The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-08
Local Tradition Says Legendary
Hero Went There With Tree
That Saved Him.
MANY cRUsoE TREES VISIBLE.
Robinson AIRED to Have
Managed .0resque Old
Inn After Leaving Des-
ert Island.
REFCBLIc SPECIAL

~ n-4- E1l11
Pfttshurg. Pa, May Writing 10 a To-
cal paper from Paris. e correspondent
says Americans who settle in Europe tor
4 few wears are constantly making sur
prisinE discoveries. Who for instance.
would ever have supposed that there Is a
place in France. and not many miles from
Paris. where a veritsbie cult is paid to
the memory OF Robinson Crusoe7
When Daniel Defoe wrote the delightful
book which has fascinated generations OF
the worlds population It u extremely
doubtful that he ever meant TO make a
Frenchman Of his legendary here. II will
pronaoly come as news TO his admirers 10
learn that Robinson Crusoe. after his res
cue from the desert isle. retired to a vilt
lage called Sceaux. about seven miles
from Paris. and became an inkeeper.
Local tradition has II hat Robinson
Crusoe brought with him and planted. or
rather repiante6 In his garden the orig
inai tree In which he slept on the night
OF his shipwreck on the island Indeed.
the Inhabitants still point out with pride
Crusoe lived.
There is. however. some confusion as TO
the exact SPOT. owing to three !nnkeepers
IN the village claiming TO possess the
original tree. There are also spurious trees
called Robinson CruSoe trees which
have been set up BY Other innkeepers in
the place with a view OF attracting Gus
toners Indeed. Sceaux-Rohnson. as the
village has come 20 be called. is fun of
innkeepers. for II has become a f~svortte
resort for Paris students and Tor Paris
ians generally who live on the south side
OF the Seine River.
STATUE OF cRUsoE-
II appears that toward the end OF the
Eighteenth Century. probably about the
period OF the French Revolution. an Eng
ishman whose name was Robinson settled
manner the repor, got about thai ROBIN
son had travelled much and had met with
many remarkable adventures. 1t was ru-
IN the War Of Independence on tho side OF
the colonists and that he world be hanged
IL he went back to England. This Was
patty to the people in the nssshborsood.
and SO many folks came to listen to his
stories Of adventure that Robinson soon
married and had numerous roeeny- JudS-
Ing from the appearance OF some of his
descendants and the Sow o: ready wit
y, %h, sis5 ,ass p ,sst ,s |. Is o ny RoS nsSas
must have been an Irshman. with The
gift of oratory peculiar 20 his race
known to foreigners han Il is. though
there Is scarcely an American student In
Paris who has not been there many n
time. The train from the Luxembourg
Station takes n there In about forty
minutes for It stops a good many times
on the way. A fev m,nutes walk brings
one TO Sceaux-Roolnso3 proper. and here
dens is b~ewilderinE. Each contains a
Robinson tree Of gigantic sire There
are stairways up the trees leading to lit
chairs are set and r~efreshments may
be ordered The largest Of the trees
speads Its shade over a hfe-st3ed statue
oo,, ses 9hso9ns cI 1oS thu. an a,b his g e0 he q oa,S
original Robinson Crusoe tree
HOUSES IN THE TREES
n 30 this is the real. original "Crusoe
we ask the aged walter who comes
to greet US. Indeed It Is. monsieur"
replies, looking at as with = twinkle
In his eyes. the very same that he |
brought back with him from the island"
He then proceeds to spin out the usaul
yarn. which he has repeated SO often that
he half believes II himself He tails US
that Robinson Crusoe Was a native Of the
place before he set out on his adventures
that after many years he returned.
brin ging with him his famous tree
He became an iEnkeeper. cir, and made
he students rom Paris. who came here
FOR a days fun"
II we Interrupt and ask how long Crusoe
has been dead the old waiter win appear
Friday died in a madhouse, at Charen-
he thinks Now all this Is very SUP
orising and interesting and as the same
esend Will be repeated to you with vari-
atoms. at every inn IN the place. Il Is not
@ be wondered at that a large number OF
folks are content TO believe thar
Ocfoe's romantic hero veS a Frerchnen-
At Sceaux-Robinson II is the proper
hing TO hire out a donkey at % cents an
,our. As n jog along breathing the
,ure country air and admiring the delight
ul scenery sounds of mirfh n music
strike the ears on all sides. Dancing
8 going on in the elevate platforms built
ID In the air between the trees. and ev-
~ now n then one VIII come across
bands OF students, accompanied BY
-oung women from the Latin Quarter II
with him. he Will probably
lever regret an afternoon spent at the
Ineged birthplace of Robinson Crusoe-