Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-28
The AMERICAN SHOE IN EUROPE.

4 y Z
Correspondence Of the Dispatch. Copy
righted. 1902 by Frank G. Carpenter)
MONS, BELGIUM. December 22.-l have
come from Switzerland across France to
Belgium. andi:a now in Mons on the
southern edge Of this country. Mons mas
$1,000 people, but the country ABOUT IS
one continuous village. and can see the
possibilities of an enormous CONSUMPTION
Of American goods Belgium Is one OF tne
most thickly populated parts of the world.
have travelled among the millions OF
China and india but nowhere have
found the people much thicker than here.
The country roads are spotted with biocks
of one and two-story houses, and at every
mile or so there is a village. TOOK a
days walk through the country last
week. Every hour or SO I went by coal
mine with mountain Of refuse behind it.
and large collection of miners houses
under its shadow. The roads are throng-
ed with men. women, and children. Nearly
all walk, and common sight is woman
and a dog dragging a cart harnessed up
side by side. Sometimes the dog is IN
the shafts and the woman pulls outside
with rope, and others the woman is IN
the shafts and the dog tolls along be-
hind under the bed of the cart, hitched
to the axle. The fields are full OF wo-
men working. They spade the ground,
they dig, and they hoe. Sometimes they
carry great loads along the roaos or
across the fields on their backs like Very
beasts Of burden.
AMERICAN GOODS IN BELGIUM
TOWNS.
doubt II many Americans have ever
been here. The tourists pass Mons by
although it is one of the oldest towns
OF northern Europe and full of historical
interest. Julius Caesar had a fortress
here when he was fighting the Gauls.
and Mons was ba thed in blood in the
struggle of the Spaniards and William or
Orange. There is cathedral in the city,
which was building when Columbus start
ed out to discover America, and monu-
ment to Baldwin IN, who took part IN
the crusades. and who in ~. became EN-
peror OF Constantinople. while trying to
wrest his soul from the devil, and the
Holy Land from the Turks.
The Mons Of to-day. however is more
interesting in the fires of the living than
in the birthstone fires Of the damned.
It is the centre Of the chief coal Milling
section of Belgium Mountains Of coal
waste rise up everywhere about it. stand
ing like great cones. high above the fields
and villages. The city is one of hills and
hollows. It's winding streets are of cob
bles and it's buildings such as you would
1 took room at the Grand Hotel de
Schmitz near the depot. and then started
out to see if could find some evidences
Of American invasion. I did not expect
much. for I knew that most of the peo-
pie were miners and many Of them ex-
ceedingly poor. mis- is my first city In
Belgium, and as the town has no AmeSi-
can consul. I could find nothing about it
in our State Department reports. My
knowledge of French is not over good.
and that of my son Jack, q high-scnool
boy, who is with me. is little better. still
we were not long in finding American
tracks.
VIRGINIA CLARIFIES.
The first store we entered was that
OF tobacconist next door to the hotel.
[ dropped in and asked for some --.neri-
can cigarettes. The maiden in charge
promptly handed me three different
boxes. all made in Virginia, and later
on told me that she sold chiefly the wares
of our toba Geo trust
A little further on I saw large sales
room filled with American sewing ma
chimes and next door was a store selling
photogra phi cameras from Rochester N.
Y. 1 was wondering as to American food
stuffs, when Jack called me across tbs
street to see grocery where the hens lay
eggs for you While you walt. went over
and looked in. In the glass window, upon
a round crate Of eggs. sat what looked
like live hen in the act of laying. The
fowl had genuine feathers, q blood-red
comb and real hens eyes. The eggs
were genuine and it took me twelve sec
onds before I realized that the dominick
was only stuffed, and that it was merely
to advertise the freshness of the eggs.
Nearby were yellow porcelain butter rolls
and in an adjoining window | saw the
words, "yNeisse Oats" and some bags Of
;c;,, V1v1r
In the hardware stores found Ameri-
can tools and a lawn mower. which was
exhibited in a window. and to which was
nailed the words: "Veritable Philadel-
phla"
Turning the corner. was directly op-
posite the finest of the new buildings Of
Mons. This is a great telephone structure,
with wall Of porcelain in which are set
the names of Bell and other American in
ventors. In a store not far away, | saw
American notions and spinning tops paint
ed red. white. and blue.
AMERICAN SHOES IN THE LAND OF
CLOGS.
l did not expect to find American shoes
here. The Netherlands, which. broadly
speaking, include Holland and Belgium,
are the homes of the wooden shoe. The
common people wear clogs, but. never.
theless, American shoes and Belgian iml
tatons Of them are sold. The shoes are
labelled '.Veritable Americana. In some
Of the stores / saw shoes marked ''Veau
Americaine," which Jack promptly told
me meant American VEAL but which l
rather think was intended to convey the
idea that they were Of American calf
skin. The leather was undoubtedly
poor imitation of ours. but the fact that
it was advertised as such shows what is
thought Of American leather. Indeed,
got one of the merchants to give me q
Ia bel 1t reads:
"Recomande Veau Americana Solidite
Garantie Souple Impermeable."
Which evidently means that these shoes
are especially recommended as of genuine
American calf guaranteed for its durabil-
ity, softness, and impermeablity as to
water.
Another shoe store advertises Boston
rubbers. and In a barber shop next door.
| saw razor strop for sale. marked
made in America.
SHOES FOR Ten CENTS A PAIR.
There is no doubt that q good, cheap
American shoe Will sell here. The better
classes will buy it, and if cheap enough it
might command some trade among the
miners. Still. no leather shoes can COM
pare in price with the wooden clog, which
the most of the poorer people wear. Dur
ing my walk in the country. | bought q
pair of shoes for 10 cents. They were clogs
HOY nd