The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-25
CABARET BALLS In PARIS.
p.,ry,u,,o. OF Curious Scenes.

"NIght Rambles in Paris" says;-
THE Cite Tournier,' as 1t is magniloquen'ly
sty leo, occupies a long, marrow strip OF ground
in the Rue de Baudrincuurt and consists OF q
row OF seventeen huts, each comprising single
apartment, with a small square pPtch Of earth in
front OF 1t. These are M. Tourniers chateaux
and parks, as he calls them. AT the cue gates
are three tour chiffonniers, male and female, all
with lighted pipes in their mouths, lanterns and
hooks In their hauds, and their baskets, which
they jocosely style cabriolets' or 'cschemires
dosier, according as the bearers of them belong
TO the masculine or feminine gender, already
swung on their backs about to sally forth on
their nightly rounds. These are the early birds
OF the cite, tor most of Its inhabitants are still
snoring on their uucean couches, sleeplng OF
the effects OF the days customary debauch.
1--WE drove to the Rue National, by
far the worst among the principal streets of the
quarter. IT 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 aud
down. and several soldiers lounging In front.
Making our way with difficulty through crowd
of halt.drunken men and women, we enter low
cabaret, called the 'Brassere Alsacienue,' where
we pay five sous each at small pigeon-hole, aud
receive tickets good tor that amount of drink,
and admitting us TO the ballroom, a low. dingy
apartment in the rear, with an orchestra of five
performers, all verging towards iptoxication and
all IN their SHIRT sleeves. Tue proprety of rais-
ing The orchestra several feet from the ground
has obliged the proprietor to make an opening
in the low ceiling of the ballroom for the
neauB OF the musicians, W0lCn, III consequence,
are up on the first floor while their legs rest
below. Some twenty or thirty couple are
dancing, and as many more are seated at
narrow wooden tables, smoking and drinking.
The men are nearly all young, and their part
neTs are for the most part girls who have
about them certain slovenlness not common
to French girls even of the very poorest class.
On remarklng upon this, our guides explain
that the company are almost exclusively Alsa-
clans employed in the neighborlng sugar fac
tories; aud that this particular cabaret, where,
as may be supposed, beer Is the staple drink,
is their favorite haunt. The din is some hing
fearful, and rows are continually occurring in
spite of the presence of the customary couple
OF soldiers posted at places OF this description
to pi eserve order.
"Une of the police agents pointed ont to US
bruta-looking young fellow who hal recently
undeTgo ne six months Imprisonment for biting
one OF the soldiers on duty here in a savage
manner-holding on with his teeth with such
tenacity that they were obliged to beat him
over the head with their scaboards to force him
TO relnquish his hold. At the same moment a
dispute arose between a couple of men, who
after expending all the eXpetives they were
acquainted with, fell to blows, then drew their
knives, and thereupou were Immediately
elected into the street BY the guard; They
partiZaDs, and ere long the melee be-
came general. In another instant blood
would have been drawn, but couple of SER
gents-de.ville made their appearance. Instantly
voices are subdued and knives concealed, for
every man among the crowd knows that IN a
couple of minutes, II necessary, picket of SOL
diers would be on the spot 10 march them all off
to the neighborlng guard-house, where the pun
ishment would be something severer than fine
OF five sb1llings. The imperial government
represses with strong hand anything in the
shape of a street disturbance.
"Nearly opposite the AlsaCian sugar bakers
ball is the ballroom OF the Auvergnats or porters
deau-the Uater-carrlers of Paris. The entrance
to the ballroom is through a low, dirty, wine
shop, with counter at one side, and a Kitchen
railed OIL at the other, where red herrings and
other daintiss are temptlngly displayed, and
against the walls of which number of rabbit.
skins are hanging, first, as sort OF guaranty OF
the nature of the viands vended at the establish
ment; and secondly, in the hope OF inducing
some speculative customer to make bid Tor
them. The landlord is engaged in serving out
drains as fast as he Can for the company IN the
ballroom, which is of the very worst descrip-
ton. The men are en- blouse sale, or grmy shirt
sleeves, while such of the women as do not
wear white caps have their heads bound up
with spotted red or yellow handkerchefs.
PeTched up in little rallied pulpit, with a
couple of dingy toy tricolor flags waving over
pumping with more than Gaelic energy
at bagpipe, and giving time to the dance with
his heavy wooden sabots. The dancers dance
with diabolic fury, but still with eIephantine
movements, raisiug their feet as though they
were shod with lead. This was not merely
the case with the Auvergnats, who danced IN
ughtness, the flexlbility, nor the noiselessness
OF the dancing pump, but was common to the
entire company, male aud female alike. Pinned
up against the wall of the ballroom noticed a
copy OF the Auvergnat newspaper, small sheet
started by three or iour Parlsian Journalists,
natives Of Auvergne, no doubt, and proud OF
being thought 80, for they sauntered along the
Boulevards in hats like those invariably WON
by the Par's porters deau. These water carriers
are not so clean as their constant contact with
the purifying element ought to make them. II
is commonly understood that one cannot touch
pitch without being defiled; Auvergnats cannot
touch even water without similar result, appa-
rently.
"Tbe origin of the Cite Dore, the most noto-
rious chltionniers' haunt in all Paris, is some
what curious. 1t occupies long, narrow strip
of ground which formed part CT the domain o
| the old chateau of Bellevue, converted many
| years since into an English brewery, of which q
! certain admiral of the Red was proprietor. The
| enterprise i,.,Ied, everything was sold OF, anC
! NJ. Dore became the owner OF the ground, Q
! portion of which he desired either to sell or tC
! let on buildin leases. One day, to his surprise
| a chltfonnier called on him, basket on back anC
| hook in hand, aud informed him that he desired
to rent a piece OF land. On being asked fol
what purpose, he reDlied 10 build a country
house fol his wife and family. The interview
many square yards of ground at ABOUT foul
and a half pence per yard per annum
/ NJ. Dore's chihonuier was laborious, in
telligent, and courageous. At daybreaA
next day he and his numerous family ,wer'
at work. They dug out the foundations of thu
house, and at ten sous the carload purchased
any quantity OF materials from the demolition
! going forward under the auspices of the pretec
/ OF the Seine. With this material they commenced
to build; but all their skill and labor could no
keep pace with the inten,e anxiety they felt L
occupy the house; so without waiting to con
struct it after eny regular fashion, they put nj
! the outer walls in the best way they could
threw q piece of tarpaulin over the top. covered