The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-24
VISIT TO ROUEN.
Hutchinson Editor Pleased With
the Quaint Old Town.
Narrow CObblestone Streets
Where the Children Play.
FEW OWN THEIR HOMES
Sees Spot Where Joan of Arc
Was Burned to Death.
Buildings Poorly Ventilated and
a Mass of Humanity.
Rouen. France. Aug. 6

ROuen, France, Aug. g.
In this picturesque old French town
it is easier to realize that Paris is not
France. although politically the CAPT
tai is very near to being the whole
thing in this country. But the air is
different, the people lose their gay and
reckless appearance, the men are not
sitting in the cafes and the women are
not out on promenade with their
fetching gowns and artistic hats The
country women, or the women in the
country towns, are not stylish, the
men are not SO excitable and the ways
and customs of past generations are in
evidence on every side. We stopped
here to see the difference between the
Parisians and the people of the pro-
vinces and I am glad we did, for the
sights in Rouen neutralize to some ex-
tent the impressions of Paris and
show the strength and sturdiness of
the people of the country.
Rouen is a town of over 100. 900 in
habitants but you would hardly think
so to look at it. These old world cities
have way of COMPRISING population.
The storekeepers usually live above
their places Of business, the buildings
are uniformly five or six stories high,
and every room above or below the
ground floor IS a living room. A very
few wealthy and aristOcratic folks
may have houses OF their own but
there is practically no such thing as a
small merchant or working man hav-
Ing a dwelling to himself or for his
own family exclusively. Ground is
valuable, and then the custom of the
country makes it the proper thing for
family to have two or three rooms
up several flights of dark stairs, poor
~ ventilated and lighted, with little
attention paid to sanitation. How can
q man earning SO cents day and
l.
America, hope to have a home of his
own? He doesn't, and as he has no
hope or ambition that way he and his
wife and children are happy in their
ignorance of better things They live
in two or three poor rooms and in
hours of recreation occupy the street,
usually very narrow and paved with
cobble stones. The result Is in Rouen
that it Is very interesting and exceed
ingIy smelly. Picture a street ten or
twelve feet wide. with old buildings
five stories high on either side line It
with little shops on the ground floor
and fill it with men. women and chill
dren, cats and dogs; make the build
ings lean outward and present a pic
ture of antiquity with grotesque fronts
and gables; occasionally hear a cart
rumble over the cobble stones scatter
ing the inhabitants as 1t goes-and
that is Rouen, changed as little from
the ROuen of a couple of centuries ago
as it is possible to imagine. We wan
dered around the streets, into the lit
tie shops, picked our way through the
children, and found that the people
were industrious, thrifty, poor and ap-
parently happy.
Rouen is chuck full of history. It
got its start away back in heather
times and was an important town
when Caesar refused the imperial
crown of Rome. With the spread of
Christianity It became the center of
operations for a fine line of bishops
who converted or killed the heather,
and brought the spoils to Rouen and
erected churches. About the tenth
century Rollo, a chieftain of the
Norsemen, captured Rouen. accepted
Christianity and settled with his war;
riors among the more cultured
Franks, a combination that made Nor
mandy, as Rouen's dukedom was
called, a great power. He defeated
the king of France and Normandy was
practically Independent. The Normans
held to their character of fighting men
and in 1866 William, duke of Nor
mandy CONQUERED ENGLAND. and his