The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-11

1
| IN RUGES, quaint old city Of Bel
| * GUM, where medevalism ling
! ~ ers, has just opened its annual
carlton concert seasOn-con-
certs that, their admirers are fond of
declaring, bring music from the heav-
ems" A carlton is a group of bells
! attuned to the intervals of the mus
zeal scale and usually covering four
Octaves, hung in a high bell tower.
! Day in and day out the music is pro-
duced by clOck-wOrk ringers; but in
| Bruges during the summer carlton
! play by hand and foot, as does a great
organist.
Bruges, like many unfamiliar for
eign place names, may have an eX-
otto sound to the American ear. But
| ii has about as common an origin
and is about as logically descriptive
as "Three Rivers" or Smiths Cross
roads," Because the town from the
beginning had numerous canals and
! structures carrying streets across them
| 1t was named Tin Flemish) Bridges"
| 1t is sort of reversed Venice. Where
as the latter is an area of sea with
islands scattered in it, Bruges is
| land area cut into islands by numer-
Gus canals. In both cities many houses
rise sheer from the water and boats
are used for traffic.
Like Venice again, Bruges was once
the commercial and banking center
of the world. This was in the Four
| teenth century. The center Of COM
mercial activity had moved from Italy
to Flanders, and Bruges was then
Flanders greatest market. World trade
came up the River Zwyn which then
gave it a harbor; merchants from the
! four quarters of the world maintained
headquarters in the city; and its
| bOurse regulated the exchange rate
for all Europe. Client was strong
rival, but until the Zwyn finally sill
ted up in 1890 Bruges held its own.
| At the height of it's power Bruges
had a population of 100000, and was
one of the wealthiest and busiest
cities in Europe. Now the inhabitants
number about 5000.
Trade Ruined by Silt.
| During its busiest era, Bruges boast
ed headquarters Of merchants from
seventeen countries. Fabrics were
! shipped from Italy and the East, furs
from Russia and Bulgaria, metals
from Poland and Hungary. Wool,
| cheese and coal from the British Isles,
fruits from Granada and Egypt. and
| Arabian spices and Rhenish wine were
marketed there.
BY the end of the fifteenth century
the rivers and canals silted up, trade
routes changed, and the merchants
forsook Bruges for Antwerp. leaving
a city Of Old World charm for trav-
elers to enjoy.
! Canals which were once crowded
with shipping now are clOgged with
silt, moss and lily pads, and in some
parts white swans fearleSsly swim
about. Bordering quays are bare and
silent. Many of the gabled dwellings
and warehouses facing the quays, long
the meeting places of boisterous sea
rovers, are unoccupied.
In the doorways of medieval houses
old women sit for hours in their pic
turesque costumes, making lace. They
look as though they had stepped out
of canvas of Jan Van Eyck or Hans
Memlic, famous Bruges artists. Some
of the brick facades of the medieval
homes are hung with large iron rings,
which, in the days when Bruges was
famed for its fetes, were used to hang
ropes of flowers from wall to wall.
In the streets, huge thick-legged
Flemish draft horses draw to market
clumsy two-wheeled carts filed with
| green vegetables from nearby farms.
And now and then one sees a dog
drawn milk cart, painted green, rum
bling over the clean cobbleS.
Grand Place, the city square, is
the busiest place in Bruges on Sat
urdays when the market is ready for
business shortly after dawn. City and
rural costumes run the gamut of
color and style, with broad flowing
skirts and small lace caps dOminat-
ing. Although vegetables abound on
the well ordered stands, there are
also copper and brass vessels, old
clothes, used furniture and soiled
books.
BeIfry Tower Is Notable.
The Belfry Tower, one of Bruges'
famous landmarks, rises 375 feet over
the square During the hectic strug-
giles of the Flemish people with the
Spaniards. the French, and neighbor-
ing towns, the bells in the Belfry
Tower called the burghers to arms.
In a room near the top there are
numerous rods, pulleys and ropes
which are connected with one Of the
finest carillons in Europe. 1t has AZ
bells.
Viewed through small window in
the shaft. Bruges resembles a veritable
checkerbOard of red gables. pierced
here and there by spires, towers and
pinnacles. The narrow streets and
canals wind in every direction ai..l