Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-11-28
CORRESPONDENTS.
Antwerp, Brussels, Paris, London

Alltl Il SIOllly u y Vi uluSlldl ltuSln
10 days, we landed at Antwerp instead
of Dover.
Next morning we started out sight,
seeing and to secure "permits" to visit
the Antwerp schools.
We first went to Calvary Monastery
The entrance to this grand old building,
built by the Spaniards in the 18th cen
fury, is very striking. One enters gar.
den, walled on both sides with cinder
and cement. Back of these walls are
life-siZe statues of peter DENYING
Christ, David and His Harp" Moses
With the Tables of Stone" and many
others too numerous to mention. In
little alcove near the door is the Tomb
of Christ" with the body and grave
clothes i'll position, while angels hover
over. In the monastery one finds the
famous paintings of Rubens, Van Dyck
and Franckens.
Another famous place we visited was
"Musce du Steen, renowned for its as
ISOLATION with the Spanish InquiSition
horrors. 1t still contains many of the
old instruments of torture, and our visit
to the tower and dungeon enabled us to
see other relics of that dreadful place and
tlme-alI i'll perfect state of preservation.
Then on to the grand cathedral, Notre
Dame. AS we passed, and later entered
the grounds of large boys public
school, we We're impressed by the defer
ence of those hundreds of boys, who in
stantly removed their caps and stood in
respectful silence. We encountered
little trouble i'll gaining permission to
enter the school. Soon as produced my
credentials, civic and county, the second
master went with US to the Mayor and
procured "A 'permit," which also admit
ted US to IA public kindergarten. The
special feature of study in this school is
mechanical drawing, the finest | have
ever witnessed.
But l must hurry on to Brussels,
where the landmarks of note we saw are
the ''BOurSe,' or exchange the Grand
Place. considered the loveliest square
i'll Europe AS we looked at its magnif-
icent buildings on all sides, glittering
like gold in the sunlight, we felt that
there can be no mistake in the claim
The most imposing editice on the square
is "HOtel de Vile" or town hall, with
spire towering over all.
We also visited the Palace of Justice"
said to be the finest building in the
world. will not attempt description
of its impressive splendors. One must
view 1t to appreciate its wonderful char
acteI iSticS.
Leaving Brussels, we went to Paris.
1t is rather difficult travelling in both
Belgium and France without some
knowledge of the language spoken We
visited Bon Marche's,' said to be the
largest store i'll the world. As we en-
tered my companion and fixed upon a
certain feature as a Landmark" if we
became separated which we did later
| was the first to find our guide post,
and wrote to several friends while wait
ing for my companion.
We Went to "Notre Dame and there
met an American friend who has crossed
the Atlantic forty times, and travelled
almost all over the globe He made a
delightful guide.
We next visited the Louvre, the home
of the early French kings. This mag
niticent building is in the form of a rec
tangle, and Is composed of more than
one mile of continuous buildings, or
rooms | should say. 1t is only one build
ing surrounding three central courts.
All these rooms are filled with statuary
taken by Napoleon | and others from
Italy, Sicily and Spain, and grand old
paintings by the greatest artists of hun
dreds of years ago. Here you find the
treasures of the Athenians and other
classics from early as 400 B. G.
lu all my tour | have been impressed
with the infinite patience as well as
genius displayed in these massive build
lngs, great paintings, tapestries of needle
work covering immense walls, and hand
carvings that must have taken the whole
lives of many wOrkmen, have lasted
hundreds of years, and will survive cen
turtles to come, while our great rapidly
moving mOdernlSm-much of it at least
will cease to be i'll hundred years or so.
In other words, our successors will not
probably read our history of art and
heroic achievement on rugged walls as
we do that of our predecessors in Europe
to-day.
We also visited "Cleopatra's Needle"
"Eitfel Tower" and several other inter
eSting points too numerous to enumer.
ate, let alone describe here. | must
hurry on to London, with its "St.
Paul's," Westminster Abbey" the
great Tower" palaces, etc.
Our entry to London was not very
pleasant Another cab colided with
ours, and amid SCATTERING glass and an
excited throng of theatre goers, we We're
soon surrounded by policemen and be-
came unpleasantly conspicuous. Fortu-
nately, we escaped hurt, and soon
reached our hotel.
On Monday our school work ON Eng
lish soil began i'll real earnest. But
shall not attempt any account of educa-
tional methods here, contenting myself
with pointing out one or two interesting
features.
CO-educatiOn is almost unknown here.
We visited one mixed school, and even
the teachers of that school are not at all
sure they approve of it.
Every school has a large hall, where
the children assemble, march, drill, sing
in fact, the whole discipline of the
school finds here its strongest illustration,
and one effect is evident in the demean-
or of the policemen here-the most cour-
teous and obliging | have ever met, i'll
the sales man, sales-womau, in the boy
and girl-everywhere.
Another salient feature is manifest i'll
the number of head masters and mis-
tresses. Every school is divided into
Infants, LIST floor, to years.
Elementary girls, ID floor, to 10 years.
boys, Sd same ages.
These elementary pupils go through
seven standards or grades and promo
tons occur three times IA year. Each
division has its head master or mistress.