The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-11
A sURvEY OF PARIS.
ssct,,nR TO the City First impres>''"s
to Versailles Tho Ruins and the SP''
the HrnnlH.
11orrrspondence Boston Ad'eF'

c"ndttlon Oh -! = do,trmction are true. The
iul stories "a aa TOO, Is 80 interesting
r u' = s;dcrcd IL desirable to study IT on
t tta' aud TO ascertain rs Gar as possible
. tvh.t is The future of unhappy France. In
nil essential, Paris Is more faarfuily dam
aged than any account | have read has
brought home to me, aud all that feared
concerning the uncertainty Of Nj. Th!eirs's
tenure has been confirmed. But will, II
you please, give you the rough notes OF my
Tip hither and the impressions IL has con-
yeped, promising that ! arrived Without
difficulty, and that l am so fortunate as 10
possess friends in Paris who have cXcep,,
tfonal opportunities for acquiring souna
information. First us to the journey:
The Prussiun soldiers ut the railway STA
tons of Amiens and Creuiiiv bring The con- /
tiition Of France more thoroughly home TO
the visitor Than nught else he has seen on
his way TO Paris from London. There haS.i
been little unusual s,rictness Win the
passports. You have paid the slightly eX-
orhitant sum OF eight shillngs to have yours
risfl at the French consular Office In Fms
hurv sauaye, aud have heen content to set.
the eXaction down 10 the pecunlary diff
cul:,cs of France. 1t is only when you feel
the cold gray eye of authority upon you at
the Calais landing-place, and find yourself
examined from top to toe, that you reaiizc
that the whole country is III state OF siege.
You ask the English friend you meet i'll tue
refrcshmcnt.room if Prussians arc to he
seen on the way down. and receive the H.
comic answer, ''1leaps!"
A stumpy figure in blue cloth, and with
helmet of shining brass, marches up ana
down The AmcinS platform. Its the HIST
PrusSian soldier have seen, anu regaiu
him curiollSly. lie is not favorable Speci-
men, being. in truth, rather under lhe
standard of height, concerning which so
much indignation hus been expressed by
the reformers OF the British army. lie is
sqllatty, moreover, and Dutch-built. But
be is on sentry duty !; and rs he walks
slowly up and down, his muSkct over his
shoulder and his bayOnet fixed, he is the
impersonation of victory-the common
place symbol of Frances defeat. There
were plenty of other PruSsian soldiers.
Later, | saw them in great abundance ia
the fields MS the train shot by, in tents ana
drilling, and mt other stations on my way
to Paris. But they none OF them quite pro-
duced the impression caused by this very
common soldier. 1t was on the day OF the
rejoicing at Berlin that | made my way
hither, and behind this sentry one seemed
to sec Kaiser Wilhelm, Moltkc, Bismarck,
and the whole might and pomp Of the Ger
man ailnv. We are accustomed TO say that
the pol!cemnn'S truncheon represents Tue
law and order of England, and it was III
some such connection that one pcered into
the stolid brown face OF the lutte man in
The helmet, and wondered how the French
men near liked his presence.
Paris looked bright and clean as we en-
tered it by the Chcmin dc Fer du No,d.
The friend travelled with is, above all
things. Il prudent mln so he had registered
his Suall handbag instead of taking ii with
him in the carriage. lie might lose il, he
said. 1t WAS awkward carrying it from
railway to boat. He preferred having no.
thing TO think of Oh the journey. This
cogent reasoning caused me to sit G'ty-fivc
minutes 10y the clock in the courtyard Of
the station. The railway stalr was made
uliatc or demoraliZcd, and the luggage from
England was made to give way TO that
brought in by half a cozen local trains.
Could anything mark the altered condition
of things more strongly? The mai! trains
between. London and Paris are in
ordinary times triumphs of organiza-
ton. The whole force Of the companies
is concentrated to insure pllncttlality, and
that luggage ard passengers shall he
promptly assorted on arrival. AS il was.
designed myself to fate, and after growing
at the prudence " which prevented my
seeing auSht of Paris that night, applied
myself to the study of the scene around.
The Paris cabmcn attained a position I'M
der the Commune which they are 10th to
resign. Each man charged what seemed
right in. his own eyes. 1t is the same thing
now. The National Assembly and its SER
wants have not had time to turn their atten-
ton to Il matter which our own home Sec
Rotary found too much for him, though
public opinion was unanimous in his ia
Yor and the country was at peace.
The cab fares of Paris have not been set
tied, and the old regulations concerning
the "course" and the hour are laughed
to scorn. Five francs, eight francs, twelve
francs. according to the conscience of the
driver, were asked for distances for which
two, three, and four francs would be hand
some pay. 1t was amusing to note the dis
gust of the people with luggage who found
their efforts at hiring met with di>daintCl
shrug. This was the first stage OF the b3r-
gain, and no Paris cabrnan will, under any
circumstances, carry you where without
distinct az, cement beforehand. Now, no
one ,i!ies parting with his money less than
Frenchm al, and Lbe ak reSounlea with
oaths, the gestculatious grew fast aud tu.
rouS, and finally many stout and respect
able paterfamiliaS shouldered his own port.
manteau and disappeared, putting and
grooming under u burden which he carried
as ChisIian Is represented doing in the
"Pilsrim's Progress"
My friend appears at last, smiling feebly,
and jocularly peuitent. Then comes our
on rapidly and we tired and hungry with
our days travel. We see but little. a
lalnp-post broken off short and lying help
lessly in the gutter, other lamp-posts twist
ed into odd shapes like brazen serpents
which have rusted; u broken plate glass
window q shop-front as completely out as
If selling of for alterations"; a few odd
looking holes u foot or two in diameter,
showing where stout stone walls had been
perforated like pastoboard soldiers on duty
here and there, and vast number of French
uniforms in the streets, are the chief
things that we see. 1t is 8 p. M. when
we sit down to dinner at Voisin's, and
we agree that Paris is not so much altered
after all. Where have have all the garcons
hidden themselves during the two 81, @es
the beautiful city has undergone? / was
last at Noisln's few days before Sedan,
and l recognize every waiter l saw then.
There is the bland proprietor, too, with the
cork leg, rubbing his hands and giving vocal
annotatiOns to the bill Of fare just as usual.
The garcon who sells cigars Us his own spec
ulation, recommends the Partagas in the
big box in exactly the same tones Us he did
last August, and the other walters assist
each other, and look on and cry, "Bien,
Haeu" ina way which makes one rub
ones eyes and ask il all one has read com
corning Paris besiegcd, Paris conquered,
Paris starving, and Paris in flames, be not
part OF some idle dream. The pier. glasses,
the walls Of white and gold, the gay talk ana
merry laughter of the replete diners, ana tpe
general lisht-hcartedness which seemed pot
prevail wetc all bewildering. There IS
great want OF gas in the streets. oiay
every other lampis lighted there, hnn .ne