The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-29

successor. Louis XVI, credited with being an am
liable ruler. sent forth 14.5OO their missions of
oppression.
1t might well have been written over the en-
trance OF the Bastle. "He who enters here
leaves hope behind" The place realized the dark
est visions Of Dante's Inferno. Separated from
the streets of the city by nloat 125 feet wide
and % feet Deep and accessible only by u draw
bridge. 1t like Isle of the Dead.
In Its nosOme dungeons abominable cruelties
were visited upon unfortunate prisoners, who
were condemned to the rnck and the boot and the
wheel, chained to pillars and logged There
were circular cells with concal tops in which the
Inmates could neither stand erect. nor sit, lie.
The roll of the sufferers of the Bastille Is IL long
one Various degrees Of punishment were meted
out to the prisoners. according to the whlms of
the sovereign. Some of them. like the Man with
the Iron Mask. for time prisoner in the Bas-
tile. treated with consideration. They
had bOunteous meals. and were assigned to rooms
in which there a fair amount OF light, and
were even permitted to walk in the garden.
They had scant enjoyment however. for they
never knew when they would be doomed to the
fate of their less favored fellows. Men lived 50
and even 60 years In the Bastie. until they lost
all connection with the world beyond the most.
In that world toward the close Of the eighteenth
century mighty changes came to pass. The line
Of the Louis had so impoverished the nation that
the national credit was imperiled When Louis
XVI came to the throne debt Of $SOOOOO,OOO had
been piled up and 1t continued to pyramid The
common people had been footing the BILL and now
came the proposal, strange In those days. that
the nobility and the clergy the privileged classes.
should share the burden with the Third Estate.
1t was day Of questioning and hearkening and
soul searching. The words Of VOitaire, Rousseau
and Diderot sinking deep into the national
consciousness. Hence assemblies to talk
these proposals.
In vain were the prisons filled with ngltators
and the voltaires sent into exile. The storm was
gathering. II the monarchy was to be sustained
in its extravaganza and feudasm to be upheld
the mailed fist must do its work. But there was
to deal with than murmuring serfs and 4
handful of encyclopedias The soldiers OF France,
who expected to uphold the old regime.
showed that they were unwilling to kill their IA
thers and brothers like dogs.
The people of Paris ransacked their city until
they found arms the material for making
pixies. The time had come when the rights of
should prevail. and men who starving
under tyranny are easily recruited. AS the forces
of the order grew they thought with
cord of the hated symbol of that CALLING oppres-
sion which the cause OF all their suffering.
The cry ITO the Bastille /" from a hundred
thousand throats
Men and women armed with weapons as effec-
tive popguns would be against dreadnaught
moved agn!nst the ancient stronghold. Bullets
pattered and nattened against the massive walls.
The defense only half hearted. and the
French guards on the battlements were soon wav-
ing flags of truce. force greater than all the
munitions made was at wOrk-a public senu
ment which had become resstless torrent De-
launny, the governor of the Bastille trembled be-
fore 1t and surrendered. Down came the creak-
ing drawbridge and across 1t rushed the infuri-
ated citizenry. The tide flowed in and out of the
dim corridors and searched out the narrow cells.
AS there the semblance of govern
ment arrangements were made for removing the
Bastille. The work took the contractor nearly II
year. although he employed large force. There
was thriving business in its relics, for hundreds
nj the blocks of stone carved into models
Of the prison and sold mementoes. Locks and
bolts distributed all over the world
souvenirs
Although the demolition of the Rastil,e itself
proceeded. the thing for which it stood was not
so easily swept aside. Feudal Germany and
Austria blocked the road to liberty. We OF this
day. with the perspective Of century and more
Of history and belonging to a nation which is even
now in arms against the powers which sought to
folyl the yoke OF serfdnm once more upon the