Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-11

Amusing Incident in Paris OMNIBUS "A
BInndering and Embarrassed 1English-
The Paris correspondent Of the New
Orleans Delta writes US follows....-
Amusing incidents often occur in the Paris
omnibuses, where all sorts Of people are
thrown together, and the most heterogeneous
traits of human nature are afforded fair oc-
casion to manifest themselves. A funny
illustration Of English obstinacy and determ-
nation not to submit TO afancied imposition,
happened the other day, during the trip
Of an omnibus from the Church of the
Madeleine TO the Place de Ia Bastile. The
omnibuses belonging to this particular line
run through the old series of boulevards the
most lively and Kaleidoscope portion of
Paris. John Bull, sturdy specimen of the
genus, heartily despising Jean Crapeau, and
knowing very little of his language, took q
scat in the omnibus at the Madeleine station,
accompanied by Mrs. Bull, rather more lenient
in herestimation ofBony III, aud his subjects,
but knowing even less of the French
vernacular than did her husband Upon
arriving at the Rue Montmartre. at some dis
tance from any station, the Briton and his
wife wished to descend. Now, it is easy to
stop an omnibus, by merely pulling a string
running from the conductors post to the
drivers arm, but as it is part of the former
functionary's duty to give the signal the
string can only be reached by standing on
the step at the door. AT this moment the
conductor happened to be on the top of the
vehicle, collecting the fares Any body but
an Englishman would have been puzzled how
to proceed-but not so the Briton in question.
He had noticed that the conductor pulled a
spring, which rang bell as each passenger
got in, and took il for granted that they
must be let out after the same fashion So,
without further ceremony, he made his way
to the door, grasped the little knob and
pulled away with the most imperturbable
GOODNESS. The conductor, still on the top,
heard his register sound out two three, four,
Ave, and SO on up to twenty, by which time
he had hastened down to his post, and put
an end to Mr.. Bulls further exploits in bell
ringing. 40,
the conductor
Don't you see ?" retorted j. B. in an
indescribable French, which prefer to give
IN homely English, 81 was stopping the
omnibus
But SIR returned the conductor, not
quite sure whether or not Joke was in
tended, and, in any event. determined to
make the other pay for his own fun; but
sir, to stop the omnibus, this cord must be
pulled, and not that bell"
"Oh very we'll All right There's no
harm done"
Isn't there " said the functonary, giving
the proper signal to halt. "But there is,
though-considerabl harm The number of
strokes rung by that spring shows how many
passengers have taken, at six sous each /;
and, as you have rung twenty times | ana
responsible for twenty fares. You viii there
fore be good enough to give me six francs, or
go on as far as the next station, where you
can explain the affair to the controller aud
If he chooses to let you ot, that's his busi-
ness l".
What" sputtered the Englishman, in Il
towering rage. Ne give you six francs2 I'll
see you hanged first, you miserable frog
six paltry francs2 If | do, do but ifI do,
Pm d-di"
Happily, most of this speech was hurled at
the conductors head in a tongue of which he
knew nothing, and he only gathered from it
that this specimen Of perfds Albion was in a
passion, aud was not disposed to be reasona-
BILE. So the conductor very sensibly beck
oned TO a policeman. In their intercourse
with foreigners the French are invariably
more polite and indulgent than toward each
other-naterially differing in this respect let
me remark par pareRthese, from the citizens
ofother countries. A Partisan police officer
is brutal enough with Partisan offender; but
in his dealings with strangers, unless obliged
to use force, he always employs his most per-
suasive accents first. Itwas so in this instance.
The officer seeing at glance that the con-
ductors adversary was a foreigner, who
probably ilhperfectly understood the com
plant made against him, kindly explained
that there was no intention to defraud him,
but he must either pay the six francs, OF
settle.the difficulty otherwise at the next
station. The exasperated Briton without
another word, thrust his hand into his pocket
drew forth quantity of money far exceeding
the sum demanded, scornfully declaring that
he didn't care "pinch ofsnuff for the SIX
franc" but he wouldn't be cheated, that
was fat, and pitched the handful of change
at the conductors feet The conductor
quietly picked up the six francs and drove
on. The policeman gathered up the rest and
courteously handed it to the irate cockney's
wife, who murn1ured an apology for her
husbands rudeness and led him away from
the spot-not, however, until he had offered
general punching of heads with no Frencl
= Heenan TO respond. -.#