? ' 2S
The Alamance gleaner
GRAHAM, IS, C., THURSDAY DECEMBER ], 1927. NO. 44.
WHAT'S GOING ON 1
NEWS REVIEW OF
GURREKTEVENTS
New Englanders and Wall
Street Eager to "Draft"
President Coolidge.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
EASTERN Republican?, political snti
bu?iness leaders, cannot reconcile
themselves to seeing President Cool
Idge eliminated front the contest Tor
the nomination next year. They never
have gljen up the Idea that he could
be "drafted" by the convention, and
should be. despite his expressed re
luctance to run again. East week they
got very busy, especially In Wall
street and In New England, with plans
to push the Coolidge boom. In Bos
ton a chain letter petition wa? started
by some of those who believe Mr.
Coolidge should be virtually compelled
to accept a re-nomlnation. The White
House correspondents questioned the
President on this matter and he told
thera he could not see that the circula
tion of the petition would serve any
good purpose and he hoped It would
be discontinued. This being tele
graphed over the country, the pro
ponents of the chain letter Issued a
statement asking that all work on the
plan cease Immediately.
Hdwever. the correspondents left the
White -House somewhat mystified and
as uncertain as ever In their Interpre
tation of the. President's attitude
toward the general proposition of con
scripting him for another term. Many
Republican senators and representa
tives thought nothing had been added
to the Coolidge statement of August
2 and that, while the President does
not want another term and does not
want to be drafted, he nevertheless
would not refuse to respond to the
call If the party should ask him to
sacrifice his personal Inclinations.
Olhers Influential In the party believe
he wtir b'At he a candidate wmler any
circumstances.
ine tneory accounting tor tnc suu
den Interest manifested by New York
Brtlubllenn leaders In the renoinlnn
tlon of the President Is that they ore
becoming panic stricken over the dan
ger of losing that state in the Presi
dential election. Thot Al Smith will
be the Democratic nominee is now
generally taken for granted, particu
larly since dry Democrats hate been
seen throwing up the sponge In vnri
ovs parts of the country, and Smith
has repeatedly shown his ability to
carry New York state against great
olds.
I nless Mr. Coolidge absolutely re
jects a re-nomination before congress
meets on December 5 the anti third
term ngitation will be renewed, and
Senator I.a Follctte will reintroduce
Ins resolution declaring a President
should not serve more than eight
fears. x ~
Frank O. I.owden's boom grew some
*hat witli the authorized announce
ment that hie name would be entered
la the Indiana preferential primary.
Dawes, It was understood, would not
contest the delegation with the former
governor of Illinois, and Senator Wat
ton, who has been credited with Presi
dential ambitions, was advised cni
Phallcally by his friends to stay out
?f the race. The t-nwilefi boomers de
clare their man will enter the conven
tion with more assured votes than he
'ad In 1020.
CtCRKTARY MKl.l.ON'S program of
tax reduction . was ripped all up
tbe back by the house ways and
means committee, which practically
""npleted the new revenue hill. First
committee agreed upon a reduc
JJoo of taxes not to exceed I2.TO.OOO.
i ? and then It slashed the tniscel
"beans taxeg ,hat Mr yjuiipn wanted
""changed. The taxes on automo
" and capital stock transfers were
"?> In half. The exemption on admis
was raised from 75 cents to SI.
"? 'ate on boxing matches being In
*J???cd from 10 to 25 per cent on ad
on? of $5 and more. The stamp
?* on uenllngt In futures on grain
?d prnciuee exchangee was repealed.
T? '??? on grape wdnea were re
?"I to the pre-war level. The tax
'otprratlon earnings was cat from
*v to per cent, one-half per
j' nn-e than recommended by See
I retnry Mellon. The Mellon proposal
under which corporations with net
earnings of $25,1X10 or less and with
no more than ton stockholders would
have the option of paying taxes as
partnerships was rejected. In place
of it tlie committee Increased the ex
emption on corporations with earnings
Of less than $25,000 from $2,000 to
$3,000.
