Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-12
LETTER FROM Paris.
; Editor Of The Journal.

PARIS, June X, $50.
OF all cities we have ever seen this eXcels,
in architecture, in parks, in streets in the fine
arts, in splendid monuments, in gayety and
abandon. We do not wonder that the Par
isian thinks that ''Paris is France for to
see Paris is to see at once the best and the
worst the most noble and the most ignoble,
the very pish and essence of France. We
hear it said that the city is quiet now, that it
has not recovered from the terrible times Of
the seige, ard the civil war; bnt the French
are probably the most elastic people in the
world, and if Paris is sad and sober to- day
how gay and gddy she must have been before.
Coming from London, with its everlasting fog
and smoke, its heaviness and stability, where
everything seems to be built to defy, as far as
| the ingenuity OF man can do it, the encroach-
ments of time, the contrast on entering Paris,
after brief journey, is very striking; there
was gayness, even the light itself, except on
rare occasions, was mellowcd and toned down
by the vail that covered il; here is sparkling
brightness and wilderness and freshness. 1t
for between the Prussians and the Com
munists she was almost ruined, or rather we
might more accurately say she was on the
verge of ruin. But the seige of Paris by the
Germans, while it put the people TO great
straits, did comparatively little permanent in
jury to the city itself, as its inhabitants were
starved ont rather than shelled out. Those
were terrible times indeed, when mice were
worth franc apiece, and rats, cats, and other
l.. Il a.II
pondingly high prices; but the reign of terror
which followed under the frenIled commune
made the former seem almost insignificant.
Then Frenchmen stood together fighting the
| common foe of France, now they stood apart
fighting each other as brothers only fight.
We can see no justification in the damnable
course of the commune. AT another time,
when France was not in the throes of death,
there might have been some cause of com
plant, but then there certainly could have
been none. Their country was bleeding at
5 every pore, and struggling with every nerve
, and muscle at its highest tension; that was
the time for every Frenchman to ignore all
else and let patriotism alone command him.
| But no, in their wild fury the communists
were not content with filling the streets OF
Paris 18th the blood of their own kindred.
they must fifty close their hellish career with
the torch. Hundreds of the finest buildings
were laid in ruins, and had they been able to
accomplish their designs the whole city would
have been destroyed. Nearly all OF the pri-
yate buildings destroyed have been rebuilt,
but most of the great public edifices still tell
the sorrowful tale of devastation.
The city is now filed with soldiers and pc
| liccmen dressed in the uniform of soldiers,
carrying rifles with sword-bayonets. One of
the first things which we observed was the
| diminutive size of these soldiers, half head
below our own standard at least, and so with
the people on the street. The French nation
seems to be becoming nation of dwarfs. 1t
| has been given a reason for this that the first
Emperor Napoleon wcedei out all the largest
men for TIE army, leaving at home only the
infrm and underszed, from which the present
race has sprung; but, while that may have
had something TO do with it we cannot but he
! lieye the refined RIGHTEOUSNESS Of the people
has been the real cause. We could not but
contrast these puny soldiers and their deeds
with the cohorts of the lst Napoleon aul
their heroic achievements.
While London strongly reminds one Of
Boston, Paris seems much more to resemble
New York. Here the streets and avenues are
very wide and straight and the buildings
high, white and clean, and very handsomely
adorned with carving and sculpture in stone,
W hich is dressed aud carved after the walls
have been erected. The streets run in every
direction, and Il stranger finds great difficulty
in getting around, for If he is not careful he
will go great way out OF his course before
he knows it. There are no underground and
overhead railroads a. in London, but the ON
nibuses are larger, and are regulated as in
that city as to the number Of persons to be
carried outside aud in, and TO insure yourself
seat you must call at one OF the numerous
omnibus stations and get a ticket which has |
a Nhar tbaf t.,s,l,
enter, taking precedence of every one who !
has no ticket. The omnibuses of Paris are |
hauled by splendid stations, and in fact the
horses here generally are very handsome, |
especitily the black ones, which are very |
numerous. The voiture here takes the place
OF the hanson and cab III London 1t is a
sort OF small barouche, generally seats four
persons, ana can he covered or uncovered rs
you choose. 1t costs 30 cents an hour. with
small gratuity to the driver for him to buy
beer with. They are very cheap and con
yenient way of getting about. We have seen |
/ only one street railroad, AID that does not |
seem to be a favorite method of travel AS it il !
not much used. The "General Omnibus
! Company" we are told owns and msnapes |
all The omnibus lines in the city, paving a /
handsome rent for the privilege Ii Won
wish 10 leave one buss and take another Won
have only to ask for correspondence or
extra charge. Fares are siA cents inside and
three cents outside-30 and Is centimcs re.
spectively. As each person gets on the con
ductor pulls string and registers the fare by
number on small transparent plate, each
time the string is pulled one being added.
There are separate numbers for outside and
inside passengers. As the string is pulled
small bell strikes as an additional cheek.
Sunday is very different day in Paris from
what it is in most American cities Many of
the stores are open for the sale of all kinds of
ware, and the streets are thronged with peo-
pie Every place of amusement is literally .
patronized, circuses, dancing saloons, con
certs and theaters. The after part Of the
day seems given up entirely to pleasure. The
French nation seems to have very little of
the puritanical idea as to Sabbath obsery-
ances. They generally hold their elections
on Sunday, and do many other things which
we are accustomed TO consider as only proper
on week days.
While Paris is certainly one of the fairest,