Brussels

the capital of Belgium. It has an inland position fifty miles from the North Sea. It is said to be a miniature edition of Paris. The old walls have been replaced by boulevards, five miles of which are planted with elm and linden trees in four rows, quite encircling the older part of the town. There are fourteen public squares. Sumptuous modern government buildings are disposed about a park of seventeen acres. The city hall, dating from 1401, with a spire 364 feet high, is a noble specimen of Gothic architecture. The Cathedral of St. Gudule was founded in 1010. It is celebrated for its sculpture and paintings, stained glass and pulpit. The presence of the court, a university, museum, art gallery, observatory, a public library of 350,000 volumes, a conservatory of music, a zoological and a botanical garden, and several learned societies, make the city a pleasant home for people of means and intelligence. Brussels has long been famous for lace, carpets, and jewelry. Some of the finest lace is valued at $40 a yard. It is a city of many factories, foundries, breweries, and machine shops. Coal and iron are near at hand. A large trade is carried on with adjacent territory. The language spoken by the court is French. Many of the people, especially those living in the older parts of the city, speak Flemish. The population is about 500,000. See Belgium