The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-10-21

wy tl anu mere Iltlt II htNtoodlg
for me to learn something of how the
business OF our home government was
transacted In France. II is pleasant
to be able to record the fact that our
people and their interests are all well
looked after here | have list of
every horse leaving this country for
America since 1890 This made 1t
necessary for me to trouble our con
suls in Paris Havre, Cherbourg
3oulouene and Calois. At the latter
port | found the consul to be James
. b. Miner, whom | met mang years
! ago at La Fayette, Ind, Mr.. Miner is
walking encyclopedia of French sta.
tistics and other interesting knowl.
edge. | spent a very pleasant half
| day with him. From him | learned
! that the laces from this one city sent
! to America during the month of Aug
ust amounted to $2S0000. Allen. the
| 15-year.old son of Mr.. Miner made the
! Boulauais breeding district with me
as interpreter. All his education thus
far has been here in France, so that
he speaks French even better than
English
This city will be known to all the
ladies of Norfolk it being the worlds
/ first city in the manufacture of fancy
| linen, thread and hose. This one city
sends $3,500,000 worth of its products
to the United States annually.
leave France this evening for Bel.
GUM, and do so with many regrets.
| shall always remember France and
| her kindly people in a manner most
pleasing to me. Many of my questions
have appeared absurd to the people
here, bA they were always answered
kindly, and no effort required of them
was too great if they could only please
me by its performance. In one in
, stance an interpreter was to meet
ne at a country station, but by some
means my letter had not reached him,
but young girl walked a mile to
bring to me Frenchman who spoke
English. One could not be treated
with a kindlier consideration in his
home place than has been accorded
me here, by those in both official and
private life. Long live the French re-
public, and my best wishes for her
many happy and prosperous people.
G. L. Carlson.
Life in Belgium.
Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 22.-Spe-
cial to The News: Belgium, one of
the smallest monarches of the world
is the most popuous one of Europe.
1t has about 100000 persons living
upon an area of some $4,000 square
miles. This dense population has
made of it a country of cities, towns
and villages. One scarcely leaves a
city or town until he finds himself en-
tering another. A highly congested
condition is in evidence wherever one
may CO. and the struggle for the bare
necessities of life are a pitiful sight.
This congested condition has come
to stay, for the Belgians are a pro-
life people. One man was pointed out
to me at Courtrai who was the ia
Their of forty.one children by three
wives, and another who was the ia
Their of twenty-three children by a
single marriage. How Colonel Roose-
welt would smile if such families could
be found in Boston and New York
City. Race suicide is not a question
of statewide interest here, but how to
feed and clothe those already here
is a cause for more serious thought
The children swarm out into the
streets in such numbers that it is
with no little difficulty one can drive
through them.
The country around Bruges is be.
below sea level, but very fertile as
to soil. But little of the country is
more than 100 feet above sea level.
the southeastern part being higher
and rough. Here are located the mines
Of coal and iron and the national for
ests. Aside from the mining district
the soil is very fertile, consisting of
| deep, sandy loan. Flax is the chief
crop, the sugar beet being next To
bacco is grown in parts of the cOun-
try, and gardening near the large CT
ties is quite an industry. The cattle
are not as good as those of France
neither are the hogs, and the few
sheep found here are very poor
Beloians Poor Farmers.
The Belgian is poor farmer when
compared with the farmer of France
The soil here is more fertile than the
soil of France, yet the French farmer
produces more than twice as much
area for area. The maximum flax crop
here is worth $40 per acre, and for
sugar beets $ll0.
Land here can be bought for 5000
TO $500 per acre, less than half the
price in France. Here is a point which
! it would be well for the Nebraska
farmer to nail up over the door of his
house. At the last analysis it is not
so much soil or location that makes
land valuable as it is the intelligence
of the owner. A Frenchman will coax
a high priced crop from a stone pile
| Dy using brains for half II ic nathan