/"UUC'AGG won a big victory in the
battle over diversion of water
front Lake Michigan through the Chi
cago sanitary canal. Charles Evans
Hughes, special master for the United
States Supreme court, recommended
to that tribunal that the case brought
by Wisconsin ami other states border
itlg on the Great hakes l>e dismissed.
After holding that the complainants
hud presented a justifiable contro
versy and that the sanitary district
has no authority to divert the water
without the consent of the United
Stales. Judge Hughes declared that
congress lias conferred authority upon
the secretary of war to regulate the
diversion, and that the permit of
March 3, 1025, is valid and effective
according to Its terms, the entire con- |
trol of tiro diversion remaining with
congress. Therefore lie recommended
that the hill be dismissed.
TAX laws were materially clarified
by the Supreme court In its Inter
pretation of numerous questions which
had worried both taxpayer and tax
collector. In one case involving tuxes
on Incomes derived by lessees of In
dian tribal oil lands, the government
established its right to retain approx
imately $150,000,000 in revenue. In
another proceeding the government
lost In Its contention that under tlie
revenue act of 1924 it could tax gifts
made prior to enactment of the law.
IN A case brought down from Alaska
the Supreme court held Invalid the
drnstlc provisions of tlie dry law of
the territory prohibiting tlie posses
sion of liquor In a private home even
?for tlie personal use of Hie owner, and
declared residents of Alaska are esi
titled to the same protection against
unreasonable searches its nrc given
reuidents of other parts of tlie United
States.
Federal Judge Killlts Hi Toledo,
Ohio, In dismissing a case against a
farmer charged with operating a still,
declared Hie law of the sanctity of the
home was a higher and more sacred
law than the Volstead octior any pro
hibftion law.
TTAKKY SINCLAIR. .William J.
** Burns. W. Sherman Burns. Shel
don Clark. II. Mason Da,v and C. L.
Veitvch. manager of the Burns agency
in Baltimore, were cited hy Justice
Siddons of the District of Columbia
Supreme court for criminal7contempt
in connection with the mistrial of the
Teapot Dome oil case. They are or
dered to appear before the court on
December 5 to show cause why they
should not he sentenced -under the
statutes.
R::ab admiral william ii.
BULLA RD. chairman of the fed
eral radio commission, died suddenly
of heart disease at tlie naval hospital
in Washington, where he had gone
to rest for a : light operation. His
death camp at the end of a famous
career. :\C, years which was spent in
the United States navy.'
ABOUT tlfteen hundred convicts in
the California state prison at
Folrom staged a desperate revolt oil
Thanksgiving day and fought the
guards, militiamen and other officers
, with guns, knives and other weapons
in their effort to escape to the hills.
In the first encounters two guards and
six convicts were killed and a num
ber wounded. Two United States
army tanks were sent from Salinas to
help the state troops, and at this
writing the convicts are under siege
In the prison.
COI. XOBLK BRANDON JUDAH.
well known Chicago hanker and
lawyer and h distinguished war vet
eran. was appointed ambassador to
Cuba hy President Coolidge. This Is
his first diplomatic post, nnd It is con
sidercd an important one. especially
because the Pan-American congress
is to meet in Havana in January.
Colortet Judali was bom in Chicago In
1$$4 nnd went to France with the
Three Hundred nnd Thirty-second field
'
urtlllery, later becoming assistant
chief of stalT of the first army corps.
He participated lit five major cam
pstlgns and was decorated for bravery
hy America and France.
pOL. CHARLES It. FOUBES, for
^ mer director of the federal vet
erans' bureau, who' tvns sent to Leav
enworth for two years for defrauding
the government, left the penitentiary
Inst week. He had completed Ills sen
tence and, having signed a pauper's
affidavit, served thirty additional days
In lieu of paying b'510,000 fine.
