The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-01-09
WATERLOO AS 1T Is

Waterloo and lace are the two great at
fractions that draw thousands OF tourists
to Brussels every year There are. OF
course. oIher objects worthysof atterlion
I'm the capital of the little Belgian king
dom. Its wide boulevards handsome
parks, and artistic buildings are rerni
niscent OF Paris, so much SO that the
term ia petit Paris has been gener-
ally accepted as descriptive of the beau
ties of Brussels.
Don't talk 10 me about old guild
houses" was the remark Of an American
woman. 81 saw nothing in Brussels but
lace. lace, lace, everywhere. | dreamed
of it at night. and l priced more lace
collars than l could wear in a lifetime
thereby encountering the frown of many
a pretty shop girl as l retired with my
money in my purse
All the inducements for the depletion Of
tourists funds, however. pale before the
Establishments of the omnipresent hotel
porter. and the Brussels hotels seem to be
peculiarly well equipped with individuals
whose chief business il is to devise meth
ods to relieve travellers of the.r money.
There's a fine concert in the park to-
night, too grand to miss. Here are few
reserved seat tickets for one franc each.
was the first effort of one of these jealous
doorkeepers upon small American party
on the first night of their arrival in Brus-
sells.
whats that music?" exclaimed the
man Of the party. Me- we don't like
music; never listensto it
Then PERHAPS you'n like tickets for Il
Of .
wagons have tickets for the trip to-
morrow
NO. thanks; were travelling for pleas
ure; don't care much about seeing any
thing was the unfecling reply.
At last, however the tourists rewarded
the ninety ninth bow of this amusing, il
at times troublesome. hotel official, by
securing tickets from his for the coach
ride to Waterloo. Thcy were paid for on
3 delivery, but parting evidence of the
porters commercial acumen was 10 come
when the plSe of the tickets was found
charged in the bill, and it was only by
dint of fierce argument that the error
was finally admitted.
There are three ways of reaching the
battlefield OF Waterloo by rail. by steam
tram car. or by coach. The trip by
coach is decidedly preferable, as oQe gets
m excellent opportunity to see the coun-
try and observe farm and village life in
Belgium. 1t is seldom difficult 10 secure
seats. for if the one regular and stylish
coach is filed. two old-fosAioned vehicles
OF ample dimensions VII be brought into
service. 1t is. always an attractive sight
TO see the coach as il leaves the Place
Royal to the musical echoes of the horn
as the farewell blast is blown. but when
the three coaches are in line there is al
ways a big crowd on hand to cheer the
departing visitors
The fieid OF Waterloo is about twelve
miles from Brussels. anG the coach fare
there and back is surely reasonable
enough. seven francs, about Sl.so, with
IN extra franc for the driver. This. or
course. Goes not include the table d'hote
lunch at the bustling Museum Hotel.
where the coaches stop preparatory to a
partial Inspection OF the field: neither does
Il assist in reducing the numerous half
franc admissions which occur 50 frequent
" rs TO cause wonder azd censterratioa
70 those not possessing a comfortably
f,sed i5ockethook
IL the road ~ Waterloo after leaving
the park. were only as comfortable 70
the body as the beauties of nature are 10
the eye the limit of perfection would he
sreached. Every foot OF the road. except
u narrow strip al one side. is paved and
with such large rough stones as TO occa-
sion such a prodigious amount of joltiuE
! that the mere memory of it is misery. Il