Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-01

been celebrated since the middle ages
include manufactures of velvet, cot
ton, wool, silk, hemp and fax spinning
and the weaving of hosiery and vari-
ETY. of mixed fabrics. Machinery, chem
icals, backing, polish and sugar are
also manufactured. Amiens occupies
the site of the ancient Samarabriva,
capital of the Ambiani, from whom it
probably derives its name.
Peronne-A town of northern
France on the right bank of the Som
me, at it's confluence with the Co.
logne, thirty-five miles east-by-north
of Amiens by rail. In 1886 Charles V
besieged Peronne, but without sue
cess. In its defense a woman called
Marie Foure greatly distinguished
herself, and a statue of her stands in
the town. Peronne's greatest misfor-
tunes occurred during the Franco
German war, when it was invested and
bombarded from Dec. %, 1870, to Jan.
8, 1871, upon which date, on account
of the suffering of the civil popula-
ton, among whom smallpox had
broken out, it was compelled to capt.
ulate. Its population approximates
5000.
Laon-A town of northern France,
eighty-seven miles northeast of Paris,
with a population of about 1000. 1t
IS situated on an isolated ridge which
rises some $50 feet above the sur
rounding plain and the little river of
Ardon. From the railway station a
straight staircase of several hundred
steps leads to the gate of the town
and all roads connecting Laon with
the surrounding districts are cut in
Zig Gags On the steep slopes. Laon
forms, with La Fere and Reims, a tri-
angle of important fortresses. LTD
Notifications consist of an inner line
of works on the eminence of Laon it.
self and two groups of detached forts,
one from two and a half miles south
east about the village of Bruyeres, the
other about three miles west of south
west, near Laniscourt. In 1914 Ma
poleon tried in vain to dislodge Blu
cher from Laon. In 1870 an engineer
blew up the powder magazine of the
citadel as the German troops were en-
tering the town.
Bethune - A town of northern
northwest of Arras. with a population
of about $4,000. Once strongly forti-
fed, it is now surrounded by wide
boulevards. Bethune lies in the midst
of the richest coal mines in France.
Its industries include the distillation
Of oil, tanning, salt refining, brewing
and the manufacture of earthernware
and casks. Coded to France in 1878
by the peace of Nijmegen, it was TAX
en- by the allied forces in ITO and re-
stored to France by the treaty of
Utrecht
Graudenz-A town in west Prussia
on the right banks of the Vistula, thir-
ty-seven miles north by northeast of
Thorn and thirty miles from Russian
Poland 1t is an important place in
the system of German Notifications
and has a garrison of considerable
size. Its fortress, which since 1873
has been used as a barracks and mill |
tary depot and as a prison, is situated
on steep eminence about one and a |
half miles no'th OF the town and out |
side its limits. 1t was completed by |
Frederick the Great in 1875 and was
rendered famous through its defense |
by Courbiere against the French in |
1907. Graudenz is a place of consid- |
cradle manufacturing activities. From |
1865 to 1853 1t was held by Sweden |
and in 1772 it came into the possession |
of Prussia. 1t has a population of |
about 10000.