The Republican journal., 1911-11-16
Angouleme.

The great iron horse shrieked its way
into Angouleme the other afternoon, just
as the heavens opened their flood gates
upon the unsuspecting city.
We are,
SIN Saracen October,
Astride the hurricane"
Angouleme is built upon promontory
looking down upon the Charente river,
which flows placidly along, with numer-
GUS curves and fluctuations, its grassy
banks crowned with comfortable rural
homes, with here and there vulgar
mandatory. The city is surrounded
by ancient ramparts, from which one
obtains a magnificent view of the ada
cent country, extending for miles and
miles beyond, in fertile farm lands, with
now and then stately chateau to charm
the eye and evoke the memory of by
gone days of splendor.
Some of the sidewalks in this queer
little town are not six inches wide, SO
nearly every one walks in the middle of
the street. When an automobile comes
along, putting and snorting, there is a
wild scramble for safety, and a general
''sauve qui peut."
The little children, with wind-tossed
garments, rosy cheeks and mischievous
eyes, drop US a curtsey as they pass,
and we hear the cheerful clatter of their
wooden shoes as they disappear down
the street. We asked one wee maiden
if she liked to go to school, 'Ah, no,
M 'sieu, but Grandmere says must"
The Cathedral of St. Peter dates from
the XII, century. 1t is pure specimen
of Romano Bysantin art, with truly
marvellous facade, depicting the Last
Judgment. 1t was consecrated in 1928,
A. D., and has undergone many vicissi-
tudes, being partially destroyed in 1869,
rebuilt in 163O-1634, and later restored
by master hand.
The Hotel de Vile is modern, being
built in the ogival style, by Paul Abadie,
on the site and around the two remain
ing towers of the old chateau, where was
born Marguerite d. Angouleme, Queen
of Navarro, and the sister of Francis l.
She was devoted patron of arts and
letters, and protected and encouraged all
reforms. A noble statue of her adorns
the park in front of the city hall. She
lives forever in the heart of Angouleme.
There is an unpretentious house, just
in the rear of our hotel, which is justly
memorable. Here, Louis XIV. passed
one day of his illustrious life, the 25th of
July, 1850, and here on the 9Th day of
February, 1854, died Jean Louis Guez de
Balzac, writer, who did much for the
advancement and ennoblement of the
French tongue. He was the author of
"Letters,' "The Christian Socrates"
and "Aristippe"
Angouleme has nearly $4,000 inhabi-
tants, and is clean, picturesque, bright
little town. The covered market place
is an example for other cities. Here,
the peasant women cry out their wares,
with many witty word to encourage
the tardy buyer. None live better than
the French, and in the culinary art they
excel all others. French thrift is pro-
verbal everywhere. Animation reigns
on market days, Wednesdays and Satur-
days. The peasants come in from the
outlying districts, in their diminutive
donkey carts, laden with fresh vege-
tables, daintily clean and arranged most
temptingly. Some bring only fowl, tur-
keys, geese, ducks, roosters, hens and
pigeons; others, rabbits and wild game.
These innocent creatures are nearly al
ways slaughtered with needless cruelty.
The French peasant has rude life him
self. and has never been taught to show
mercy and kindness to the gentle beasts,
who are his companions in misfortune,
and his most useful aids in the rough
work of the farm.
The brilliantly colored flowers add
note of gaiety to this typical scene of
French life. The French are very artis-
tic and love to adorn their chez sol. In
Angouleme, just now, at the end of Octo
Der, the horse chestnut trees are all in
flower. This phenomenon is attributed
to the excessive heat of the past sum-
mer, which still remaining in the earth
has caused second blossoming.
France has much advanced in the arts
of modern comfort, in the last ten years
or so. Steam heat, electric light and
bath rooms can be found in nearly every
hotel now. A set of printed rules in the
bath room of one hotel, where we re-
Gently stayed over night, expressly stip-
ulates that "all persons are forbidden to
black their boots in the bath tub!'
Angouleme was already settled in the
days of the Gauls, then came five CEN
turtles of Roman dominion. Christianity
was introduced by the first bishop Of
Angouleme, Saint Ozonne, or Ausonne,
who here suffered martyrdom. Opinion
differs as to the exact date, but at all
events it was in the first century. The
conquest of Angouleme by the Franks
was in 5O7; in 1872 came the invasion of
the Arabs. Pepin devasted the town in