Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-07-01
VISITS FAMOUS BATTLE FIELD
General Rogers Sees Place Of Nspoleon's .
Defeat While at Brussels.
lBY NJ RocERsl

press for Brussels, we ran through the
provinces of the Sein, Oise and Nord.
| We pass numerous cities which seem
to have many indications of prosperity.
/ We note the smoke stacks which fill the
air with coal dust. We see the spires
Of churches where the good people as
semble for thank offerings for the
many blessings that have. followed the
evil doings nd wars that have deluged
the fairest land in Europe.
As we ride through the country, we
note canals, with boats pulled by one
horse, loaded with manufactured goods
and farm products. seemingly destined
for Paris. Noting the progress of ca
mails, we see a gasolene boat pulling six
canal boats at much faster rate cI
speed than horse power. These arteries
of traffic have been in use for many
hundred years, and Notwithstanding the
more rapid transit by rail, the canal
cannot be crowded of business.
The highways are in splendid condi-
tion and have been since the Romans
passed this way twenty centuries ago.
The soil is in good state of cultivation
and yields wheat, barley, oats, beets,
rye, fruit and vegetables in paying
quantities. Ii is noticeable that wo-
men don't frown on manual labor, but
with the implements of toll are seen in
The field preparing the ground for
beets. Travelling at good speed, af-
ter few hours we cross the French
border and enter Belgium and make a
short stop for custom house inspection
at Mons. This is walled cathedral
city on an old Roman foundation, as all
the towns and highways are.
Speeding on at so kilometers an hour,
Belgium would seem to be busy and
contented. The people, like most of
Europe, live in cities and villages, go
ing so the country in the early morn to
work. Belgium is underlaid with coal
beds and many thousand of the popu-
lation, including mothers, work far
down, 1000 feet and more in the mines,
bringing to the surface that black,
grimy vegetable that moves the trains,
starts revolving the manufacturers
wheels, makes the gas, supplies the
grill rooms and warns the houses. Saw
women in the fields narrowing the soil;
dogs hitched 10 small harrows and pre-
pairing small patches for beets. The
pastures are green and clean and many
cows are grazing. Saw the milkmaids
with milk cans, in carts pulled by dogs,
distributing the milk to customers.
We pull into Brussels. another old
Roman site, now the capital of Bel
gium, fiourishing city of nearly three
fourths of million people. Brussels
has long been noted for laces and car
pets, and nearby in Flanders, tapestry
was an active industry. We visit the
art galleries and see much of the
school of Vandyke, Vandemere and
Rembrant, of the old Dutch and Flem-
ish style, excelling in landscape, show
ing dykes, canals, windmills, portraits
and fishing dories going to sea, and much
that is religious, The museum is a
store house of antique history from an
early age, far away in the dim lights of
civilization, and down Through Christian
persecution, when the banner with
Christ on the cross was the symbol of
savagery to those who did not accept
the faith as taught. II il not so now.
The Christ crucified is peace on earth,
brotherhood and love; can worship God
to the fullness of the heart in any creed.
Good, involuntarily calculated.
We pass an olu XIV century prison,
and looking up the chamber of horrors,
find that Tyndall, an English scholar,
having an opinion as to religious mat
ters, was hunted by constables of Hen
ry VIII, fed to the Netherlands, was
placed in prison for the Offense of trans
lating the book of Mathew; was stran-
gled, afterward burnt at the stake and
the ashes scattered to the wind. The
bible is now translated in the languages
spoken by all civilized nations, read to
the barbarians, and no penalty for tell
ing of Confusius, Christ or Mahomet.
A place of interest is shown where the
Duchess Of Richmond gave a ball on
the eve of June Is, 1915, in honor of
Wellington and his officers. IL was
near midnight, at time when Yelling
ton was leading in the Minuet, the
Duchess his partner, when an aide an
nounced the head Of the French army
was marching up the highway towards
Quartra Bras and Ligney. Then there
was hurrying to and fro" From the
ballroom Wellington gave orders for
the army to march down 10 Quartra
Bras and sent rush orders TO Blucher to
march OF Ligney. 1t has long been my
desire TO visit the field of the battle of
Waterloo, and now being within twelve
miles OF the field of that great battle
fought ninety-three years ago, en-
braced the opportunity. Obtaining
map Of the alignments of the armies,
Wellington's report written the day
following, | took train and rode TO
Waterloo, where | employed a guide
and rode TO the Belgium monument on
the spot where Blucher reported to
Wellington. The Belgium government
caused to be built a mound one-half
mile in circumference and two hundred
twenty-five feet high. On the mound
is a granite pedestal, on that colossal
bronze lion weighing twenty-seven
thousand pounds, made from artillery
taken from Napoleon's routed army
and here il bit of history.
(CoeTrNuFp Next WEEP