WARFARE In the Colorado coal
strike region broke out, as pre
dicted, when stute police and mine
guards nt the Columbine mine, thirty
miles from Denver, opened tire on a
big and threatening inob of strikers
that Invaded the mine property. Five
of the mob were killed and more than
a score were wounded. Governor
Adnnts called out the National Guard
and tank, airplane, Infnntry and cav
alry units were sent to the trouble 1
stone. A proclamation declaring mar
tial law was given to Adjutant Gen
end Newlon to post If he deemed li
necessary. The I. W. W. leader? of
the strike rather unexpectedly did not
meet the situation with arms, but In
stead called on all the strikers to re
frain from violence. They swore out
warrants for the arrest of the mine
superintendent and an under sheriff
on charges of murder.
RUMANIA was thrown Into mourn
ing by the sudden death of Its j
premier ahd virtual dictator, Innel
Bratlano. This brought to the fore
again the possible return of former
Crown I'risce Carol, but the Ru
manian minister to Paris was In
structed to warn Carol not to attempt
to enter the country.
ITALY'S reply to the Franco-Yugn
* Slnvlnn treaty wns the publication
of a treaty of military alliance be
tween Italy and Albania which wan
signed Tuesday. The danger of hos
tilities was so serious that, on orders
from Foreign Secretary Chamberlain
of Croat Britain, the British ambas
sador to Rome urged Mussolini not to
be rough with Yugo slavia, because IP
is n young state and unversed In the
niceties of diplomacy.
OOVIKT Russia has agreed to take j
^ part In the coming disarmament j
conference at Geneva, and ita full In
tentlons there are a matter of much
concern to the other nations. Premier
Rykov said Inst week: "The Soviet
union Is ready to propose, support and
carry out the most rndleol program of
disarmament for the whole globe, and
simultaneously conduct a campaign !
against proposals only destined to mis
lead and disguise preparation for n
new war under a mask of pacificism."
Vice Foreign Minister LltvinofT de
clared the Soviet delegation was going
to Geneva to propose a complete and
general disarmament, and he added
that Moscow has no faith In the good
will of "capitalist nations" or in their i
ability to disarm.
J.con TrotzUy end his associates in
the opposition party In Russia, hav
ing been ousted from the Commnnlst
party, have been put oa probation for
six months with plain warning that
unless thp.v cease their machinations
they will be banished to Siberia or
executed. Reports from sontli Russia
suhl Trotsky supporter* had fonglit
Hip government police In Odessa. Khar
kov and other Ukrainian cities and
that 18 tiersons were killed and HO
injured. The Ukrainians want a sep
arate republic.
GKUMANY and Roland have ended
their long custom* war by the
signing of a protocol which declares
an armistice In the economic battle
over coal and manufactured products
on the principle that the Pole* will
have the right to send coal, farm prod
ucts and manufactured articles Into
Germany while the German* will have
the right to open hanks and places of
business and sell n^nufactnred art!
cles In Poland
SOCIALIST niPtnher* of the Belgian
cabinet Insisted on a reduction of
the term of military service and
brought ahum the resignation of the
ministry. Premier Jnspnr promptly
formed a t ew ministry which contains
no SocioIIis
IlfooiW to Feature
Ahrmci Farm Report
J* the Brat time Id the history of
?American Venn bureeu federation
J* '5r oa.li known In any organl
I ? Hie annual report thl* yenr
"l" ? v?W tot tlid convention dele
]a "ruovle" form
^ :vil,^rt> t,Mrt 0f the ednoa
d iluent of the federation.
l d "it tlifit me delegates In the
rr;<-j voluminous reporta
r * lh*ir ikvSc??? and that It ap
pes red that fiosslbly some of (hem
were not thoroughly scrutinized.
Proceeding on the theory tliuf a
few figures In the delegates' heed*
are worth more than endless columns
In fhelr [locket*. Mr. Klhler. with
other federation officials, devised the
"movie" Idea.
Reel I of the "annual report" will
show M. S. Winder, executive secre
tary, beginning to read the real re
port that Is to he filed In the federa
tion's archives. He will "fade oot." to
bo replaced by a man busily cranking.
?n electric generator it Chicago,
trhich provides current for farm ms
rhlnery In the West. If contributions
dropped, for Instance, during August
the separator will slow down while
the thresher does some iroiiltle shnot
Ing.
other agricultural events of the I
gear In which the federation was In I
terestrd will be icortrajed In a similar |
jnanoer. Man; of tlie officials of the
organisation expressed objections to
the movie Idea, but ever; protest was
ereotuall; Ironed out. ?
