Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-28
GENERAL GRANT IN PARIS.

The AsiOniAhing ElOQ uenee or GEN,
NOyes at the American Banquet.
Paris Gaulois.l
1t is not every day one has a
chance to attend an American love
feast in busy Paris, but we cannot
understand the eagerness with
which sensation rushed to
purchase tickets for this one, at
thirty francs apiece. Three hun
dred and fifty persons were present
at the Grand Hotel last night. The
American colony was out in force,
commanded by DR.. Evans, its dem
tist-in-chief, and reinforced by q
crowd of Parisians and strangers.
The dinner was far from being
worth thirty francs; the spectacle
was cheap at double that sum.
At half-past seven o'clock the ex-
cellent band of NJ. Desgrange an
nounced the entrance of General
Grant with "Hail Columbia" exc
cuted slambang. The guests, who
had been coeling their heels and
nursing their appetites in an ante
room, filed slowly down the steps
of the spiral staircase leading to the
great banqueting hall.
/
There were pretty American wo-
men, in toilets perhaps the least
bit eccentric, but redeeming this
defect by the beauty of their bare
arms and the gorgeousness of their
diamonds. If l live a hundred
years l never shall forget the spir-
ituelle appearance of Mime Mackey
(net income, five millions a monthly,
nor the enjoyable grace of Mile
Huthinson.
We were all seated at the tables
in this immense hall, decorated
with French and American flag:
interblended. We were impatiently
awaiting the soup and the Madeira
of 1925 when General Noyes, who
presided, got up aud signifed by
an impressive gesture that he
wished to make a speech.
"Gentlemen and ladies'" said
he, 81 call upon the Rev. Father
Hitchcock to pronounce q blessing
on these viands."
These unlucky words had hardly
escaped the generals lips, when thu
Rev. Father Hitchcock in question
popped up on his legs, as if i'm
PEELED by a powerful string. With
t closed eyes and forefngers pressed
together, he implored the Divine
blessing for a quarter of an hour
; discoufSing during that time upor
progress, upon civilization, upor
the brotherhood of nations, upol
everything except the viands which
, he had been requested to bless.
; The Americans could not eouoea
their astonishment at such eXtraor
dinary eloquence from the Reyer
end Father Hitchcock. The soup
j. the fish we're cold; the meats
blessed at such great length, con
sisted of one solitary boiled dish
0 and the butler did not bring ol
o one-half the wines announced Of
the carte. Several hungry people
who had bought tickets very dea
at an agency, had the bad taste t
. demand their money back.
Having nothing to eat or drink
/ had plenty of leisure to inspec
! General Grant and his companions
The ex.President of the Unite,
States was conspicuously perche
Z on a platform. General Moves, th
2 new United States minister, ha
General Grant on his right, and o
+ his left Nine Grant, good, dc
nestle looking woman, scarcel
I aristocratic in appearance.
On each side were placed lovel
! women and the gentlemen of th
81 committee. These ladies, apparelle
:, in all the eolors Of the rainbow, r,
sembled nothing go much as to
barmaids who are seen bshipd til
counters in English eating-housel
Il Over the table Of honor WI
n placed the portrait Of Generi
I" Grant, decked out with garlsnds
flowers. The portrait was not IA
he terng
The General has the air Of trl
-tl.o. IIs, tfo,,,,, ~ l,i,n olnfl