The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-10-07

channel to England to market. He Is
nothing II not a good salesman, so
good, in fact, that he could make the
average Yankee look like 30 cents.
Fruits and berries are extensively
grown and command a good price.
The prices off arm products here
VIII give when ! write of the city life
of France. Cattle, sheep swine and
poultry are all sources of much rev.
enue to the farmers of this country
Horses are an important industry,
100000 worth of them being ex.
ported annually for breeding purposes
In the south wine, honey, raisins
and other fruits are the chief crops
Some sheep are kept in the rough
districts.
Railroads.
The farmers of France are com.
PEELED to pay tribute to a railroad sys
TEN managed and operated in the in.
terests of Paris. In most cases 1t will
be necessary for farmer to ship his
products 200 or 300 miles via Paris to
get it only thirty miles, or a little more
from his home. There are no lines of
the state railway system that do not
run directly to Paris, let them start
where they may.
In addition to this, the service is
poor and the tariff high much higher
than in the eastern half of the United
States. The freight cars are poor,
small things, not much larger than
the wagon box of our wagons. A load
of lumber will all be placed upon a
one-horse cart when it reaches its des-
tlnation.
The passenger service is better than
the freight service. The time made
Is good, the express trains making
from fifty to tifty-five of our miles per
hour. The coaches are nearly all of
the small compartment design, with
side door entrance, such as one gen.
orally sees in most parts of Europe.
The passenger rates are much higher
than with us. Reduced to our system
of miles and dollars, first class fare is
four cents per mile, second, three
cents, and third class two cents.
Official life here stands for more
than it does in America, even the Of
licials of private corporations being
accorded courtesies and privileges not
accorded such officials. even in most
countries of Europe. | have just con-
Cluded trip of seven days, in com
pany with Mr.. Martin and his secre-
tary, of the "Societe Tippique Perch
erone," in which we made more than
100 klometers. The second day
noticed we had the same coach Zone
quite different from the others of the
train, and that we still occupied it by
ourselves, and when | asked the rea-
son for this l was informed that it was
an official coach of the state, and al
ways at the service of the "Societe"
for the asking. Here was the state
pulling a coach more than LOO kilo-
meters for three men, when any other
car would have done just as well.
Education.
| believe I am safe in placing the
farmer of northern and central France
among the worlds most intelligent
people. Everyone of them reads a
daily paper and he reads it under
standingly. They can be seen reading
their daily paper while herding their
cattle and sheep in the fields, and
while going to and from their work in
the fields they will read their paper as
they walk along their way. In the
current literature of the day he is the
best informed man I have ever met.
There are two daily papers published
in France with circulation exceeding
one million each, and this is made
possible by the farmer only.
1t is, after all is said, the French
farmer that is behind that great ma
tional question, the separation of
church and state. Only yesterday
was at three farms where sons had
been sent to England for their educa-
ton. At one place the two oldest sons
were preparing for their journey to
England, where one Of them had al
ready spent three years, the other,
one. These boys-fne manly fellows
spoke a purer English than the av
tIdSt anu ilt llItlCSl
shown in their college work and the
great future before them was really
At another farm where I
called the two sons were at Purdue
Lafayette, Ind, wrestling
with four years course in agricul-
ture. Upon many of the farms can be
found young men who can speak Eng
fish fiuently. No education is too good
for the son of a farmer here, and he
does not care to pay taxes for some
thing he regards as no good. The
farmers here are a unit in demanding
better opportunities for the industrial
education of their sons. Because of
their social system, co-education is not
as popular here as it is with us.
The Home.
Because of the early traditions of
the people, even the French farmer is
more public than otherwise in his
character, This is evidenced by the
grand public buildings, and the costly
to be seen wherever one
goes, in contrast with the more sim
pie homes of the people. The farmer
Of Franco &c wall and cNm eOrta hlv