Fergus County argus., 1905-09-08
OLD HOME OF
FRENCH RULERS
Spokane Writer'S Description of a
Visit to Fountainebleau Palace
and the Forest.
A DELIGHTFUL EXCURSION
Place Where History Was Made
An American Dragging Match
A Smiling Land.

Tomorrow | shall see Fontainebleau.
All my life | have neyaire seen Fon-
tainebleau. And now | am to behold
its beautiful forests and the charm
ing palace that was once the home
of the kings and queens of France"
So exclaimed Madame NJ. the kind
ly hearted Frenchwoman who con-
Quoted the quiet little pension where
We found pleasant shelter throughout
our II days sojourn in the French
capital. For 81 years Madame n.
has been resident of Paris. and very
restricted and almost pathetic her
life has been. Not once in that %
years had she been 20 miles out of
Paris. And now the prospect Of a
long, long Sunday at Fontainebleau
had wrought in her breast an enthu-
siasm that was almost childish, but
withal was delightful.
We had invited her to accompany
us as our guest for the day. and all
the week through she had lived in
eager anticipation of the coming a.l-
venture. Twenty times she had ex-
pressed alarm lest the day should
break stormy, but all her fears were
swept away by kindly fate. and Par
is never saw fairer Sunday morn
ing than that which found us on our
way.
vn 81,
ing excursion train, leaving the Care
de Lyon at 7:30. The madame's son.
with admirable fiial devotion arose
early, and with his own hands pre-
pared a little breakfast OF coffee.
eggs and toast.
Paris was hardly astir as we turn
ed out of the Rue de Caumartin into
the Boulevard de Madeleine in search
of a cocher. That willy parsonage.
seeing at a glance that we We're un-
der the guidance of a true Parsienne,
cut short his haggling as to charge
and quickly agreed to carry us in an
easygoing carriage three miles to the
railroad station for the very moder-
ate fee of three francs and IS cen
times about Is cents in American
money.
French Excursion.
The railroad station was a scene of
hustle and excitement. The govern
ment, which operates the French
railways, had announced for that day
half fare excursion rates to Fontaine-
bleau. These were four and half
francs, round trip, second class, and
three francs, third class, and there
must have been ! 900 eXcursiOnists
bustling around the ticket office and
chatterlng on the great platforms
within the gates. To our surprise.
the American and English tourist ele-
ment was not in sight, for while Paris
at this season is overrun with Eng
llsh speaking people. the tourists. for
the most part, put themselves under
the guidance of tourist agencies, and
those who visit Fontainebleau go
there on week days by the regular
trains. This was a typical Paris ex-
cursion crowd, made up of smiling
faces and gay with merry laughter
and lively badinage.
The road to Fontainebleau lay
through as fair and smiling a land
as the heart could wish For the
greater part of the way we were in
sight of and along the banks of the
beautiful Seine, in a country of charm
Ing diversity of villas, fields. gardens,
orchards, meadows and forests.
In Old FontainebIeau
The historic old city of Fontaine
bleau, with its 5000 population. its
ancient buildings and winding streets
lay sleeping in the summer sunshine
When the long train drew into the
station. Electric street cars carried
the excursionists from the station tc
the noble old palace on the edge OF
the forest. The great doors of the
ancient building, so charged with
glorious and tragic memories, were
still barred against the public when
the eXcursionists arrived. and the
guards told us that it would be near
~ an hour before opening time: sc
the visitors scattered among the no
Die groves and around the pretty ar
uhclal lakes and revelled in the bean
" OF a landscape that long. long acc
was familiar to Bourbon kings and
princes to that mysterious man Of
destiny, the mighty Napoleon: 10 his
queen the shallow and tickle Jose
phlne, and to a host Of courier.
whose lives We're here worn away
IN passionate intrigues and gay dissi
patton On this very landscape. ion.
ago, fell the sOrrowing gaze of rhe
imprisoned pope. held here by Ma
poleon in magnificent bondage.
II the merrymakers had thought nj
these grave and tragic ASSOCIATIONS
theE gave little sign Of it in their han
py faces. Two or three hundred n
them gathered on a low stone hrids.
and around the shore of a lfrrle laIsa
screaming with delight and lauchtar
as the great oyerfed carp came II
10 receive the bread which the visit
ors scattered on the water. From
ihlS animated scene We turned I'M,
the quieter depths Of the noble mari,
that half surrounds the old palaca
Broad avenues as well cared for a,
a city street, ran here and Their
through the cool depths of the leaf
woods. The forest park at this plac
and also the wild forest of Fonraine
bleau, mas wonderful variety q
woody growth, and oak. maple. syca
more, beech, elm, chestnut, birch 20,
lar, cottonwood and many of the otf
er leaf trees are interspersed with q,
ergreens. 1t was a surprise and
pleasure TO find growing wild. both i
the park and in the forest. our oil
friend, the Oregon grape. It's blu
berries were pleasantly ripe and a
We picked a bunch for eating, a loo
Of terror swept over the emotionf