Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-27
LA BELLE FRANCE.
American innovations in Paris
EnterDriee of Gsoshaunffas

| American innovations is Paris---
Enterprise of Gothamites. 81
The Paris correspondent of the New
York Herald writes as follows: N q
Before dropping the American colony
in Paris, may say that few of ON
well known American families are exhib-
iting strong symptoms of becoming fixed
facts, or, in other words, of settling down
here for good and all 1t is hardly to be
wondered at, for Paris is really so full of
fascination for all ages and tastes, that
after short experience the difficulty Is to
shake off its allurement and sober down
to the prosaie life of other lands There
is an old1Virginia family here, dating from
the days of colonial governorshjps, that
of the Corbins, wha have been dOmiciled
in Parisfor some forty years. A wealthy
Philadelphia family, the Ridgways, have
been established here nearly twenty-five
years, and, as the descendants of both
these families have intermarried
with French noble houses, it may be in
ferred that though affections for the
great Republic may survive, their more
material part has been permanently alb
sorbed by tG belle France. The Moulton
family have been settled here for over
thirty years, and as the sagacious head of
it has gone extensively into real estate, it
is not likely the high price of lots in New
York viii ever attract them thither again.
This reminds me of two gentleman, not
unknown in the land of Gotham, who
seem to put implicit confidence in the fu-
ture of Paris, whether the empire stands
or falls. James Phalen and Elisha Riggs.
well known in our financial circles, have
invested considerable sums in one of the
new and splendid avenues opened a couple
of years since, in the direct neighborhood
of the "Arch of Triumph" a stately
structure, in marble, built by Napoleon
in honor of his own great victories.
With view, doubtless, to enhancing
the value of the land in this new and ele-
giant quarter, which has the advantage,
besides, of so great an elevation as to
overlook the rest of Paris, the two very
shrewd gentlemen Thave just named have
erected the past year two very commodi-
GUS and splendid mansions, with a front
of some siXty-five feet each, and depth
of some two hundred feet. They have,
with characteristic enterprise, introduced
into these fine houses certain American
novelties that have made quite a sensa-
ton here, and which cannot fail to be
copied when the French have once got
over that deep seated love of routine
which, in house building at all events,
makes them cling with the utmost
tenacity TO the customs and modes of |
a century since. Messrs. Phalen & |
Riggs have built furnaces in their cellars,
in the New York fashion, so that every |
room of the house, as well as the corTi- |
doris and staircases, enjoy the same tenn
perature. This is an indescribable luxury |
in Paris, for though the cold is not so |
great as with us, yet the small wood fires
used never make any portion of the house |
In like manner they have |
Introduced hot and cold water all over |
these houses, and, more daring still, they |
with great difficulty, the consent
of the municipal Government to lay gas
pipes so as to burn it in every part of the
This is an unprecedented innovation, for |
in Paris gas is only used in the halls and |
kitchens of the finest houses, as a great |
prejudice exists against it as being very |
injurious to the costly gliding so much in |
fashion, as well as from a belief that it is
hurtful to the health.