Mr. and Mrs. Bert Robbins

New Ipswich Historical Society

Oct 05, 2022

On this day - October 5, 1897

William Jurian Kaula diary

Jack and his friends will leave Paris this evening. I left them shortly after noon. I staid [sic] in the Hotel Louvre over night [sic]. I had brought my bicycle with me on Sunday and planned to ride back to Crécy. Little did I realize what I would encounter in the way of wind. Starting from the Louvre I followed along the Seine on the quais by the Hôtel de Ville and passing by some dozen bridges until I reached the city wall at the Pont de National which conveys both a steam railroad and a boulevard across the Seine. The river in this direction is not as interesting or picturesque as it is from the Louvre toward Mendon and St. Cloud. The streets were of rough worn pavements and lined with great warehouses. I was heading for the Bois de Vincennes the great public park of the same nature as the more popular Bois de Boulogne. But I strayed away by following the river and I don't know what instinct persuaded me to keep on to Charenton unless it is because it is a seat of an insane asylum. Charenton is a city of 15,000 inhabitants who are not in the asylum. The river Marne flows into Seine at this point. I did not see as much of the Bois de Vincennes as I had planned. There are over 2,000 acres and it's said to be more natural than the Bois de Boulogne but I did not see the difference. It contains lakes, large areas for infantry drills, barracks, a race course which is the largest in the vicinity of Paris, and an artillery "Polygone." I would explain what a "Polygone" is if I knew, and did not see on my journey through the Bois. I slowly mounted a great hill which overlooks the vallies [sic] of the Seine and Marne. This eminence is strongly fortified for the defence [sic] of Paris. There are some seventeen forts that guard the approaches around Paris. There are also many other fortified heights some distance outside of these. Most of these were destroyed by the Germans in the War of 1870 but the system is now much more elaborate. I left the Bois and decended [sic] into a little town of Joinville-le-Pont, crossed the Marne and then had an almost continuous road to Crécy. I passed through a large number of towns which grew smaller until I reached Villiers. The wind had increased so much and was blowing hard in my face all the way. It is a distance of only twenty-six miles to Crécy yet I was exhausted as if I rode a hundred in that time. I could scarcely creep along on the long plains that were only sheltered by tall trimmed populars [sic]. The scenery was not of particular interest and the country quite flat and in fact is a large plateau rising as I left the Marne and decending [sic] again into the valley of the Grande Morin. The guide posts are so plentiful at all corners of roads in France so that it is not necessary to inquire the way. The Touring Club of France has placed placards on almost every hotel signifying where one can stop for a pump and minor repairs. Besides there are notices at the top of steep hills and grades giving warning against rapid riding.

On this day - October 5, 1908

James Roger diary entry

5th (Monday)

Frosty morning fine day, wind W. to S.E. David took took 2 carts sods and one cart loam for Gordon’s lot. Took Berkely to Depot and cutting sods for Webber lot. Berkley fixed parlor stove and filled a barrel of apples. I worked all day on the Gordon lot extension. Caucus meeting tonight. (I did not attend it) but W.A. Preston was chosen representative and Isham Aldrich, moderator at Democratic caucus. Willis Ramsdell was chosen representative.