Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-09-15
The Condition of Paris.
From Appleton's Journal.

I'D There is some stirring in the streets,
and some feeble strivings after pleasure
in the daytime, at least, for at night
the streets are deserted. No wonder !:
The provision of gas is limited, the
police are on the alert, arrests are
numerous, private revenge is burning
slow and deep. revolvers and f1siLs-a-ve,1
are not all given up, and the authorities
that be have too good reasons not to en-
courage the sale of petroleum. Visitors
from all countries already crowd our
hotels, lounge over our boulevards,
bask under the fine sun, and seek in
vain for cab or a coach-the Aotonae-
donS of those vehicles being rare, and
their exactions so tremendous that ten
francs per hour are sometimes asked for
and given freely. Greeks and Armeni-
ans, men from the banks of the Danube
and the Nile, come in shoals to contem-
plate ruins of which no description can
give an adequate idea. What ruins
What picturesque desolation Whole
quarters are heaps Of rubbish chimneys
ha- ging over the void space; upholstery
still burning, and emitting smoke from
the caves and deep cellars arches half
beaten down, and still bespattered with
gore. AS the walls of the Tuileries,
Hotel-de- Vile, etc., are still standing,
and the debris have fallen inside, one
scarcely realizes the amount of the harm
done. The half-dismantled skeletons
Of the porticos show themselves erect
and grizzly on blue background, the
smiling radiancy of which renders the
sight more fantastically intolerable and
tragicalIy heinous. At the Point du
Jour, at Neuilly, at the Croix Roage,
and Rue Gu Bac, more especially near
the Notifications, the scene is an inde-
scribable and incredible picture of DESC
in which several houses have not been
riddled with shot; and many private
dwellings which appear intact have re-
ceived one or two of the shells which
the impartial C0nonaunelr sent flying
about at hap-hazard; the 60ntseue Men
don, Sevres, Asniers, are but a museum
of ruined villas. The C0manauneMr bore a
particular hatred to the banlieue, whose
inhabitants had not accepted the soli-
darity and companionship of those peo-
pie; and they threw numerically loads
of abuses and shells Of every kind and
shape on the kiosks, chalets, villas, and
little bijour Of French suburban cock
neydom. Some very pretty mansions
are now no more. There is, consequent
ly, great hubbum of GLACIERS, carpen-
ters, ebonists, iron and tile workers of
all descriptions. They are valiantly at
work, repairing partial damages and
putting plasters on small wounds. AS
to building anew the whole demolished
houses, it is another matter. Money is
scarce; as no one devotes thought to
the financial difficulties of the country,
it may remain scarce for a length of
time. All seem convinced that France
is rich enough to pay the cost of its de-
feat; and, truly, with some farsi hted-
ness, wisdom, charity, and mutual for
bearance, the risoryimento would be, If
not easy and prompt, at least certain
and within the means of our great,
giddy, and unlucky country. Out of
sixty thousand ouses, not more than
one hundred have been completely de-
stroyed, and the resources of the com
munity are still immense.