The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-01-07
CURIOUS ANDORRA
Oldest, Smallest and Stranoest
of All Republics.
A PATCH IN THE PYRENEES.
This Tiny Nation, Where All Men Are
Really Equal, Has Never Produced
Page of Literature, a Bar of Music,
Painting Nor Leader of Men.


Painting Nor a Leader of Men.
For 1,100 years, since its foundation
es republic In sos (and no one knows
for how many centuries before that,
curious little Andorra has gone its own
, strange way utterly obliyious to the
progress of the other nations of Eu-
rope. 1t has It's own idea of the mean
Ing of life, and it lives according to
that A traveller entering the republic
! today will find it exactly as it was
| 1000 years ago.
1t is a republic which has never
achieved anything in its long and
vague history; republic which has
never produced page of literature nor
a bar OF music nor q painting; a re-
! public which has never had d place
| in the councils of Europe and has nev-
er asked for one; nation which has
never produced an ambitious man.
/ Andorra consists of six counties and
boasts about a dozen towns. Its en-
tire population Is 5000 souls.
The chief occupation of the people Of
Andorra Is cattle raising, and thou
sands upon thousands of cows may be
seen browsing in the rich pastures.
| yet it has never occurred to Andorrans
/ to milk these COWS, and butter and
milk are unknown in the republic
| Dairy products are nonexistent The
only cheese made is that from the
| milk of sheep. Visitors find it impos-
sible to procure milk or cream for
their coffee Andorrans themselves
use brandy instead and think it is bet
ter than anything else in coffee.
In S05 Louis the Debonair laid siege
| to the city of Urgel which is TO the
south of Andorra. The Andorrans. led
/ by Marc Almugaver. took up arms to
aid the French and for their assist
| ance Louis gave them a charter and
permitted them to be self governing.
| As it now exists it is the smallest re-
| public in the world 1t is situated In
| the Pyrenees between France and
Spain. 1t is about eighteen miles wide
and sixteen miles long from north to
south 1t Is difficult of access, as there
Is not single railroad running through
or near it.
Its capital is Andorra la Viella, with
population of 500 and containing the
Casa de la Vail, or house Of repre-
sentatiyes. This is large sixteenth
century building at the extremity Of
Che town, overlooking the valley to-
ward Spain. 1t is parliament house.
town hall, school. palace of justice and
/ tel +ho oil in,
is also used as a temporary prison In
the rare cases when a prison is neces-
sary. Crime In Andorra is practically
unknown. The only Andorrans suffer
ing Imprisonment are the smugglers
of tobacco caught by the French or
Spanish custom officers, and these are
not looked upon as malefactors by
their fellow citizens. Smuggling is re-
garded as a legitimate trade.
There is no police department and
no police. Every citizen has the pow
er to arrest, but this privilege is rarely
used
The territory was once densely
wooded and is said to derive its name
from the Moorish Aldarra, the place
thick with trees, but almost all the
forests have been destroyed for fuel
The climate is generally cold, with
very severe winters. The land is
chiefly devoted to grazing for the nu-
merous hocks and herds But on the
sheltered southern slopes it is careful
" cultivated and produces grain, po-
tatoes, fruit and tobacco. The local
industries are of the most primitive
kind and show little or no advance
since the middle ages
The only roads are bride paths,
with the exception of one municipal
road connecting Andorra with the high
road to SEQ de Urgel and Manreso by
way Of the Balira valley
Andorra is perhaps the truest democ-
racy in the world. There is no nobili-
ty, and there is no class distinctions
All men are equal, not only in the eyes
of the law but in the fullest sense of
the word The first citizen OF the land.
the president, is a farmer.
The republic is governed by twenty
four representatives, elected every four
years. These representad YES choose
one of their number as president of
the republic His salary is so pesetas
year, or 500. Representatives get
10 pesetas. or $3.50 a year
There is no such thing as poverty in
Andorra Every one has enough and
has no desire for any more Though
they are hard drinkers. cases of intox-
ication are very rare. They speak
their own language, Andorran, but
French is taught at the schools. The
! school system is regulated by the
French. and for this service Andorra
pays annually to the French govern
ment 900 francs, or $50. From this
1t may be seen that taxation is very
low. Doctors services are absolutely
free. and drug stores supply their pa
irons without charge
Andorrans drink a great deal, ana
they are untidy In their personal ap-
pearance But they are extremely
honest. and theft is unknown In the
country. Though descended from an
ancient race they are not good look
ing Their faces are hard and un-
comely, but that is because their lives
are hard The women work beside
the men in the field and feminine
leisure and paint and powder are un-
known New York Sun.
The Shrew.
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