Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-24
MEMPHIS TENN. SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER a. 1870

the red cross of the Geneva convention
invariably floats over all ambulances,
indeed, are everywhere-at all the prin-
cipal public hotels void Of guests, at the
large private ones deserted by their pro-
prietors, at the huge magasins de nouve-
autes lacking customers, and at the
theaters, where "relache is for the
most part en- peruaanence. Fancy such
plethora Of ambulances that patients
have actually to be touted for, and un-
employed ambulance vans in such pro-
fusion that the Magasin de Louvre and
similar establishments send home pur-
chases in vehicles distinguished by the
red cross and flying the flag adopted at
the convention of Geneva. Ha .aia
Crossing the Place du Carrousel one
perceives that all Of the entrances to the
Museum of the Louvre have been walled
up, that Jean Goujon's admirable bas re-
liefs have been thickly coated with plas-
ter, that the windows have been removed
from the lower story in the court as well
as facing the quay, and the recesses filed
with sandbags and turf retained in posi-
ton by huge timber supports. All the
more valuable art treasures have been
placed beyond reach Of injury, the finest
pictures have been removed from their
frames, the canyases rolled up and
secured in metal cylinders, while the
Venus de Milo and other Incompatible
works of sculpture have been enclosed
in packing casesand consigned toplaces
of security. rfN snt
At the new buildings of the Tuileries,
looking on to the Seine, the bronze
equestrian bas-relief of the Caesar Of
the period has been removed from its
white marble slab, and its place supplied
by the favorite republican formula, and
the quay in front, where goods were
necessarily being landed from fat-bot-
toned Seine barges, is bare alike Of
bales and barrels, and utterly deserted
by its busy population. Some floating
FIRE engines may, however, be seen an
chored alongside in readiness for any
fire that may be occasioned by the bonn
bardment for which we have been pa
tiently preparing for couple of months
past. If we cross to the opposite side
of the river, we shall find precautions
similar to those taken at the Louvre
adopted at the institute, where the rarer
books and the more precious manu-
scripts have been packed in tin cases
and consigned to the lofty vaulted eel
lars beneath. Should the members be
sitting they will certainly be engaged in
discussing some new theory of aerial
navigation some new proposal for coun-
teracting the effects OF, Prussian bombs,
some new system Of alimentation, in
cluding novel methods of forcing vege-
tables, of utilizing the blood from the
Slaughter-houses, and rendering meal
palatable by mixing it with onions and
tallow.
We pass through the Quatre, Latin, the
Rue de pAncienne C-e, a special
establishment for the sale of asses. 1t
has been open since the sixth week of
the siege, the proprietor Of which de-
rives his seemingly inexhaustible supply
from certain former favorites of his Gus
toners, who having originally made their
acquaintance in the flesh at Robinson
dear to Parisian students and demoiselles
have now the pleasure of renewing it
after decease in the form of fricandeau
a la Balaam. AT the neighboring Lux
emburg Palace the pictures by modern
French artists have been placed, as far
as practicable, in security; and in the
gardens Paris, until quite recently, was
enabled to contemplate its daily dimin-
ishing stock of oxen and sheep.