New-York tribune., 1910-07-31
|DL|NG WITH AN AUTO
following the Tortuous Windinu
of the Seine.
IN LAND OF OLD CHATEAux
Concerning the Lonely Chauffeur
Who Longed for the De-
lightx of Broadway.

Walter Hale. the actor. who Is tourt,,
in Europe. is sending the chronicles OF al,
wanderings to friends in New York in sbs
form of letters One of these has arrs.S.
been printed in The Tribune and otbs-,
will be from time to time. This letter fan,
of his ride up the valley of the Seine n,
says:
THE valley of the Seine is one os IN.
most beautiful in the whole Of Franco
The river performs all sorts Of gyration,
as it flows down toward Paris. but beIov
it's antics are indescribable. IL winds abor,
like snake as any one can see VII.
takes the trouble TO look at the map. W
were reminded of this in Rouen, where W.
encountered the lonely American chauffsnr
He was driving a big French car, owned
by his employer somewhere out West, ana
was very proud of It, But still he couldn't
keep his eyes off our Studebaksr. and
hoyered around US as we were oiling N,
and testing the engine before we cranked
her and made the start for Paris
'Geer' re said. It's lonely here; dog
gone lonely, and there's many a time
wisht 1 was back wild de bunch on uppss
Broadway?
''It was here that the playwright wiz
was studying character, took occasion "a
change the subject and remark again tha.
the Seine wound through the valley like a
snake HUH remarked the chauffeur. a
full grown respectable snake would plumb
break his neck trying to swim up that
riverr And having thus declared himself,
he followed us out of the garage and
waved a goodby as we turned into tn.
main street that runs along the quay.
.'Rouen was en- fete for the day before
great reception had been given 10 DR.. Chars
cot and the Pourquoi Pas. the ship in
which he made a valiant but unsuccessful
effort TO reach the South Pole.
Again we left the Route Nationale and
took to the byways- Little country roads
they were. but sp1endfdly cared for, IN
places so narrow that once when We met
peasant in his cart we had to back up un~
til We found spot wide enough TO give biul
room to pass We reached Les Andelys foe
luncheon
above the sleepy little village is tha
Chateau Gaillard. Richard CoeUr de Lions
Gay Castle He built it, With its noat,
its outer works, its fourteen-foot walls and
the most inpregnable donjon tower within
IN less than year Built in 1197; taken ia
1904 1t commanded the valley and the rtver
against the attacks Of the French, falling
finally to Philip Augustus. after a siege os
five months.
Further I'D the Seine, on the oppos,ts
bank, is the town of Vernon, with a very
picturesque old Norman church and an
American bar which IS kept by Charles
LIE Roy, who left New York thirty-seven
years ago and has never been back since.
But he keeps up his interest in his natiTs
country. and is only too glad to hang out
the American flag on the slightest provO-
cation.
Beyond Vernon is the little village oe
Giverny, which is an artist colony now, as 1
was twenty years ago. when Willard Met
calf. Robert Reid and Edward Primulons
studied there. We stopped only long enough
to see some OF the sketches that panel the
walls of the little cafe. then went on 70
Casny and climbed the long hill TO La
Roche Guyon. This hill. by the way, stiff
climb, the engine took as II took all tho
as though II were a level road.
Nantes, the beautiful. lies beyond. From
there on the best way to get to Paris is 10
follow the Route Rationale, which we IT.
tended TO do. but got lost in the dark and
found ourselves against a dead wall after
touring around In a truck garden.