The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-11
The Yankee in the
 Land of the BelgiAns

Copyright, 1902. by Frank c. Carpenter.)
 ,,ss I. Brussels.
 The streets of Brussels are torn up by the American invasion. In front Of the Stock Exchange a crowd of blue-gowned, black-capped, clog-shod workmen are digging out the old morse railroad and putting in an American underground troll ley. The road is roped off and the brok- CTS have to walk a half square out Of their way to enter the bourse. At night lighted lanterns mark the confines of the work, and all day the sound of the pick and the hammer is heard. The work is under the charge of Americans, although they are not directly on the ground. The machinery Is being put in by the General Electric Company of New York, which has invaded many parts of Europe and is doing a big business here. The Nesting house Company Is competing with 1t. It has an office in Brussels and Its electrical supplies are found in all parts of the country.
 Electric Transit in Belgium.
 There is a good opening here for cleo trical machinery. Many of the cities have no tramways and good-sized towns have no electric lights. Belgium is cut up by canals, now operated by horse power, and at this writing horses are used to haul many of the cars of Brussels itselr. They drag the cars, not only along the tracks. but on the cobbles. pulling cars weighing two tons and, in addition, thirty passengers over the rough stones. our horses could not do 1t. but these big Bra bant steeds are very elephants in harness and they haul with ease loads that would stall the American Percheron.
 Brussels Is fast adopting rapid transit The electric work Is being well done, ana when completed the roads will be man. aged on military principles.
 The street car conductor here is as gor- geous as a German Lieutenant. He has a uniform with brass buttons, his cap Is covered with gold embroidery. and he keeps himself as bright as though he came out of bandbox.
 Every conductor has a whistle or horn, a bag for his money and receipt slips for fares. He carries little metal tube with a sponge in it upon which he vets his fingers in tearing of the slips.
 The car fares are low, ranging from 2 cents upward, according to class and dist ance. On some cars the first-class seats cost cents and the second-class 3 cents. the seats being exactly the same, except that the second are behind the hrst. The thrifty Belgians patronize the cheaper seats, so that there IS usually plenty of room in the Scent quarter.
 American Goods in Brussels.
 Brussels is the capital of Belgium, commercially and politically. The mer- chants from all parts of the country come here to buy. and by look at the stores 1t is easy to see that the trade is enor- nous. All sorts of notions are sold. Our patent medicines are displayed in the drug stores, and our porous plasters are Aw he KnnnkH American typewriters are well represent ed, as are all sorts of American farm tools.
 Brussels is more than 8 thousand years old, and in the middle ages 1t was already doing an enormous business. One of the oldest parts of the town is the Market Place, containing the city hall, one of the finest buildings in mediaeval Europe. Right next this old building are stores of American hardware, stacks of lawn mowers from Philadelphia, hay forks from Columbus. Ohio, and grindstones from Berea. Nearly every Brussels busl- ness house keeps Its accounts with Amer ican cash registers made at Dayton, and the most of the tailors use American sew ing machines.
 Invading Europe With an American
 Trotter.
 One of the brightest business Americans I have met on the continent Is MT. H. c. de Clerq, who represents the King Spring Company of Buffalo, and a number of other American institutions He Is one of the largest of the Belgian importers and is making a big thing in selling American goods He has three buildings in Brus7 sells devoted to his stores, workshops and supplies, and he trades not only with Bel gium, but with Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
 Among other things Mir. de Clerq sells American harness, carriages and wagons, and 1t was in talking of this branch of the business that he told me how he invaded Europe with an American trotter. Said he:
 T first came here as an agent for one of the biggest carriage factories of the United States. My employers thought they could sell their goods here, and, as I speak and write German and French as well as the English, they chose me to introduce them. l laid out the campaign and they gave me the money to carry it out. In the first place bought a buggy and rubber tires and ball bearings, and In the second a fast American trotter to carry me over the country. l brought these with me to Europe and travelled in my carriage through Holland and Bel oiurn going from Antwerp to Berlin, wis.,