The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-24

successors, heirs and assigns have
ruled in England ever since. OF course
when william became king OF Eng
land his old dukedom was a small af-
fair the natural tendency was for il to
go back to France But for a couple
of centuries Rouen was the capital OF
the English province of Normandy.
Finally John, the king who signed the
magma charta lost it to Philip of
France. Then for two centuries more
the English and French monarchs
fought over this and other places on
the continent, France finally getting
them all, a fact which turned out to
be for the best interest of both cOun-
tries. as England was weaker with
possessions across the water and
France needed Normandy and Calais
to complete It's territory. Since that
time Rouen has been a good business
city, with a fine ocean trade into the
harbor along the Seine river, and with
interior France by reason of the river
and its excellent jobbing situation.
My first visit was to the market
place where, in 1431, Joan of Arc was
burned to death as a witch. The
sweet girl had filed the French army
with enthusiasm by her own bravery
and by her claim to supernatural
guidance. She saved King Charles
kingdom for him when the English
had possession of Paris and nearly the
entire country She drove the English
army into the corner OF France and,
by getting too far in advance of her
own soldiers, was captured. She was
brought to Rouen, charged with
witchcraft. which was against the laws
of civilization then like explosive
bullets are now. sentenced to death,
and the fagots were set in flames
about her in the market square where
we stood this morning A statue of
the Maid of Orleans marks the place,
and in every direction in Rouen there
are memorials in her honor. There is
a street named for her, a boulevard, a
park, a church, and number of
shops, restaurants and cafes.
I have noted a difference in Gus
toms between France and America. In
our country, when We have a hero or
heroine we honor them by naming a
good brand of cigars for them, while
in this country it is always church
or a cafe.
There are great cotton factories
here, but Rouen does not look like a
manufa curing city The factories,
scattered along the river and up the
little creek valleys, are surrounded by
trees and made to look really beautiful.
I think only cheap grades of stuff are
made in Rouen and. in fact, think
only cheap looking cotton goods are
used in France. The best cotton comes
from Manchester, England and ought
to be from the United States.
There is a fine cathedral in Rouen,
one of the best in Europe am get
ting to be an expert in cathedrals and
something of a critic. But 1 like this
one because it IS not elegantly furnish
ed and the bare walls and floor Of big
stones harmonic with the old appear
ance and the Gothic architecture. I
often criticize a cathedral because it is
so handsome and the people who live
around it are so poor. But the cathe-
dral of Rouen Is large and stately,
plain in interior and artistic in exterior,
and stands as a fitting memorial to
great bishops who have held sway in
Rouen and the strong and sturdy peo-
pie of this good old Norman town
was the statue of King Richard the
Lion Hearted, loved by me as by every
body who has read Ivanhoe and not
read much history. In this statue was
a little box which contained the dust
of the heart of Richard. The box was
taken out but this is in fact the tomb
of one of England's early kings, whose
heart was once big enough to make
him a great man.
Rouen is not progressive city, The
old walls have been converted into
boulevards. the muddy banks Of the
Seine have been paved, and big smoke
sta cks reach into the air and make
their unmistakable sign of business
smoke. But the people are the town
and they are not in step with the pro-
gressives. They love their little old
crowded, narrow streets, with over
hanging houses and the smell of musty
life. There they have their merry
making. their church going and their
daily enjoyment, and there they will
resist longer than in almost any other
place in France the encroachment of
stiff and starched and clean civiliza-
ton, which is neither picturesque nor
W. Y. MORGAN.