Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-20
Paris Afrer the Capltulnrron,

NOOhog
can find any other occupation that docs not
compel the sacrifice of their selerespect.
Paris After the CapituIatIOn.
The London Daily News has the following
letter from correspondent who made bis way
into Paris Immediately after the declaration of
the armistice. He writes, on the 1st inst:
PARIS, Feb 1.-Ieaving st. Denis yesterday
forenoon, rode through the PrusSan foreposts
to the neutral ground without interruption, and
so on to the Porte In Chapelle. Here the gates
were closed but great crowd had collected in
expectation of their presently opening. Every
body on the German side laughed at the Q lixo-
try of my attempt to enter. The crowd was
orderly, civil, and very patient, too. Many peo-
pie had loaycs and cabbages. After waiting
half an hour, an officer appeared on the wall and
exclaimed, "a Ia porte de SdRtoiS." We all,
therefore, made to the right, /, being mounted,
beating the others. This gate was open, and au
officer examining passes. / rode on slowly,
looking straight between my horses ears, aud
somehow nobody stopped me. Once inside, |
came in upon sundry mobs of semi-drunk ma
tional guards, and the cry was, "Down with the
Prussians." Matters got serious. The clamor
| spread, and men tried to clutch at nv bride.
| Thought it wiser to be bold, and turned on the
| first man who had shouted, and proclaimed that
| was an Englishman, come if possible to do
| good, not harm, and thus succeeded in dlyerting
| attention to my assailant Then rode on I'M
molested through the Boulevard Arnaud (?),
where were massed several Dattalions of the ma
tional guard, apparently to receive their pay /;
then through the 'ulevard Magenta; and so
straight on to the American legation in the
Champs Elysees.
paris is utterly cowed; fairly beaten"-so
said the first Englishman l met and his oPin-
ion is mine Yet Paris is orderly and decent,
| and with certain solemn, morosc selEreStraint
mastering the tendency to demonstrate. The
| streets were crowded, almost wholly with men
| in uniform. Civilians were few and far between.
| Many shops were open, but many also we're
closed. There is no want of hardware in Paris.
| You may buy enough and to spare of anything
except edibles. Drink is plentiful enough, but
except near the gate, l saw not soul drunk.
The food shops had nothing to show. There
wee comhtures and preserves, jellies, &C.; but
| solid comestibles were conspicuous by their alb
seIce. In one shop saw several large shapes
Of stuff that looked like lard. When I asked
what it Was, | found it was horse fat. Tie
bakers shops were closed; the grating down
| before the butchers. And oh, the number of fu-
| nerals! One, two, three; | met six altogether
| in the course of my ride. Sad, with an exceed
| ing great sadness; such was what | found as
regards Paris long before reached the Amcri-
can legation; self-respe.ting, too, in her misery
! not blatant; not disposed 10 collect in jabber-
ing crowds. Each man went his way with
spoke with a soldier Of the line Yes, he had
had enough OF it. Sacre. They had nearly kill
cd him, these terrible PrussianS, and be was
very hungry. When would the gates open for
food? Food began to be with me personal
question. | had nearly filled nv wallet with
newspapers, and only stored away, for an ext
gency, few slices Of ham. Did ever the rarest
geological or meteorological specimen make such
a sensation as thes slices Of ham? When | at
length reached my quarters the servant omen
asked permission to take the meagUr plateful
out, and show it as a curiosity to their compan-
IONS; and aft the ham was eaten, stray visitors
came in, attracted by the tidings, aud begged
for look at the unwonted vilnds. The
whole city is haunted with the chase Odurs
which horse flesh gives out in cooking, odors
which l learned 10 appreciate at Metz. They
permeate the deserted British embassy. where
asserting my privileges as a 6riton, stabbed
my horse; they linger in the corridors of the
Grand hotel, aud fight with the faint from
wounds in evil case.
