The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-01-09

and enjoy the freedom OF pedestrians
..hen the driver pulls up for his first stop
at an MISREPRESENTATION inn in the
unpicturesque village of Waterloo. This
inn, moreover, is the first war museum
that the tourist encounters, anu, although
he may refuse the liquid refreshment thar
a buslling Frenchwoman stands ready to
provide, he cannot gracefully escape the
payment OF his first extra halffranc for
the inspection OF Waterloo souvenirs.
The battle was fought from three tc
five miles beyond, but the iliage or Wa
terloo has given its name 10 that mo-
mentous struggle OF June is, eighty nine
years ago, because it was the Duke of
Wellington's headquarters previous TO the
battle and many of his letters and dis
patches were sent from this i'm. On that
account il is one Of those places which
must be seen when doing the Battlefield.
The museum consists of two rooms i'm
mediately over the ground floor. One is
very small, ard contains nothing of inter-
est. The other is considerably larger.
Scores of old muskets, sabres. and other
destructive weapons are suspended from
the walls. In glass cases, amid a tumble
of minor relics. are two or three skulls
and a number OF small bones ploughed up
in 1895, gruesome reminders. indeed, of
that fearful carnage that has made the
year 1915 memorable. All these, however.
are of secondary interest compared TO the
.hree great relics in the roorn-two old
bedsteads and one miserably tattered
IL inchair. The latter was the Duke of
hoi h 4,
room, and a small desk is also shown
whicn is said TO have been used by him.
The Duke slept in one of the beds pre-
vious 10 the battle, although not on the
eve OF the conflict, for he was at the IA
nous bah given by the Countess of Rich
moId ia brussels. Upon the other bed,
Col. Sir Alexander Gordon one of Eng
lands most popular officers, died. a few
hours after being brought, mortany
wounded, to the house. Col Gordon was
Il brother of the Earl of Aberdeen, and
the day after the battle the Duke wrote
a very touching letter to the Earl. in
forming him of his brothers death add
ing: He lived long enough to be informed
by myself of the glorious result of our ac-
ton. to which he had so much contributed
by his active and jealous assistance
Leaving the unattractive village of Wa
terloo with its dirty children, whose only
diversion seems TO be TO run after the
coach and keep up an incessant cry for
centimes, the journey is continued along
the road which was tramped by thou
sands Of the allied troops on their way
to action. Within less than two miles,
the little village of Mont St. Jean is
reached. This formed the centre Of the
allied forces, and mile beyond marked
some of the fiercest lighting of the day
The farm of the La Haye Sainte was
close by, and that was the only position
occupied by the allied troops that Napo-
leon captured. y little less than mile
beyond the village are two monuments,
one to the memory of Col Gordon. and
the other in honor of the Hanoverian
officers of the German legion. Near by,
there formerly stood a large elm tree,
which for years bore the name Of Well
ington's elm, as the Duke is said to have
stood under it during the day, watching
the progress of the battle. 1T has long
since disappeared. carried away piecemeal
by relic hunters.
y few yards beyond this spot and tower
ms over everything else on the battle
field is the mound Of the Belgian lion..
The mound rises two hundred feet above
the surface, and so much earth was TAX
en- for its erection that the original level
of tn" ground for nearly a mile around
has been lowered several feet On top or
the mound, upon a granite PEDESTAL is
the enormous Belgian lion, weighing near
ly twenty-eight tons, and made from
cannon captured from the French during
the conflict. 1t is a simple. dignifed, and
majestic monument of the great battle
that shaped the destiny of Europe for the
nineteenth century. A splendid view of
all the points Of interest over the wide
field is obtained from its summit. The
land presents 10 sharp features beyond
slightly undulating hills. and is is culti-
waited almost entirely with grain. When
seen in the harvest season, the yellow.
gently waving tops, spread over hundreds
of acres, present a wonderfully peaceful
sight, and it is difficult To imagine that
this is the graveyard Of over 2000O human
beings
Waterloo has always had peculiar fas-
the Gays of Major Cotton one or more
retired English solCiers have passed the
dosing years OF their lives there. eking
out a fairly comfortable subsistence as
guides. The dean Ct his class now is an
Old but cheerful member OF q Highland
regiment. lie wears an imposing costume
of brown. heavily trimmed with black
braid. His little cane is never at rest
as he points hurriedly here and there
ever the field In the midst of his fluent
description of all the military tactics en-
played by the opposing armies. 1t is a
genuine pleasure TO accompany him to
Hougomont. for the intensity of interest
nh,ch he infuses into his words recalls
the fearful charges of the French and
halr heroic repulse by the English with
startling YiviGness. The care that is be-
slowed upon the ruins of Hougomoit to
keep them in a properly ruinous condition
is also Of material aid In these ren.inis-
cences Of 1915.
The usual half-franc admission is eX
acted before entering the gate Of the
chateau. In New England the term cha
teau would be simrlned into that OF
farmhouse. None Of the beauties. an
cient or modern. that the word chateau
anticipates IS tn be seen. The buildings
are very plain AMI are occupied by farm
ing people The old chapel now separ-
ated from the main house, is one OF the
most interesting Of the ruins. The French
shells set fire u portion Of the chateau.
and before they were eXtiEgrished one
erd Of the chapel wSs burned and the
wooden crucidx over the altar was scorch-
Ell. To this Gay il IS ssid that the flames
stopped when they reached the figure or
Christ The figure has always remained
IN its original place. but a wire screen
now protects If for abql,t tpco wears asA