_? e-r jL
II ' - HER I
DEAD SEA
\ FRUIT
=^s==s=s==
<? Mr D. J. w?L?b_> ^
ANGEVINE KIRK ?u passing
the ball tabla when an on
uaual Impulse made ber torn
btfck to look at tbo mall lying
there In two neat piles, papers, and
magazines one place, letters another.
It was seldom she received a letter for
she wrote none. In fact, there was no
body to write to any more.. And yet
there was a letter directed to herself.'
Without recognizing the handwriting
she tore it open and read It while
through an open door somewhere the
odors of the dinner being prepared
by Mrs. Newton and Bessie gathered
In Intensity.
She smiled scornfully as her glance
flew from word to word, then she
laughed. She laughed again after she
had reached her room upstairs where
she reread tlie letter, dwelling upon
Its contents more particularly. Min
nie Sprague bad written to ber?
Minnie Sprague of all people. What
Is more, Minnie Sprague had asked
her back, to Westmore for a week-end
visit 1
She crusbed tbe letter in ber hand
and tossed It Into tbe wastebasket,
but the phrases lingered In ber mind
as she brushed ber hair and changed
her office uniform for a soft crepe.
Minnie would not bare written If she
did hot really want ber. "Must have
got my address from Mrs. Piper," An
gevlne thought Mrs. Piper was stor
ing a few things that belonged to
Angevlne against tbat time when, too
old to work, she mlgbt set np a home
for herself. An old maid's paradise
of coarse; Minnie had the man she
had always wanted. Irony for Minnie
to ask her to come back after four
teen years and see bow happy she
was with Frank.
"She wants a chance to sample my
Dead sea fruit" Angevlne thought,
as she ate the chicken, Maryland style
?Mrs. Newton was a line cook?
laugbed at a joke of Mr. Everson'a
and enjoyed the table decoration of
zinnias captured from the first frost.
Her thoughts were busy with the sub
ject of her Invitation, doubtful, curi
ous, yet tempted. By the time the
cream pie came she had decided to
take Minnie at her word. "If she
thinks I'm afraid to come III show ber
that she Is mistaken. Even If I
haven't got over the fact that Frank
Sprague threw me over for my dear
est friend I think I can mystify her a
little. And If I mast take my Dead
Sea fruit along for ber to Inspect Ml
take only the finest specimens and
pretend I prefer them to all others."
Three days later Angvlne packed a
snltcase with ber choicest wearing ap
parel and began ber jonrney of eighty
miles.
Very'composed and charming In her
black tailored suit, sable stole and
black-and-white hat she stepped from
the train at the Westmore station and
found Minnie Sprague's chauffeur
waiting for her. She entered the
comfortable sedan and was rapidly
driven to the old Sprague home where
once ahe had hoped to enjoy a life
time of usefulness as the wife of the
man she loved. As she mounted the
steps Minnie came out to receive her.
Accompanying ber was her son, t lad
of thirteen.
"Angle, dearest! I'm so glad to see
you. Come right in; Paul, please take
her suitcase to the west chamber.
Would you like to go up at once,
Angevlne?"
Angevlne went upstairs The room
was lovely ^1 Its buff and white with
a touch of blue. She sighed as she
opened ber suitcase and took out ber
gray crepe, her gray bose and
strapped pumps. Gray became ber,
for she was dark and spirited looking.
Hut how pretty Minnie was I . Fair,
plump, wblte-sklnned after fourteen
years. Suddenly ber Dead sea fruit
seemed to crumble and show their
ashen content
They dined alone, Minnie, Paul and
Angevlne. There was a maid, evi
dence of money everywhere, from the
late Mrs. Aaron Ward rotes In the
cut-glass bowl to the soft Are In the
grate.
"Mr. Sprague Is out of town," Min
nie explained. "I am expecting him
borne tonight, though."
