Middletown transcript., 1869-04-24
Notes of Irarel,
RecOllections of Paris.
Hiiaen/ for Tie Mddletomn T2unscript,

Paris during the I" Great Exposition, ,
OF 1867, seemed to be in blaze of glory
The hotels, boarding houses, lodgings and
FURNISHED houses, were crowded with
strangers from every part of the civilized
globe all desirous of carrying away sou.
venlrs from this great seat of fashion
The American, Englishman, Frenohman,
Russian, Austrian, Prussian, Egyptian
Turk, and Sandwich Islander, hob-nobed
with each other like old acquaintances.
The remarkable and very extensive con-
structions which were erected in the
Champs de Mars for the universal Exhi-
bltlon of two years ago deserves more
than passing notice. The principal en-
trance to the vast enclosed area of nearly
40 acres, between the river Seine and the
Military School-more than a third of a
mile in length by half that breadth-was
entered Immediately opposite the Pont d.
Jena. An oval belt of buildings. not
very ornamental, was surrounded by and
enclosed gardens laid out with marvellous
taste, and rich in every kind of vegetable
growth, that could be removed and made
to live in the air for few months. These
clothed the great sandy waste that till then
served as the exercise ground for military
manoeuvres, and converted it into fa;ry.
land-Ihe external gardens were so con-
trived as to unite the picturesque with the
useful, and were all made subservient to
the general purposes of the Exhibition
Here Chapel Was seen so constructed as
to show off the various kinds of painted
glass. Close by was lighthouse, illus
tratlng the various modes of obtaining in
tense and steady lights for marine pur-
poses. There, were restaurants in all the
principal countries, Illustrating various
ways of cooking food, and the national
dishes OF each country. In other parts
of the grounds there were houses and pal
aces illustrating the peculiar habits and
customs of the civilized peoples of the east.
With regard to the objects of the ordi-
nary kind exhibited, those from France
occupied nearly all the eastern half of the
building, or that part extending to the
left on entering from the Pont d. jena.
Great Britain possessed the first ground to
the right, and separated only from France
by one OF the main avenues. America,
with her meagre show, and Asia followed
England, and the various countries of
Europe came in order in long narrow
slices of the central building, each having
its expansion in the gardens beyond. The
arrangement was, as far as possible, double
the various groups of objects in classes
being in coneentric ovals, while the coun-
tries radiated aud crossed these oyals at
right-anglcs.
However, the building failed as being
an unpcturesquc object in itself, there
cannot be doubt that the general plan
was eminontly ingenious, and that very
perfect results were produced.
The Teloctpcde was noticed at the Ex-
hibition, and little did NJ Michaux, the
inventor, dream that such mania for
these expensive and useless toys would be
developed, Fashion is imposing the ve-
hlcle on many a poor fellow who would
have thought it the utmost barharism to
be condemned to tread-mill. In Paris,
Nj. Michaux, still maintains the lead in
the manufacture of these bycycles. While
trying to introduce the vehicle for many
years he almost starved; the money he
gained at the anvil was spent in the new
invention, and it was only after sending
his sons and workmen for a year driving
through the streets, that the public eve
became familiar enough with it to venture
to buy it. Eighteen months ago he COM
menced to sell earnestly to the phblic, and
now he employs over one thousand men
and increases the number every day. The
average price of velocipedes abroad is
about sixty dollars in gold, and at this
rate there is one half profit, so that the
Partisan inventor is already at the head
of fortune-For once, therefore, the in
yentor gets his reward, Several improve
mcnts have been made in this country on
this Partisan instrument, by our ingenious
Yankees, which enables the rider to fy
faster, besides rendering the machine more
elegant, and lighter. The Hanlon BROTH
ers, our greatest riders, and the aro-
nowned gymnasts," recommend Picker
iag's machines for general use but in
their match games Demorest's is brought
into requisition-this style having the
largest driving-wheel. First class ma
chimes in New York cost from 1925 to
$135. The reason they are so expensive
is, that the patentees demand so much
from the manufacturer. Calvin Witty,
the carriage maker, :" was the early bird
to catch the worm," by securing the first
patent in this country, consequently, every
maker has to advance tribute to this en-
terprising genius.
But we have strayed long way from
the sights of Paris, on the yelocipede,
and now return to the description of one
of the principal churches in that gay and
festive city, viz The Madeleine, situated
in the Place of tho same name, not far
from the Place de la Concord, 1t was
originally intended for church, after
wards dedicated to hero-worship by Ma
poleon |, and finally restored to its origi- |
nal purpose and consecrated in 1880. |
Externally it is nearly complete model |
of Greek Temple, measuring 32S feet
in length by 1873 feet in width. It is
raised twelve feet from the ground. It is
1nJ h., go 1