The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-07
NIGHT RAMBLEs IN PARIS.
II. Ths cite TournIsr-Osbsret BslIs.

in the Rue de BaudrincOurt, and consists of a
row of seventeen huts, each comprising a sin
gle apartment, with a small square patch of
earth in front of it. These are NJ. Tournier' s
Chateaux and parks, as he calls them. AT the
cite gates are three or four chiifonniers, male
and female, all with lighted pipes in their
mouths lanterns and hooks in their hands,
and their baskets, which they jocosely style
''cabrioets" or "cachemires d'osier, accord
ing as the bearers of them belong to the mas
Culine or feminine gender, already swung on
their backs, about to sally forth on their
nightly rounds. These are the early birds of
the cite for most of its inhabitants are still
snoring on their uncleau couches, sleeping of
the effects of the days customary debauch.
M. Tournier first does the honor of his own
chateau formed Of two of these huts thrown
into one. He is careful to inform us that the
iron ratings before the windows were not put
mp, as we might imagine, as a protection
against dishonest characters, for there are none
an the cite; but to keep his female tenants at
a respectful distance. "The women, you see, Z"
he remarks, ''all run after a iine-looking man
like me, so that | am obliged to adopt efficient
means to keep them off, Monsieur TOurner
has his name inscribed upon his door in
capital letters and at full length. Euter-
ing the first of the two rooms. NJ. Tour
ner apologies for its being somewhat in dis
order. 81 was at a balI'-a chilfJnnier's Of
course-'last night" observes he, "aud got
up late to-day, and my servant has not yet
arranged my SALON." The room, we notice, is
very well furnished and is hung round with
engravings of incidents in the story of "Abe-
lard and HelOise," to which he directs our at
tention with the air Of a man well yersed in
the details of the subject, and several portraits
of the family TOurnier WITH of course the
gilt clock and caudlestcks on the mantlepiecs.
Conducting US to the next apartment, he In
troduces us to his daughter, standing beside q
cradle with a baby in it, which baby most
untidy chiilonnier whom Tourner styles his
valet de chambre, is engaged in rocking to
sleep.
We now proceed next door; and as Tournier
throws open the gate, he points out to US
the neglected state of the park in front.
"The man who lives here" remarks he,
''has no taste for the beauties of nature; he
has room enough to plant almost an avenue
of trees, and some Hlac-bushes aud
other towering shrubs, and could grow
climbing roses and scarlet runners all over
these ratings and yet he does not cultivate so
much as a blade of grass" TOurnier knocks
at the door, but there is no response; he de-
mands OF the occupants If they are in bed, but
there is still no answer; he shouts TO have the
door opened, which brings forth the Teioiu1er
"Va-t-eu au diable ~ which is too much for
M. Tournier. He goes to the window aud
Kings it wide open, then strikes q lucifyr-
match and calls to us to look at the kind of
den into which these people have converted
one of his most elegant chateauX II is a repe-
tition of what we have already witnessed-rags,
refuse, and dirt generally, without a single arti-
Gle of furniture, not even broken chair or
table; man and woman, who grumble loudly
at their privacy being intruded on, lie on
heap of rags az one end Of the room, a couple
of miserable-loolling children sleep among the
bones and bottles at the other. Alter minute
or two the window is closed again, and we
proceed to the next chateau" which turns
out to be slight improvement on the one we
have just quilted. 1t is tenauted by thick
set young man, with long matted hair,
stranger alike to brush and comb, and an old
woman-his mother, evidently-whOse sharp,
bony features, and dark brown skin cause her
face to look like piece of mahogany carving.
They are suppng or breaktasting together of
a hot mess of meat and vegetables, and rise
up at our entrance, for the room can boast of
a wooden bench and a couple of riCkety stools.
The floor is strewn with the same motley
collection of rags, bOnes old iron, glass, and
CrOckery, and the ''cabrOet' and 'cach5-
mire 'Osier," with the hooks and lanterns,
are placed in readiness for use. Another
hovel we entered was tenanted by a chif
fonnier, whom NJ Tournier described as hi
Jack, of-all trades - his mason, carpenter,
painter, glazier, etc.-pOssibly some once
nier condition through drink He and his
wife were about to sally forth on their nightly
wanderngs. He had his ''cabriOlet" already
on his back, and she was bu5ily engaged
trimming the lanterns. Directly he caught
sight of us he pulled off his cap and bowed,
and seizing hold Of some tattered garments
hung up to dry, which daugled against our
heads, flung them into corner of the room,
the walls OF which, by the way, were hung
round with prints, plaster ba5-reliets and
other artistic waits reserved from his pickjngs
as a chilfOnnier. The rent of one of M. Tour
nier's chateauX, he informed us, was ten
francs a month, payable weekly and in ad-
vance, in dread OF certain immediate ejeetment
in case of default.
BY this time several other inhabitants OF the
cite, who had turned out to proceed on their
nightly rounds, had gathered around us; aud
we sailed forth from the cite TOurnier with a
perfect tribe at our heels. Our guides SUI
gested the proper thing to do would be to in
vite them to the cabaret opposite which ac-
COrdingly was done. Here we ordered half a
dozen bottles of 'bon Bordeaux" though
from what we afterwards learnt of the habits
of their class they would no doubt have pre-
ferred "gOuttes" of "casse pOtrine," brandy
seasoned with Cayenne pepper.
We new drove to the Rue National, by far
the worst among the principal streets of the
quarter. 1t abounds with low wine shops,
and bristles with soldiers and policemen.
For the accommodation of the former there
is guard-hOuse, with a sentry always
pacing up and down, and several soldiers
loungiDg in front. Making our way with
difficulty through crowd of halfdrunken
men and women, we enter a low cabaret,
called the "Brasserie Alsacienue," " where We
pay five sous each at q small pigeon hole, and