The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-18
SAW CEREMONIES
 IGNORING NEW x ST. JOAN OF ARC
Judge Morris B. Beardsley's Impression of European
 Travel

After a summer spent in touring Europe Judge and Mrs. Morris B. Beards1ey, and their daughter, Miss Amelia L. Beardsley, returned to this city, Monday. They sailed from New
 York on the George Washington of the
 North German Lloyd line. which was
 then making her first eastward voyage on July 1 Judge Beardsley was partic- ularly impressed with the comforts of the new steamer.
 The dining room is large with small
 tables, the chairs are not of the old
 style which Were attached to the floor, but may be moved from place to place
 Over the dining room there is a spa
 cious saloon with every comfort of the summer hotel.
 The party landed in Cherbourg,
 France, and from there went at once to view the far-famed tapestries of
 Bayeaux, which were made by Queen
 Matilda, wife of William the Conquer or The old church of Caen proved
 interesting and after a short stay the watering places of Trouville and Deau- vile were visited. These towns are on the shore of the bay into which the Seine empties. At Rouen the cere- monies attaching to the celebration of the newly created saint, Joan of Arc. were going on when Judge Beardsley arrived. The party viewed the cathe- dral at Aniens and then passed on to Reims, where the aviators have been holding sway of late. A 8 days relig- ious ceremony was in progress at Reims with many .dignitaries of the Church present in their canonical robes. The singing was very impress sive, the choir being composed of 200 voices.
 Five days were spent in Paris and then ? weeks motor trip was taken through Brittany. The famous shrines at St. Ann D'Auray were visited. An ancient miracle-play was produced in this village while the Bridgeport par ty was present. Carnac, with its re- mains from the days of the Druids, was the scene of a short stay and then the journey was continued on to Quimperle and Pontivy, places that were once frequented by artists, but since the coming of tourists they have deserted these towns for more secluded spots. Judge Beardsley con- sidered the roads of Brittany as near perfect as possible. Although the lively deserted territory they remain ed consistently excellent throughout the province. The deserted appear ance of the roads is due to the far mers' custom, surviving from an an- cient day, of grouping themselves to- gether in 8. small village and then go- ing forth each morning to till their farms which are situated one, two and sonnet timeS miles from their homes. The farms in Brittany are arranged in parallelograms, each section of ground being planted with a different kind of product. The country is ex- ceedingly level, but from an occasion al height the planted fields give the of a huge checker board. Tours with it's chateaux was visited for days and motor trips taken to the surrounding country.
 At Concarneau were found the great sardine fisheries and tEe picturesque fishermen. Miss Beardsley's ability to speak French held the party in good stead at all times, but particularly at Concarneau where she made innumer- able friends once the village people discovered that she could speak their tongue Before leaving the Brittany Coast a visit was made to the ruins of an old church and monastery. situat- ed on Q rock 1000 feet high, about a half mile off shore. It is solid rock and the only means of access to the summit is stairway of 1000 steps.
 After a return to Paris the trip to Switzerland was begun. Judge Beard sley had no criticism of the French railway service. Instead he thought the care with which the baggage was