The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-18
!. Ma. q.

west France, 359 miles south OF
southwest OF Paris. on the Gironde
river, so miles from the sea-. and 125
miles from the Spanish frontier. In
1911 the city had a population OF
261,67S. Under the Roman Emuire,
| Bordeaux became a Furnishing COM
mercial city, and the capital Of Aqut-
| tania Secunda. It belonged to the
| English kings from 1854 to 1453.
when It was taken by Charles VII.
| OF France. It was the headquarters
or the Girondists during the revOlu-
ton, and during the Reign Of Terror
suffered severely. In 1870 the
French government was transferred
to Bordeaux from Tours Ito which 1t
had been moved from Parisl on the
| approach of the Germans to. Tours.
Thet radc of Bordeaux, the fourth
port OF France, is chiefly carried OF
by sea. From 100 to 1900 vessels
can be accommodated in the harbor.
The most important industry Is ship
building and refitting. Iron-clads
and torpedo-boats, as well as mercll-
ant vessels arc constructed. The
city is the center Of trade in Dor
dcaux'' wines. Other principal OK
ports are brandy, hides and skins,
sugar, rice, wooden and cotton goods.
salt fish, chemicals, oil-cake, pit
wood, fruit. potatoes and other veg
etablcs. There are also flour mills,
sugar rcfineries, chemical works,
machine shops and potteries.
AMIENS = a city OF northern
France, capital of the department OF
iSommc, on the left bank Of the
Sommc, 81 miles north OF Paris by
Irail and IS miles from the English
%lcllannel. It's population Is approXi-
Imately $1,000. The city was once o
lplacc Of great strength, but boIlc'
wards bordercd by handsome resi-
dcnces. have replaced tile ramparts
which surrounded it. The famous
treaty between Great Britain
. France, Spain and Holland, which
! took it's name for Amiens. was sign
, ed there on March %, 1902. During
the war between France and Ger
many, Amiens, after an important
i action, fell into the hands of Prus
slams on November rs. 1870. Tex
tile industries, for which Amien!
has been celebrated since the Middle
lagos. include manufacturers of vel
vet, cotton, wool, silk, hemp AM
flax-spinning, and the weaving 0
hosiery and a variety Of mixed fab
RIGS. Machinery, chemicals, Black
ling, polish, and sugar are also man
%ufactured. Amiens occupies thu
site Of the ancient samarobriva. cap
ital OF THE Ambinai, from whom i
probably derives its name.
PERoNNE-A town o. northern
France on the right bank of thu
somme, at its confluence with thu
Cologne, j35 miles east by north o
Amidns by rail. In 1885 Charles Y
bcsicgcd P~erronc but without sue
cess. In it's defence q woman Gale
Marie Fourc greatly distinguished
herself, and a statue Of her stands II
1.-THE town. Perrone's greatest mis-
fortunes occurred during the Franco
-IGcrman war, when it vas invested
and bombarded from December %
, 1S7O. to January 0, 1871, upon
which date. on account of the suf'
ferings of the civil population
among whom smallpox had broken
Tout, it was compelled to capitulate'
Its population approximates 5000.
LAON "A town of northern
France, 81 miles northeast of Paris,
with a population of about 1900
If is situated on an isolated ridge
which rises somc $50 feet above the
surrounding plain and the little riY'
err Of Ardon. From the railway sta
'ltion Il straight staircase Of several
hundred steps leads to the gate OF
the town, and all the roads connect
ling Laon with the surrounding dis
'ftricts arc cut in zigzags on the stecp
slopes. Laon forms, with La Fert
and Reims, q triangle of important
lfortresses. It's Notifications consist
Iof an inner line of works on the
Iominence of Laon itself, and two
} groups Of detached forts. n some
1.-Two and a half miles southeast about
the village of Bruyercs, the other
about three miles west of southwest,
near Laniscourt. Iii 1914 Napoleon
TRIED in vain to dislodgc Butcher
from Laon. In 1870 an engineer
blew up the powder magazine of the
Icitadel as the German troops were
entering the town.
RETHEL ~ A town of northern
France, 81 miles southwest of Nfez-
ieres by rail and 23 miles northwest
OF Reims, on the right bank of the
IAisne and the Ardenncs canal. Wool
spinning. weaving Of light WOODEN
fabrics, and the manufacture of farm
implements arc the principle indus
tries. The town is of Roman origin.
Its population is approximately e.
900.
LA FERE - A fortified French
town, with about 5000 inhabitants,
Ion the Iisc river, 13 miles Of soutl,
of St. Quentin, an equal distance
- cE villas n0rfhonSi