After rupper they bad a pleasant
evening alone together before the fire
place. Minnie laughed a good deal,
hut veered off from personalities. She
was Interested In Angevlne, but not
curious.
"You look successful and satisfied,"
she saltL
Angevlne produced ber finest specf
men of Dead sea fruit
"I am. Nothing to wish for, really.
We are like one family at Mrs. New
ton's, where I have been so long. It
seems like home. And you," she said,
laughing, "look as sleek and content
ed as a cat that has been fed on
' chicken and cream."
"Oli. Kiiink la a (Teat money-mak
er." Minnie replied lightly.
The next morning aa Angevlne,
dreraed In a trim serge with charm
ing touche* of acarlet, came down
atolra, a door opened and Frank
Sprague appeared before her. Be
stared at her unbelievingly, then came
forward with outstretched hand.
"How do you do, Angevlne? Sorry
1 couldn't be here last night to see
you."
Angevlne replied In kind. But her
thoughts whirled. Be had not changed
save for a line or two of sliver In his
gold hap* and his manner, which was
more areured.
Her Dead sea fruit seemed literally
to lose all power to deceive as she ac
companied Frank to the dining room
where the radiant Minnie wotted.
Paul had not yet appeared.
They had passed the cereal stage
and were beginning on the waffles
when Paul entered.
"Well, son." Frank said. "What did
1 tell you abont being late for break
fast? Looks as If you aDd I would
have to have a little settlement."
"I'm sure there's no harm In Paul's
sleeping a little longer than usual,
Frank," Minnie said quickly. "Espe
cially when he Is tired."
"Tired! Tired at his age!" Frank
scoffed. "What has he done to get
tired? No son of mine shall grow up
to be another Roger Preston."
Roger Preston was Minnie's brother
and Angevlne knew just how worth
less be had been as a boy. She beard
Minnie give a gasp, saw. her flush and
swallow hard.
"You needn't always be throwing
poor unfortunate Roger up to tae.
Frank," sbe cried.
"I'm not throwing him up to you.
my dear. I'm only trying to Impress
upon you that one example of that
kind In our immediate family Is
enough."
A perfect storm of angry, unpar
donable words followed. No sense or
control, and no regard for tbe a mated
guest. Paul sprang up and flung out
of the room. His mother . followed
him, Angevlne was left alone with
Frank, but he was scarcely aware of
her presence. Presently she, too, with
drew and went to her room.
There Minnie found ber.
"I want to apologize, for what hap
pened, Angevlne," she said. "But It
la no unusual oocurrence, Frank never
lets up on tbe boy. It's too bad.
Paul's all right" And sitting down
she talked at length, blaming her hus
band, extenuating Paul and herself.
"Frank has an obsession that darling
Paul Is like my poor brother used to
be," sbe sighed. "And that he'll come
to the same end unless he gets a lot
of trimming now. Of course It Is all
unreasonable and chlldlrli. It makes
me miserable. And It sets Paul against
his father."
Angevine Mia Doming as sne lis
tened. She mw the whole thing clear
ly. Minnie stood by her boy. undoing
all hla father tried to do. And Frank
was hasty and unsympathetic, not
much more right In bis method than
was Minnie In hers. She wondered
how It would all end. Not happily
for the boy she was certain If Mki
nle weqt wo pampering him on the
sly and his father acolded him In
public.
The day passed. Church, an after
noon motor ride and two exqnsite
meals. Paul was eullen to his father,
and barely tolerant to his mother. His
father thundered at him, hla mother
shielded him. It was all very unpleas
ant and Angerlne was glad when It
was over.
She left by the early I rain Monday
morning. Minnie kissed her good-by,
Frank mw her upon tbe train. They
both begged her to come again.
She reached her own room at noon.
Such a sweet, pretty room I Her books
and pictures welcomed her. Lunch
eon would be ready In ten minutes.
She was hnngry.
Oh, home was good, her Job was
good, ber own money good. Uad she
really loved Frank Sprague or - en
vied Minnie? Better 's thousand times
to be an old maid than to live like
that!