The Grand hotel is one huge hospital Half
Paris seems converted into hospitals, II one NAV
Judge by the flags. There were more than were
needed until the southern bombardment began;
and then when the hospitals, ambulances, or
phanages, and madhouses on the south side had
to be evacuated, there was squeeze on this side
of the water. Very touching Is the ignorance
as to the outside world 81 have seen three En-
glish papers since September" said DIR Gordon
Is Mr.. Gladstone still prime minister? is the
Princess Louise marriedp Such are samples of
the questions / have had to answer. The igno.
rance as 20 the condition of the Prussians out.
side is equally dense.
The day after negotiations began, Paris was
assured that the investing army had not eaten
Tor three days; and that it was Paris which was
granting terms rather than the other way. |
am continually asked If the Prussians have not
been half starved all through What have
they done for quarters? Whether there are not
100000 at the very least surrounding Paris
Whether they do not tremble in their boots at
the name OF the francs tireurs2 Whether they
are not half devOuTed by vermn? Whether
the king still resides in Versaies2 and so on.
The pinch for food is worse than ever, pending
the result of the negotiations Tor its supply The
day before yesterday the hungry broke into the
reserved store Of potted provisions in the Halle
smashed all obstacles, and looted the place.
From one who has paid the prices himself, md
has the Fl cures down in black and white with
out exaggeration, | have the following list:
francs for a small shrivel d cabbage; franc for
leek As francs for fowl As francs for rab-
bit, (Which may be taken for granted as cat;) 20
francs for a pigeon; D francs for a pound
club; IA francs per pound for stckleback;
francs per pound for potatoes; 40 francs per
pound Tor butter; cheese, 25 francs a pound
when procurable. Meat, other than horsefesh
is absolutely not to he procured. / was assured
that ii / offered ESQ down in bIi Eht shining
gold for aVeritable beef-steak, j should have no
claimant for the money. The last COW that
changed hands "for an ambulance" fetched ESQ.
Those left cannot now be bought for money,
The bread is not bad, the difiulty is to get it.
Only people say there is nothing else to do but
wait outside the bakers and the butchers. |
saw huge throngs at both as | rode through
Paris, andchefy women, waiting silently in the
cold. What it must have come to when the
Parisians are so utterly crushed DOWN.
Last evening there looked in q party that had
been experimenting in dining They had eaten
ostrich, cat, dog, rat and mice. This seems to
me a hard hearted mode Of extracting a new
sensation out of the pinch Of the times Far
better to dine on horse, and give the price of
dainty viands to put bread into the mouths of
the poor suffering women and children. Yes.
terday neither bread or meat was distributed IN
this reimbursement. Those who had no money
have simply had to hunger. The sins for which
Paris used 10 be famous, all belong to the past.
She has been half starved, half beaten into
morality, or II may be that other than physical
influences have led her to wash and be clean.
lou see some drunkenness, but far less tnan |
had looked fer among men whose clock, so ["
speak, mas run down. Adecent gloom is every
where apparent. Some assert tina. the gloom IS
as much theatrical aud assumed as had been the
previous Valorous seeming. don't think SOL
Think you can see the iron eating and burning
into the hearts Of these meu-silent with un-
wonted silence; moody as they never knew how
70 be before; and, as the dOwncast faces pass. |
draw good augury from them for France and
| Paris.
The great aud beautiful feature of the seipe
has been the absence of crime. No murders, no
robberies, but virtue 10 which, to me, there is
something patheuc. The hall-llt streets are
empty by 9 10 o'clock. The midnight ali is nor
tortured by the sound of jewellers, although
there are no police 10 keep order. l woke up
| between twelve aud one in the night, aud the
| silence made me for the moment think myself
back at Margency. The trees ON the boueyards
have suffered less than | expected. In the
| Champs Eysees they are utterly ruined, and the
others elsewhere, have, l am told, share. the
same fate. The scarcity Of wood was terrible in