Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-08-04
AUGUSTA MAN RECENTLY RETURNED
FROM travel IN EUROPE RELATES
INTERESTING INCIDENTS OF HIS TRIP

"The old school geography used t.
tell about the earth being composed
of three quarters water but, after
one has crossed the Atlantic Ocean
on a nine-day ship. he is prepared to
believe that it Is nearer seven
eights," said Frederic Mason yester-
day, speaking Of his journey abroad
from which he has just returned.
"Td give $40 right now to see q
tree" remarked an old man from
Wisconsin, who had long been
watching the trackless sea and had
become almost bilious over the bill
lows. To see land after viewing the
interminable expanse OF wet for over
a week IS like getting Santa Claus
stocking or the fire place at Christ
mas.
IF you were going to pull up
stakes and settle in Europe, which
of the countries you have seen
would you prefer ?" asked the re-
porter.
Il don't intend to pull up any
stakes, however good the pulling
may be, but IL chance should ever
throw me in foreign lands to i've
replied Mr.. Mason, Il think should
prefer France and possibly Paris. II
IL an interesting country, very much
alive and q hotbed Of art. saw q
good deal Of the Capital City and
some 400 miles of the agricultural
sections. England would be my sec
ond choice and perhaps l could be
content in some parts of Holland
But. in all my wanderings ! haven't
seen enough attractions to sway me
In pulling up the Maine anchor.
ITO my mind the thing that strikes
the fancy of the European tourist. Is
the uniqueness and attractiveness OF
some of the foreign homes. Where
they get so much stone and brick
has been q wonder to me ever since
I left Maine. In journeying over
four countries, scarcely one wooden
house has been presented to my view
I had an all night ride from Cher
bourg to Paris on a sleeperless train
so had q good chance to view the
farming country. soon after sun
rise. Practically all the farm houses
are Of stone or brick. sometimes &C.
ment and partly Of plaster, but never
Of wood. All Of Paris Is stone OF
brick, and all through Belgium and
Holland and England continues the
same indestructible material. 1,
WOulQ 8ceIH tudt oh " ~ASF~ "~-
fireprooof.
"Some Of the quaint forms of ar.
chitecture are very interesting, and
oftentimes vines and flowers are sc
entwined about the homes that. az
one woman exclaimed, farming In
such a place must be a dream.
Sometimes, when seeing the movies
we wonder whether there are actu-
ally such homes as are depicted In
the scenes that are laid in foreign
lands, but, after one visits the coun
tries, he is assured they are all there
and even more.
"They have a great love for now
ers in many Of the foreign countries
and parts of Belgium they have
marts and you meet the flower ven
doris at every turn. Around the
beautiful parks. flower boxes full OF
bloom adorn the electric light poles
half way up. Flowers are every
where about France, and you see
people in every direction carrying
bouquets to their homes. Some OF
the gardens OF France are wonderful
but unfortunately, as is their Gus.
tom. high walls enclose them and
they are not generally seen by the
public. All out through the farming
country high walls separate the
garden plots one from another, as
though each was afraid that the