, 1874-01-04
The Queen Of Dry Goods and Empress
Of Virtue and Bijouterie.
1ts Topography, Fortifications, and
B0uierardS.
streets, Parements, Sewerage, Water
Supply, Building-Materia1,
and Architecture.
a,most an Entire Absence Of Conda-
graions, and the Causes Of
Such Absence.

Such Absence.
e,..ia, Correspondence Of The CHICAGO Tribune.
PARIS, Dec IA, 1873.
psis Isl spectacle. q show-piece, e theatre, an
oners circus. y panorama. oil comnIned. For
.'o1e than century the rulers Of France have
-o1oht to make it tho worlds fashionable head
~.yters, where all the idle and pleasure-loying
IN and women with pecuniary means would
-.r,a and spend their leisure and their money
eeneciallv their money. And they have achieved
heir purpose, although it has cost
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
~ m hnild and decorate the city IS to produce
t.a desired effect.
po1;s, for fifty years past, has been the place
,beuce has issued the monthly or weekly
.h,nres Of fashion in dress aud personal adorn-
n4nts. md the yearly change OF style in fash
unable furniture aud equipago. In all these
.,st}v concerns Of life, e,-aud they constitute the
. chief end ct man" with millions OF
+he self-assumed better classes Of all
conntries,-Paris is tho reigniug dictator,
rithout rival among the cities. London, New
York Berlin, Vienna, Chicago, and St. Peters
bureh obey the fashionable edicts Of Paris as
nnIcitlT IS the inferior cities and villages.
rebellion against her authority is crime that
,erer enters the heads Of the milliners, dress
makers, tailors, shoemakcrs. hatters, cabinet
nskerg. jewellers, and their patrons, throughout
he world. Eatis is
QUEEN OF DIT GOODS
nd Empress Of virtu and biiouter:e.
Tho natural tastes Of the people OF Paris
mite with their interests, and peculiarly qualify
hen tc eclipse all rivals in catering to the fash
Enable, e1t-Rvagant, and butterfly classes OF
iocietF.
Thus it is that Paris, without any natural ad-
;sntages whatever, has made herself the Sec
nd drv of the world in population and wealth,
md tue first in point Of beauty and art. Paris
not seaport, and has no o1fect
foreign commerce. There are no great
deposits Of coal or other valuable MIN
eral in the vicinity to furnish steam-po"er OF
materials Of manufactures; not even 1ert1ie
pount1y, for tho soil is thin and poor, and re-
pnres good culture to make it productive. There
Is no watcr-power, and the water itself is lnfe-
tior and scarcely It to drink. But Paris has trl-
umphed over II these disadvantages Of situa-
iou and denials Of Nature, and has fairly
ecipsed al her rivals and
CARRIED OFF TIE PRIZE.
Paris owes its particular location TO little
sland formed by the River Seine, which inclosed
kithin its embrace about so acres Of land, On
khich wandering tribe, some 500 or more
fears ago, built their huts, and lived by fishing
ind hunting Tbs insular position OF this patch
Of ground swept on all sides by strong. deep
current. rendered it natural fortress, difficult
Of invason By any other tribe. And hereon Was
founded the City Of Paris; and when it was
covered with houses, villages grew up on the
opposite shores, aud, in time great city
Eas constructed around this Little kernel. This
Island, for thousand years or more, has been
called
"LA c1rR"-
the city.
Upon the conquest of Gaul by Julius Cesar,
,e found 3 branch Of the tribes calling them
Ielves PARISH occupying this river-stronghold.
which they named Luteta. But it was not until
he time Of the Emperor Julian, in A. D. $50,
Int Lutetia changed it's name to Paris, and OBJ
aimed political franchises and the dignity Of
Roman colonial city. On the island is the
famous
!; SoTRE DANE CATHEDRAL,
,khich is the Westminster Of Paris. It WIS first
built about 4. D. 11s2, was burned down and re-
:.auilt several times. The present walls have
,ceu standing about $50 years.
One way Of describing Paris is By comparing
! with London or New York. It contains little
more than half the population Of the former, and
little less than double that Of the latter city
lmost twice az populous as the commercial cap
tai of America must strike the reader as very
Urge city. Paris is fairly entitled to be consld-
lred the
I srcoSn CITY ON TIE GLOBE
nearly all points Of comparison There may
Ie one city in China containing greater popu-
n,-Pekin; but the claim rests on suPposl-
jon, ind is not supported by official orauthent'c
Ensus~enumeratlon.
ader 80 square miles, OF compactiy- built terri
bry. Its exterior form ia an oblong circle. egg
haped, 7 miles in longest and miles in short
1t diameter, and q miles in circumference. 1t
% no suburbs, properly speaking, but is wholly
pntained
i WITHIN THE WALL
fected during the reign Of Louis Philippe, be-
Feen 1871 and 1s48. In military parlance, the
iancein.e" for walD consists OF ninety-four
:onts OF $40 yards each, with ditch Of the ar-
nge depth OF 20 feet and breadth Of GO to lG0
here ere sixty five public entrances. viz: hft3-
ae highways, ten passages for railways, and
nj posterns. The walls average 40 feet in
eight from the bottom Of the ditch to the top
the parapet- They are strengthened by si1~
en- powerful detached casemated forts, pre-
ntlng nnety-three frouts, which defend tho
proaches, and are connected Herewith by
sles Of underground strategical roads. Dur
s iha siege Of Paris the Germans were unable
;eilence or capture single one'of these forts,
never got near the walls until after the city
rendered by force OF famine. :
lhe main value Of these walls OF circumTalla-
a In time Of peace is to prevent the smuggling
food or drink into the city without first pay
1 HEAvT oCTRo1 DUTY
Eeo1, froE1 which tax is derived the chief
tenue OF tue City Government. Nothing can
yer the city except at one OF the gates, which
eguarded By police a1d soldiers.
Ihe frat system Of Notifications OF Paris vera
ecsed in the days OF tue crusades. They we're
Ned the Boulcvards Tor bulwarks); they EN-
teed circuit Of about Eeren miles, and ex~
laed inst about q mile in each direction from
ffe Dame Cathedral, On the island In
course Of time this space Of four square
Ees became completely filed up with popula-
ABOUT THE TEAR 1670,
I Go7ernment pulled down the walls and
te1s and filled up tha bitches, and laid OF a
pd highway, about 200 feet wide in the space
nerl7 occupied BY the wall and ditch:
1ows Of trees we're planted around
circle, or the greater part Of
ieavlng 3 wide roadway between
p, and sidewalks 80 or 40 feet wide, which