, 1877-08-12

The Latin quarter is last disappearing. Ihe
wholesale pulling down Of houses which has
taken place to make WY for new streets and
boulevards has swept away nearly all our ira.
ditiona1 landmarks. The Faubourg Saint Ger
main has not escaped the hand Of the densolisseur
Some say that the majority OF the Paris Munici.
pal Council, acting on the advice Of one Of its
members, VI. Nadaud, large contractor, has
made up its mind tu cqualize everything in the
building world, destroying the crying reproach
to tho moncy-rrnbbng house-owners in new
Paris, who allow no more space for the five
rooms en- suite which compose Our modern
apartments than used formerly to be reserved
for one Of the smaller salons in the family man-
sons Of the old faubourg. Baron Haussmann,
who kuew few scruples where his Improvements
were concerned, conceived the plan Of the boulc-
yard Saint Gcrmain. He ccommenced at hoth ends
meeting with very little resistance until he be-
gan to trench on the family estates Of those Who
su1ing under tho Empire and absent, had still
influence enough to preserve their property
from tho ruthless pick-axe OF the demofiseeMr.
Tables OF compensation we're drawn up by the
municipal authorities, jury was formed, and
arbitration settled every claim, until at last the
Latin quarter was traversed By the new bouEe-
yard, Baron Haussmann resting OH his laurels
and declining tho ouus OF an attack OIL the
privileges OF tie aucienne 1o5Assse. The col
leagues Of ". Nadaud hare, however, carried
out the project. The machinery Of the law has
been set in motion, lawyers clerks hare been
busy serving writs OF cjcctment at the houses
of men whose ancestors would have considered
that parchment was an excellent addition to the
digestive organs ut the unfortunate scribcs.
The Hotel de L11ignes and other family man.
sions have tecn pulled down, and in time We
shall find the ground on which they stood oc-
cuoicd by cafes oyld restaurants, where tho Au-
yergnat and the Sayoyard will hold their we'd
ding feasts and dance their bolrret that national
jig which reminds one OF the bear on hot bricks
The next generation will know nothing Of old
Paris, anil tho descriptions they will find In
books will be hardly credited hy those who lind
themselves surrounded b. palaces. The ground
is bein. turned over, deep foundations are
being dug. and tile secrets of the past century
unveiled us traces Of our contc1npoTancous his
tory are being hidden from view, living only in
the memory Of the few. L'Abtayc, that SIMS
ter prison house, formerly portion OF the
Monastery of St. Germain des Pres, where the
prisoners of the Revolution were massacred by
The bands Of Aarat and Robespcrre, is no
more: the house where Marat lived until Char
lotte Cortiay purged the earth OF Il monster has
bcen leyeieu to the ground, and nothing IT.
mains to mark the spot where the blood-thlrsty
Grant once entertained his friends. All k1nds
OF discoveries are being made. The contractor
who has undertaken to clear away the houses and
watch over the digging OF the foundations has had
to establish IN office whcre treasuretroTe can be
stored. Old coin are being found, fragments OF
china, medals, and Tepoksse work. Wnen tne
Commune in 1871 searched every religious
house iuthc hopeIof finding treasures of gold aud
silver, great noise was made about some human
remains discovered under the earth IN the tel
lars of the Convent OF Picpus. There were
skeletons of children and adults, and grave
charges we're brought against the ststerhood.
The accusations became, in public oninion. even
more serious, owing to the discovery OF some
instruments of torture. A ce9nlsr nflR1imaee