Then suddenly she found herself
laughing with real Joy. Her poor
Dead sea frnlt! It did not seem pos
sible but?they had changed to
peaches!
Differ on Indians' Origin
Ethnologists differ concerning the
origin of the Amtrlceo Indian*. In
numerous classifications, however, they
are considered as a branch of the
Mongolian family which at a remote
period In the world's history found Its
way from Asia to this continent and
here remained In tarnation for thou
sands of years, developing their pe
culiarities of race and civilisation.
Forests Arm Losing
After 300 years of settlement, ap
proximately ?500,000 acres, or nearly
one-half of the surface land of New
Hampshire, have been cleared of for
est*.
i
Ws Can't ?
Who Is without cant In a land
where cant Is a material vice??
American Magaxlne- ,
# t
. . * > ' .1 li_: . W. n. t_
Through Franc?
Bv Canal xM
A Canal-Sid* Town In Franc*.
ifrtpar?a or tn* naiiuuil Qtofrapble
Society. Washington. D. C.)
ONE may see France either
through Ha front doora or lti
back doora. The first Includea
trains de luxe, bustling cities,
big hotels, and personally conducting
guides; and the natlonnl front-door
steps are scrubbed to a whiteness for
your anticipated arrival.
The second leads you, by unfre
quented paths, past the back doors of
family life and native customs. No
body knows you're coming, so you get
the potluck and warm welcome accord
ed to an unexpected-guest.
Tbe back-doors voyuger, whose pa-.
Iron saint la Robert Ixtula Stevenson,
has a confirmed preference for doing
it afoot or astride a donkey or a bi
cycle ; but a newer way Is by canoe.
8ucb a recent voyage began at SL
Main, Brittany. Wide, wet sands
where red-capped fishermen mend
tbelr nets, a tangle of narrow streets
atop a fortified- rock whose turreied
ramparts are grim wltb an age-long
beating back of the sea and sea-borne
Invaders?that Is SL Mdlo.
La Ranee, an Inlet of tbe sea at St.
Malo, was the startling point It, Is
a placid-appearing channel when the
tide Is In, but when the tide turns tbe
very bottom seems to drop out The
tidal rise In La Ranee Is between 2fi
and SO feet according to the season.
So rapid Is the rise that Breton farm
er-fishermen declare that a horseman
on the flats as the water starts In
cannot escape" It.
At Le Chateller Is the first lock
which separate, the turbulent Ranee
from the Ille-et-Rance canal. ?"Canal"
seems almost a libelous description of
those Idyllic streams. Instead of some
Inflexibly straight cut. Imprisoned be
tween stone embankments and sug
gestive of sewage, Imagine sylvan
windings Innumerable, water titles
afloat, hank-bordering poplars a-marcb
against the sky, and far ahead the
subaqueous ghost of some woodland
embowered bridge dipped In the
mirroring vlstn
uinan ana neyona.
Dlnan la ilie rlmi town of Impor
tance to lie reached on the Ille-et
Itance canal. The clap of aabota re
sotinda through the quaint streets
whose Fifteenth century house walls
and cnrred tacades heflttlngly frame a
scene of anowjr-capped old women and
ahovel-hatted old men, with their
shrewd, kind faces bf apple-red fresh
ness. Never were I such of(d folk as
these Breton peaianta?ojkl. merely,
like some seasoned vintage of "Im
prisoned sunshine." /
Beyond Dlnan all Is buttle country,"
as the French say, wUn here and there
a cluster of red rtofs, or a distant
aplre, or lock-keeper's house, to odd
their charm to that canoe-temptlof
stream. Everywhere there are locks.
At one stretch there are 13 within
four miles.
At Rennes one leaves the canal and
enters the Vllcine river. It Is another
lovely stream, which winds Its way
through a flexuous, closely shorn land
of, one mlgl.t almost say, natural golf
links. Perhaps It Is an Indirect com
pliment to the beauty of French water
ways that this one should be called
Cgly river.
At Redon the Parla-bound canoeist
enters the Nantes-a-Brest canal which
stretches to the Erdre river, a tribu
tary of the Loire. This latter river
la entered at Nantes and is followed
upstream for nearly 200 miles to
Orleans.
