The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-10-01
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Correspondence of the Cambria Freeman.

PARIS, September 1, 1868:
The American who visits Europe for the
purpose of sightseeing will do well when
landing at Liverpool to do the places between
that and London, upon his way to the great
city, and also before leaving England's
boasted city, see all the interesting sights to
be found therein, before crossing that narrow
water, the English Channel, and seeing Paris;
for Paris, the heart and soul of France, once
seen. with its beautiful buildings, its elegant
streets, beautiful shops ami gaily dressed cit
liens, London, with its dark, soot-begrimed
old houses, its narrow. crooked, and often
dirty, streets, its sombre-looking inhabitants
all dressed after the one pattern, (and in
American eyes. a peculiar pattern.) loses
nearly all the charms it at first possessed =,
and Paris, only Paris, is then enjoyed. OBJ
serving only the dress Of those around him
| IN Paris, New Yorker would be unable to
determine that he was away from home, so
closely do the styles of dress in the two cities
resemble each other. 1t seems strange that
with New York city three thousand miles
from Paris, and London not three hundred
miles away, The dress of the New Yorker SO
much resembles that of the Partisan that the
difference can hardly be detected, while that
of the Lotdoner is SO different and peculiar
that he is known IN a moment. Johnny
n,
(and it was fearfully warm in London dur
ing this SUMNER dresses in the heaviest
material, buttons his coat closely about him,
wears around his burly neck a cravat com
posed OF about square yard of silk, and
cIaps upon his head the inevitable black s1lh
high hatj and with flower in his button
hole, saunteTs out to swelter in the heat /;
While the Partisan uses such material for his
clothing as keeps off the heat, and does not
think his dignity gone forever if he dons a
straw hat, or a low-crowned hat of any other
material. so it is in keeping with the balance
of his dress, (for good taste seems to crop
out at all tines,) and seems to be prepared
for whatever amount of heat Is dispensed
A few such warm seasons as the one Just
fSssed might have the effect of causing a
change in the style of John BULBS attire, for
during the past season numerous letters were
sent to the Times suggesting that gentlemen
set the example and discard clothing insult
able to the season, in the hope that the lower
classes, whose occupations caused them to
be exposed to the heat, might follow the
example thus set them. But / started to
say something of Paris. and must dc SO.
Paris, no matter when it was first founded
for authorities differ about it, or whom it
was named after, for here again there is a
difference of opinion, is certainly the head
quarters of European luxury and pleasure,
and offers to the visitor the noblest houses,
the most imposing streets, the finest pleasure
grounds, and has the greatest variety and
best regulated amusements of any city in the
world and yet, notwithstanding the position
now occupied, Improvement is being made,
and the attractions multiplied every year.
Old houses are being torn down, and in their
stead new ones of most beautiful design and
elegant finish are erected old streets are
''wiped out" of existence, and beautiful
broad avenues take their places; while the
finest opera house the world has yet seen is
| rapidly being completed, at cost of S3, :
| 500, 900, gold. The situation Of the city,
especially those parts bordering on the slug
| gish river Seine, can hardly be considered
good, yet 30 perfect Is the system of drainage
and sewerage, that anything like sickness
from this cause is not known. The streets
and roadways are so cleanly swept that one
may walk for miles in the carriage wsy with.
out soiling the most highly polished shoe
aad In many cases / have seen the carriage.
ways scrubbed as foot-walks are scrubbed al
home, with broom and water. So smooth
are the streets that the smallest ponies draw
such loads as would call forth the interven.
tion of the "Society for the Prevention -o
Cruelty to Animals" and that seemingly
without effort, and one is almost inclined tc
think that carriages used here would never
need repair, but when their term of service
| was ended that they went to pieces like the
s'Wonderful One-horse Shay" Most inter
esting museums. and collections of all thai
Is interesting in sculptures, paintings or curl
osities, (the Louvre Museum being probably
the finest collection in the world, y are open
to the public free of charge, and beautiful
gardens, abounding in shaded walks and
cool retreats, with charming fountains con.