The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-11-12
II Bit of France
!: and French !:
BY Mrs. Byrd Trego.


should call it about this way: Sch
don, and please remember there is
no accented syllable, only slight in
Election on the last one.
Sehdon is only about eight miles
from the Belgium border on the
Mouse river. And just here is a good
place to learn how to pronounce
Mouse. The Holland Dutch call it
Mas. 1t is locally called Nurse, /
am told, while the French language
says Mez and an eminent authority
before me teaches one to say Muz.
The old river winds it's way in and
out and threw the boundaries where
different languages are spoken SO 1t
Is bound to get into confusion of
nomenclature. having said Nurse
for number of years, this is the
easiest for the writer.
So Sehdon is on the Nurse. These
little talks are entirely too short to
tell you of the many interesting hap
penings in and about Sehdon, in fact
one hestitates where to begin. Sch
don is not a large city; contained 90
900 approximately in 1891 and lost a
thousand or more in the next twenty
years, having no very recent count
we will pass their industries which
are about as those of cities men,
toned in previous lessons.
AS to battles. Sheldon has had
great ones truly. This is the way a
noted historian felt about it. The
date is 1870:
1.-The town Of Sehdon lies in a
great basin. The hills around about
constitute the rim. No sooner had
MacMahon taken possession of Sch
don than every height round about
became volcano. There were gath
cred more than 100000 Germans,
with their enormous batteries still
hot from a dozen victorious battles.
With the morning light of the first of
September the hills began to smoke
and roar. The basin of Sehdon be-
came horrid arena of death. For
France had come another day Of
fate. MacMahon was severity wounded
and the French command was twice
transferred, first to Ducrot (du-kro) 4,
and afterwards to Wimffen (vamp-
fOn.)
"A
heights the battle ragged furiously,
but nothing could long Withstand the
terrible discharges of the German
artillery. The French army withered
under the fiery blast. By 3 o'clock
in the afternoon the work was done.
Only a disorganized mass, crowded
into the center of the basin re-
NAMED, and for this nothing was
left, but to surrender. The hour
of the second empire had struck. At
length a white mag was raised over
Sehdon, and the firing ceased. Then
came note to King William as fol-
lows: Sire, My Brother: Not having
been able to die at the head of my
troops, lay my sword before Your
Majesty.
Eat Your -.iajesty's good brother,
NAPOLEON.
The king replied: Sire, My Brother,
Regretting the circumstance under
which we meet, I accept the sword OF
Your Majesty, and invite you to de-
signate one of your officers provided
with full powers to treat for capitu-
lation of the army which has so
bravely fought under your command.
On my side / have named General
Moltke Oong sound of o Molt-ke)
for this purpose.
l am your Majesty's good brother,
WILHELM
It has not often happened in the
annals of the world that the sove-
reigAs of great nations under such
circumstances, have called each
other My Good Brother 1t is the
very irony Of history"
Our armies are lowering about
Sehdon and it will be interesting to-
compare the coming victory with
that Of 1870. There were $4,000
French troops.
An interesting bit of Sehdon is in
the historic value of the Sehdon
chair that was invented and took. it's
name from the city and carried to
England about the time of James l.
The Sehdon automobile is con-
tinuation in part of this early chair
carried by two bearers between poles
fixed by the sides of the vehicle.
And while the thought is in mind
suppose we remedy an error some of
us have fallen into by mispronounc-
ing the word garage. Sometimes
we hear people say the word as tho
a letter d was contained therein.
The word is of French origion I'M
doubtedly. An authority says we
may say it this way; ga razh, which
is French, or we may Anglicize 1t by
making it ryme with carriage. I'm
sorry we do not have the diacritical
marks to use in our typsctting, but
these lessons help quite, bit.
Our next city will be one We haze
read much Of in connection with the
present war. st. Quentin is pro-
nounced San-Kon-tan.
San Kontan is located quite tc the
northwest of France, about eighty
miles northeast from Paris. San
Kontan has two large canals that
unite four rivers. These lessons will
teach us why we buy so manv finely
woven goods that carry the label
MADE in France" San Kontan
pee pie were busy in timese nf peace
weaving curtains, jaconets. calicoes,
cretonnes, cambria and tulle.
Woollens and silk fabrics, embroidery
beer, sugar and machinery are also
produced. There were two large
battles fought there also. One in
1857 when the French were victor
ious over the Spanish, AMI another
in 1871 when the Germans DESTROYED