The Holt County sentinel., 1919-07-11
ONE OF THE WORLDS
MOST GORGEOUS BUILDINGS,
The Palace Of Versailles Where the
Peace Treaty Was Signed
Something Of Its Past.

\ knowing Nat anything connectef
with the Palace Of Versailles would be
at the present moment, especially a.
the peace treaty between the Allies
and Huns was signed there only last
week. a matter of far more than ordi-
nary interest to our readers, especially
II they could see it through the eyes
Of one Of our citizens. the Sentinel's
reporter called upon probably the only |
man in our county who has seen this |
historical edifice and been through lie |
surrounding il, Mr.. Edwin A. Welty,
Of our city, who in answer TO our in.
auiries, gave US q brief interview,
touching on the palace, the great park |
surrounding IL and a few Of the great |
historical incidents connected with its
past. Beginning Mr.. Welty said the
Palace Of Versailles is some twelve
miles southwest Of the centre Of Paris. |
The Palace itself was built by the ia
nous Louis the XIV, le Grande Mon |
argue. as the French people call him
and truly monarch every inch a.
him. The sight of the Palace was the |
hunting lodge Of a former king and
the grounds surrounding IL are the |
highest type Of the landscape art
known TO the world and the building
itself marks the high tide Of French
II architecture, within these grounds are
the famous fountains known the word
over. and also In this park are the
Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon Pa.
aces. the latter being the residence Of
Marie Antoinette. whose excuses and
tn orgies of whose court finally led
90 the French Revolution, the reign OF
terror and the execution of the King
and Marie Antoinette herself. Tn
marble court Of this palace and it, in
terror. about 10 feet long and pos.
siby 80 feet wide. H. in gorgeousness.
grandeur and magnificcnce probably
uncgualled in the Western world lis
rooms furnished with the sump,uous.
ness of the Orient, and the walls Of Il.
halls glitter Of mirrors, and between
them the great paintings IN which are
! depicted the glorics and the past Of
La Belle France, bc browning Of
Chaflcmangc, the romance Of Francis
and the Cloth Of Gold, the days of tho
|, Crusaders with the French knights in
|. quest Uf the Holy Grail.and the days OF
I Louis XIV, when France reached the
pinnacle Of r. power and glory, then
the days Of the Revolution, the day
Of Mirabcau and Banton, then the ri.c
of the COrsican. Napoleon. and hi,
marshals 800 Mcdonald. Soult, klobe
Prince Mura, and Chambrannc. and
the men OF the empire; of Austcrlitl.
Marcngo and Waterloo. In this hall
l. the only picture cNtant Of NCy. the
brayest OF the brave. the John A..
l.oVan OF France. II Was taken Of him
y at %, then sou Lieutenant. To those
OF the Scntinel's readers rs have
drawn In fancy a picture of this great
hero Of France 'as the par excellence
M of manly beauty, grace and chivalry,
the picture itself comes as disap.
pointmcnt. The face Is coarse, the
;, eyes dull and the whole features
heavy. There Is none of the sparkle
and vivacity We ascribc 10 the French
TYPE, II Is rather and for all the world
p, like a Dutch butcher boy. The study
OF these great pictures in which Is de-
picted the history OF France would
take days, and the furnishings Of ev-
>, cry room Is a work of art, such as
q does credit 20 even Paris, the city
beautiful Of the world and known Us
>, such the world over. IL was from a
- balcony Of this Palace that Lafayette
attempted Ia appcasc the mob By in
N Producing Marie AntOinette thinking
" that sight of the beautiful queen
and the witchery Of her grace might
IA quell the rising storm, but the sight
W Of the beautiful Austrian seemed
rather to fan Il 20 increased fury. In
M this hall was terminated the struggle
~ ending in our independence the final
peace treaty between England and
America being signed here. Here also
M was enacted the shame and humilia-
~ ton Of France, for IL was in this hall
on January IL, 1871, that Frederick
William, the king of Prussia, WIS
M crowned Emperor Of Germany. Around
" the dias where this historical pageant
was enacted was grouped the great
statesmen Of Germany and its great
generals, Bismarck, the man of iron;
n Won Moltke, Manteuffel and the Off
" GERS Of the German Imperial Staff, a
glitter Of gold lace and sheen Of
,, steel; Unser Fritz and the lesser rulers
- of the German states, and men whose
: fame resounded through the courts OF
Europe all were here. II was fitting
indeed that this great Palace which
had witnessed the overthrow of France
should also in its turn in this great
historical hall witness the overthrow
Of the beast Of Berlin, the discontinue
of the naughty Prussian, the dismem-
berment Of his great empire, the re-
turn to France of its ravished provinces
and the triumph Of democracy, and
again see the truth enacted in the
words of holy writ that che who takes
up the sword shall perish by thu
sword" for indeed Is II not true Of oul
time what has been true Of all time