Avoid the Loire Sands.
TVk Loire la ooted for its sand.
Though the French glass and cement
Industries work overtime and the
dredges do their best, their onlted ef
forts at exhaostlng the sand of the'
I/lire are about as effective as "seven
maids with seven mops" sweeping up
a sea beach. It la hopeless, even for
a canoe; the beat plan la to ship the
craft to 'he middle Loire, where the
\ai *?' iaft A . ' Lr/Jaji -fo't
? V Uhud ra *1t If- ii^'VffllUiliirif
chateaux are many and the sand
shoals are fewer.
Langeals, Luynes, Ambolse. disu
nion t, Blnla?outstrnng Jewels oo the
river bank of the Loire! -'Yet they
are Jewels which were fashioned and
set on their river-commanding heights
at different periods and with different
alms. Nevertheless they have an his
torical bond, since most of them occu
py the sljes of Roman cainps, from v,
which they derive their names.
Langeals Is a corrupted form cff
Allngavla, and Mallle (the older name
of l.uyAes) Is bat a alight mortification
of Mallelum. But Gallia declined to
remain a Roman colony, and by de
grees these sites fell Into the hands
of the early Frenchmen. Thereupon
Jthey erected fortresses, and the Ro
mans being out of the way, proceeded
to battle among themselves.
Lnynes' grim walls (ltd unornoment
ed towers give ua p fair Idea of what
this military fortress was In the
Twelfth century, when the. powerful
nobles warred against each other and
eveo against the king.
Around Langeals centered the great
battles between the counts of Anjou
and the barons of Tout-nine. From be
hind Its walls Richard of England
(who was also a count of Anjnu) de
fled the crown, and for centuries the
English continued to use the cast I; as.
a base for gentlemanly brlgnndage,
until the unhappy neighborhood
bought them off wltb 2.000 gold
crowns, stipulating that the fortress
be destroyed. Thereafter hard-Oat->d
Louis XI, having quelled his unrnly
vassals and unified France, rebuilt for
himself a modified Langeals?the
castle as It stands today.
Soma Lovaly Chatsaux.
Ambolae and Chaumont belong to
the same ceotnry aa Langeala and
show the same tendencies. They are
military strongholds, softening under
ornamentation of pinnacle and earr
ing toward a purpose which became
always less warlike and always more
luxurious.
Of this gradual transition the Hnal
stage is seen in the chateaux of Blols
and Azay-le-Rldeau, where not a ghost
of the somber feudal fortress remains;
where windows, and not loopholes,
look out upon parks Instead of draw
bridges, and where ornament expands
into the embroideries of a pleasure
palace in which the rustle of silks bas
replaced the clang of malL Blols Is
for the traveler who prefers to hob
nob with the ghosts of gorgeous
cardinals and queens and satln
doubleted courtiers.
At Orleans the canal is regained
and stretches off 123 kilometers to the
Seine. At Buges, still on the canal?
at the intersection of three, in fact
begins the press of canal traffle that
mounts by the mile as Paris Is ap
proached.
The French canal system dates
back to 1638, when the Canal da
Brlare was constructed. Since then
It has -welled into a vast complexity
of routes which total more than 8.000
miles of canals and Dearly 7,000 miles
of navigable rivers, canalised and ooa
canallxed.
It is no exaggeration to say that
traffic may be moved from any one
to any other part of France over this
remarkable system, which entails an
annual upkeep expenditure of 80.0001
000 francs. Its longest link Is the
Canal du Midi, which extends 880
Mites across southern France, connect
ing the f bone with tha Atlantic
ocean.
The maximum of traffic J* found on
the Msrne-su-KMn canac which In
1919 carried 110480.000 K. T. or kilo
metric torn. AK.T. Is one ton which -
bat been transported one kilometer.
Multiplying thus the tonnage carried
by the distance It moved, we Had In
the same year a g^anri total of 778.-.
000.000 K. T. as the canal traffic ad
all Franca. * -
' ' 'J.*-,