The Portland daily press., 1878-05-20
Edward Kings Letter ia Boston Journal,l
Living In Paris.
The Expenses of Exhibition Year Set
Forih by an American Resident.

So far as can learn, it is the rich and mag
nihcent establishments which have raised or
will raise their prices so as to make them ex-
orbitaut. The simple remedy is to keep out
OF them. He who enters Dutand's or the cafe
de la Paix; or the cafe Americane, or the He.-
der or the cafe Anglais, or Who takes his food
at Bonvalets or Begnon's or Brebrant's will
find that food is much more expensive than in
any New York or Boston restaurant and that
there is not the slightest opportunity for econo-
my. Let the visitor remember that in Paris, as
in London one can procure more for penny
and less for pound than in any other capital
in the universe, except perhaps, Bucharest,
whichis entitled to the dubious reputation that
it bears of being the most expensive city in the
world. will undertake to say that If a Amer
lean desires to stay in Paris two months, not
spending more than twelve or at most, fifteen
francs per day, he can do it, and succeed in
having proper accommodation, food and occa-
sional carriages, theatres etc. But b e cannot
do it without calculating rather more closely
than hs woud like to do at home. There Is an
other thing which initiates against strict econ
my on the part of our national traveller. He
generally desires to have things as he has them
at home. He insists on a stout breakfast at 8
or 9oclock-sometimes at land the horrified
Partisan after giving it to him with many pro.
testations, charges him round price for the
extra trouble. L would suggest to such people
as wish to spend little money, that they take
light breakfast-say tea or coffee or milk, fruit,
and bread and butter-in their rooms and that
they make their substantial meal at IL o'clock,
the French breakfast hour, when the restau-
rants are prepared to receive them. After all,
there is but little difference between this and
dining at o'clock as we may be fairly said as
q nation to do. The dinner may be had as late
as o'clock and as early as 6.
Lodging is of course the serious, question.
The French know that you canoot get along
without shelter, and they will charge high
prices when the crowds are large. But there
are great many furnished houses ia Paris
known as "hotels," and it will take very
ample assemblage to overrun them all. In
normal times good room may be had in these
houses for from fifty to- ninety francs per
month, according to size. and from two and
half to four or five francs per day. A separate
charge is usually made for Service" from ten
to fifteen cents per day. In the ordinary ho-
tells candles are not charged for; in establish
ments which make pretensions to elegance q
charge, often absurdly high, is made for lights.
A good many propretors of these really pleas
ant establishments have siguified their unwill-
ingness to let rooms by the month during the
exhibition, but this rule will not be kept up. It
cannot hold. A young gentleman who arrived
from New York yesterday secured a good room
near the Luxembourg palace for sixty francs
per month for three months, and called upon
another traveller yesterday, who was installed
two minutes walk from the cent trail boulevards
at the modest rate of three francs per day,
| service included
Now let us see at what rate my friend from
New York can live at present prices, If he
chooses; then we will add certain per cent.
| for the expected increase, and it will be seen
| that it does not make a very formidable sum,
| even making allowance for Partisan greed. In
| the first place he has secured a room at 60
| francs. All over Paris he will find restaurants
| which give breakfast for franc and 70 centimes
and dinner for 2 francs and 25 centimes. Every
| one knows that he may, in these times, count
| about francs to the dollar, so that need not
| trouble myself to translate all these amounts
into dollars and cents; My New York friend
| can therefore get breakfast and dinner with
| wine, for four francs per day, or 120 or 125
| francs monthly. Ii he is wise he will walk to
the exhibition, taking new route every day
and returning ditto. am aware that he will
| not do that, however, and so will allow him
three francs per day for transportation IL be Is
| careless, aud fraac and half If he Is care.
| full. You will think that this item is dispropor-
| tionate to the others, aud it is. In London and
| in Paris getting about is very important item
| in the yearly expenses of the inhabitants.
| Carriages being very numerous and cheap,
people take them more freely than they do else
where, and the temptation to an American to
| disburse franc and half three or four times
per day to be driven quickly from point to
point is very great. But horse-cars abound in
| Paris now. know an American who will not
| live here any more because horse railway runs
| around the Arch of Triumph. "Confound the
republicans he says, "they are running the
most beautiful city in the world with their facll-
| tiles. Pm off" l will add that crowdng Is
never permitted 10 Paris horse car, and this
will be good thing for an American who does
| not speak French to bear In mind. So many
| people are allowed inside and so many are per-
| mitted to stand on the platforms. All others
| are refused. If you start from an Office you
| take a number and await your turn.
I am aware that my New York friend could
not breakfast every day at the little restaurants
| above mentioned, because he will frequently
| visit the exposition before the noon breakfast
| hour But he can breakfast on the exhibition
grounds as cheaply or as expensively as he
| pIeases He can enter either of the two i'm
| mense caravanseries which have been erected
| expressly for people of moderate means near
| the military school on the Champ de Mars, and
| there, at prices which have been liked by au-
| thority he will fare well. Each of these places
can contain several thousand persons at once,
| and both of them are very handsome and airy.
| Near the railway station at the exhibition
another vast restaurant has been established.
| Near the Pont jena there will be one French
| and one Belgian buffet or refreshment count
| er and close to the Trocadero cascade Span
| ish and French buffet are established. But
beware of these last mentioned four; they will
| be DEAR Near the Avenue de Suffen the
| Dutch and the English have two very fine res
| taurants, and the French have still two more
| be the side of the Avenue de Labourdonnaye
1t is estimated that 10000 persons can break
| fast at the same hour in the Trocadero and
| Champ de Mars parks.
There are $500 wine merchants 10 Paris and
| 2200 of them have small restaurants attached
| to their establishments. The prices in all
these places are exceedingly moderate and the
cooking is exceptionally good. Gentlemen
travelling alone will find them well worth pat
ronizing. They generally occupy the corners
of some prominent street The restaurants are
little bits of places, but scrupulousy clean, and
thoroughly respectable in all save few cases.
Those which are not reputable are easily indi-
Gated by any landlord Then there is the Du-
val restaurant, the great democratic institution.
of which every one has heard, with its branches
| all over the city. Prices in these Institutions
have already been raised.
My New York friend will want franc per
day for his exhibition ticket, and another franc
for pourboires, or gratuities given to servants.
cents at breakfast and four at dinner, if he
wishes to be well served. The coschman who
conducts him a short distance will expect five
cents for "drnk money" 1t is foolish to give
large pourboires. Servants, coachmen, railway
porters, etc., are easily contented If they get
what custom has made their exact due, but if
their cupidity bs excited they will turn upon
and rend you. So beware, my friends, be ware
of generosity Be just and If coachman
erumbles, walk off. He will soon drop the
subject.
Ihave allowed my New York friend two
francs for his room, four francs for his break
fast and dinner, three for transportation, one for
his exhibition ticket, one for pourboires, and II
you like will allow him one for a light early
breakfast-so that he will be spending IL francs
daily for his absolutely necessary expenses. Ten
francs per week will cover his washing, lights,
newspapers and cigars. Now even il there is an
advance of % per cent. in the prices of his room
aud at his restaurant he will not be paying
| enormously for the pleasure aud instruction
which his visit will afford him. OF course
rooms at 60 francs per month are scarce just
now. But believe that by diligent search any
one who wishes can find them, and may be sure
of lodgings at 80 or 80 per month;
In a general way it may be said that any one
who has $3.50 to spend in Paris, l. g. counting
ne expenses of arrival or departure could stay a
month, visit all the theaters, operas, suburbs,
| hav nd