud ;nstead of celebrating the ami
velsary OF their own birth, they max,
4 fete day of the anniversary of the
saint. We had dinner at the Hote
Jeanne Arc.
We have had quite cold weather here
! am stiff now with cold. don't know
| what shall do when real winter comes
Unless l learn to speak French soor
shall become a frst-class mute. ST,