Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-30
.s1RAMGEsT OF ALL REPUBLICS
Andorra in the Pyrenees be.
tween France and Spain.
Has Never Produced q Leader Of Men
In Its II Centuries Of UnambitiOus
ISfe-President Receives
salary Of $50 a Year.

Far from the boom OF cannon and the
crash Of bursting shrapnel middle
aged man is laboring with pickax.
chipping little grains out OF bed OF
solid rock near the wall OF an ancient
castle.
For four years he has been laboring
now and the fruit Of his labors Is
hole about one yard square and nearly
Is feet deep. It Is weary. patient work, a
days work being scarcely perceptible to
the observer. But the man never be-
trays n eign Of impatience. He is willing
to continue his task four times four
years longer, for he is digging for a
dream.
BY some process Of reasoning known
only to himself this man is convinced
that somewhere underneath the spot at
which he Ia drlgging he will find solid
gold statue of the Virgin and a treasure
chest. For these he is digging.
When pressed for the reason for the
belief no will explain that many years
sgo when the inhabitants OF the castle
were cttacked by an enemy, they buried
their treasure In a subterrHnean cham
Der under the castle and there It has
remained ever since. This chamber, Ie
knows, is situated below the hole he is
now digging How far down he cannot
say but he will continue until he rea ches
II.
He Is no madman, this digger. He is
a respected member Of his community.
He has already discovered one under
ground passage. as he had predicted he
would. and his fellow citizens believe he
knows what he is about. He is undis-
s,> t1i at s,f hi Tf,
wife Yields shovel by his side con-
stantly.
SYMBOL. OF STRANGE STATE.
This individual Is a symbol and a sum
mary OF the republic of which he is an
honored citizen--the strangest republic
in the world. Just as this man ia pur
suing his purpose In utter Indifference
to the rest OF his fellow men. 80 this
republic is pursuing its purpose in utter
Indifference to the rest OF the world.
The world knows little and cares less
about it, and 1t cares and knows little
| about the rest Of the world.
For 1000 years, since it's foundation as
republic in sos land no one knows for
how many centuries before that, it has
gone its own strange way utterly oblivi-
Gus to the progress OF the other nations
| Of Europe. 1t has it's own idea OF the
| meaning of life and It lives according
to that. A traveller entering the republic
years ago.
| 1t Is a republic which has never
achieved anything in its long and vague
history: a republic which has never pro.
| duced a page of literature. nor a bar OF
has never had a place in the councils OF
| Europe and has never asked for one; a
nation which has never produced ar
| ambitious man.
Andorra ia the name Of this republic
| It consists OF six counties and boasts
about a dozen towns. It's entire popula-
ton is 5000 souls.
The chief occupation OF the people OF
Andorra is cattle raising. and thousands
| upon thousands of COWS may be seer
browsing in tho rich pactures, yet it ha.
never occurred to Andor1ans to mill
| these cows, and butter and milk are un
| known in the republic. Dairy product.
| are nonexistent. The only cheese mad,
is that from the milk Of sheep. Visitor.
find it impossible to procure milk OF
cream for their coffee Andorrans them
selves use brandy instead and think 1t /.
better than anything else in coffee.
NO RECORDS EVER KEPT.
Unfortunately, no one in Andorra ha.
ever troubled to keep records, and there
fore it has practically no history. ever
it's very origin being a matter of dis
pute. II is probable. however. that tn,
story which says that it's independence,
dot fy.ny ho 10 eoir
rect. though some notifications in it.
char have no doubt taken place since
particularly I'm the 18th century. whel
We begin to get accurate information a.
to its history.
In So5 Louis the Debouair laid sege I,
the city of Urgell. which is to the souti
Of Andorra. The Andorrans. led b.
Marc Almugaver. took up arms to al,
the French, and for their assistanc
Louis gave them a charter and permit
ted them TO be self-governing.
AS it now exists it is the smallest re
| public in the world 1t is situated fl
the Pyrenees, between France and Spain
1t is about IS miles wide and Is mile
long form north to south. 1t Is Difficult
OF access, as there is not single rail
road running through or near II.
Its capital is Andorra Ia Viella. with
population OF 800 and con,aing the Cas-
de la Vail. or House Of Representatives
This Ia a large lGth-century building a
the extremity OF the town. overookin
the valley toward Spain. 1t Ia parlia
ment house. town hall, school, palace o
Justice and hotel for the councillors al
in one II Is also used as a Temporal
prison In the rare cases when a prison
necessary.
CRIME PRACTICALLY UNKNOWN.
Crime in Andorr, 10 practically un
known. The only Andorrans suffering i'm
prisonment are the smuggler OF Tobacco
caught by the French or Spanish custom
officers. and these are not looked upon a
male factors by their fellows citizens
Smuggling Is regarded as legttimat
trade.
the exception Of one municipal road con
Meeting Andorra with the high roads t.
SEQ de Urgel and Manrdesa by way o
the Balira valley.
Andorra is perhaps the truest democ
racy In the world There Is no nobilit.
and there are no class distinctions. Al
men are equal, not only in the eyes Of tn
la W. but in the fullest sense OF the word
The first citizen of the land. the Presi
dent is a farmer.
The republic Is governed by "a represen
tatives elected every four years. Thes
| representatives choose one OF their mum
Der as president of the republic. His sal
AIRY is so pesotas a year. or so Represen
tatives get 10 pesotas. or $3.50 year