The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-12-27
Cambria.

Arras, is due in very large measure
to the railways which radiate from
it in spoke-like fashion, as from the
hub of a Wheel says a war geo.
bulletin issued from the Washington
headquarters of the National Geo.
graphic Society.
''Seven railroads meet and cross
each other at this little city of So
900 inhabitants which clings to a
slope rising from the right bank of
the River Scheldt. Fully to appre-
ciate the value of this military depot
one needs only to realize the terri
tory which it's railroads cover. If
we should draw north and south
line through the town four of its
railroads would be found branching
off in an easterly direction and three
to the west. The two main lines
on the eastern side extend to Valen-
ciennes, % miles to the northeast,
and to Busigny, 16 miles to the south
east. The latter line passes though
Caudry, a town of 1 L, 900 inha abitants,
and after reaching Busigny turns in
a southwesterly direction to st. Quen-
tin. The two less important lines
are those running to LIE Cateu, 16
miles distant, with important woolen
and spinning mills, and to Selesmes,
a linen manufacturing town, 13
miles away.
"The lines of the western sector
run northwestward to Douai, 16
miles away, westward to the village
of Boisleux station on the important
Arras-Amien railway line, and south
ward to St. Quentin on the Somme
and to Chaulnes, this line branching
east and west at Roisel.
"Cambrai lies to the north and
slightly east of Paris, 121 miles dis
tant by rail, via St. Quentin and
Busigny and 12S miles of St. Just,
Chaulnes and Peronne.
Before the war the town was
quite an important manufacturing
city, with extensive soap works,
sugar mill and textile factories. Of
course, it's chief distinction from an
Industrial standpoint is the fact it
was here that Baptist Coutaing the
weaver, is supposed to have made
the first cloth which now bears the
name of cambria, in honor of the
town and the fine muslin called
"batiste," which commentaries the
in the fifteenth century that cambria
was invented.
Cambria occupies an important
place in medieval French history. 1t
was here that the famous League of
Cambria was formed in 1903, the
members of the league being Pope
Julius II, the Emperor Maximilian I,
Louis XII of France and Ferdinand,
King of Aragon. The primary OBJ
ject of the allies was the overthrow
of Venice, which would have been
fully accomplished had not mutual
'jealousies defeated the chief aim of
the alliance.
''Twenty-one years after the forma-
tion of this famous league, an almost
equally famous peace was signed
here by Louise of Savoy, represent
ing her son, Francis 1, of France,
and Margaret, of Austria, represent
ing her nephew, the Emperor Charles
V. This treaty which, owing to its
feminine signatories, became known
as the Paix des Danes, put an end to
the plans for a duel between Francis
and Charles. This single-handed
battle had been proposed as means
of settling the differences between
the two monarchs without plunging
their respective countries into
bloody war.
I'm the closing years of the six
teenth century Cambria passed to the
Spanish crown, and it remained
part of the Flemish possessions of
that royal family for nearly 100
years, it's recession to France taking
place by a treaty entered into dur
ing the reign Of Louis XIV. In
1898 the town resisted seige by
Austrian forces, but it fe!; before
the Duke of Wellington's attack in
1875"