The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-06-02
Demolition of the Column VendOme in
Paris.

A dispatch from Paris, dated May H.,
gives the following account of the de.
struction Of the column in the Place
! Nendome:
"There was a tremendous scene at the
fall of the Column Vendome, Yesterday
afternoon. The fall was announced for
, o'clock, and all the balconies in Place
Vendome were thronged with ladies.
Rues de La Paix and Castiglone were
crowded. Three bands of music ar
! rived while the workmer were engaged
in chipping the base of the column
! NJ. Abadie next arrived and inspected
the windls IS. The excitement was in
tense. Rochefort next appeared, and
the people crowded around him, giving
him loud cheers. Soon all arrange
ments were completed, and bugles
sounded as if the column, like the walls
Of Jericho. was to fall from blast. The
cable stretched and frightened, but the
column stood firm. The windlass broke,
and the pulley flew into the air and
! then descended, striking sailor and
wounding him. After this accident
! Abadie declared that he needed two
hours in which to repair the tackle.
| The odds rose that the column would
not fall. At 5:l5 clock. it was given
out that the column would not fall be-
! fore I o'clock. A general expression of
| disapprobation went through the crowd.
Abadie was accused of completely with
the Versailles Government, ana threat
ened with the guillotine. At 5:25, the
cable was again stretched for the work
! 90 IL 70 l,a
| prise of the spectators, the vast column
moved and swayed. 1t next swept
magnifcently down, bursting into frag-
ments as il struck the earth. 1t fell
| lengthwise in Rue de la Paix. exactly
on the manure cushion prepared for it.
! splintering with dull. heavy. lumber
ing sound. while thick cloud Of dust
and crushed and powdered masonry
! rose in the air. The crowd. as soon az
the column fell. gave tremendous
shouts of - Vive la Commune" and the
bands playing the = Marseillaise Hymn"
When the dust cleared away, there lay
! the glorious column, shattered to pieces,
its bronze and masonry in two masses
together. in the middle, and the statue
of the Emperor several feet from one
end of the column, with the lead
knocked off. The crowd rushed for
ward TO secure the fragments as relics.
and the guards were unable to resist
the rush. Next the orators commenced
their speeches, INDUCING in all sorts of
eXtravagant language. The statue Of
the Emperor was treated as if it were
the Emperor himself. National Guards
spat into his face and struck it with
their rifles. After the ceremonies We're
concluded, the crowd dispersed, and
the soldiers moved OFT, waving their red
flag, and giving expression TO their Joy
with continual shouting
NoTE. - This famous column was
erected TO commemorate the exploits Of
the first Napoleon. The monument is
or was 326 feet in height. 1t was built
of stone and incased in bronze. the ma
terial of which was obtained from the
cannon captured by Napoleon in his
battles with the Austrians prior to the
year lS05-thyyhole surmounted by
statue of Napoleon. The bronze plates
were adorned with bas.reliefs represent
ing the battles in which the cannon
were taken.
An EASTERN WRITER has begun a cru
sadie against the folly and awkwardness
of male attire, as regulated at present.
and advocates the revival of doublets,
and knee.breeches, and cooked hats.
Nothing could be more absurd. There
is no such thing as inherent beauty in
the matter of dress il is constituted
entirely by the fashions Of the day. One
costume may be more graceful. and
second more graceful than a third. but
any marked deviation from any one in
its own epoch is embarrassing, awkward
and intolerable. Take an old family
portrait-one of the grandest hum.
bucs of all times. by the way-and it
will not be difficult to discern the prin-
ciple which we are endeavoring to de-
fine. The dress. either male or female,
which was regarded as charming a CEN
fury ago, would be unanimously voted
unfit to wear to-day. Yet there were
those who cried out in those DAYS against
the prevailing costume, rs there are
those who denounce the dress of to-day.
The theory is all wrong. aside from the
plain justice that tailors and dressmak-
ers, milliners and hat-makers, boot and
shoe-makers, are all entitled 10 a living,
and fashion is their best customer.