New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-10-02
OUR PARIS LETTER.
(From our regular correspondent
PARIS, Sept. 10Th, 1878.

nous days from October 9Th,
1870, till the 9th Of March follow
ing when Versailles was the head
quarters for Emperor William and
his army, have read the proud in
scription over each Of the two pavil-
Ions that face the large courts by
which one enters the palace: "a too
tes les gloires de la Francer' What
81 mockery must not that inscription
have seemed, and how Prince Bis
marck must have chuckled within
himself every morning when from
his windows, nearly opposite, he
looked upon and read those words!
There they stand, however, and now,
when the war is long past, and
France has shown what she could
do in the matter Of the enormous
indemnity that was exacted Of her,
this inscription is even more appro-
pirate than when Louis the XIV first
placed it there!
The tourist who visits Versailles
for the first time is, however, likely
to be disappointed, for it is only
through repeated visits that it's real
grandeur and magnificence is i'm
pressed upon the mind. The palace
consists Of congregation Of build
ings, differing considerably in style,
us they have been erected at different
periods and by different architects
so that one misses that tout ensemble,
that grand total Of the impression,
which is SO striking at Windsor
castle, for instance, when all the
buildings though erected at widely
different periods, are held in the
same general style. It is not until
after one has entered the large courts
which face the Placed A,xses from
which the palace is approached,
crossed the Cou'' Royale and entered
the garden, that the size and gran
deur of the structure becomes appa-
rent; viewed from the reservoir
known as the Piece des SMsses, the
grand facade Of more than thirteen
hundred feet i'll length is truly mag~
nifcent and striking; and when
turning round, we look over the vast
extent of park and garden, with it's
numberless statues, fountains, bas-
ms and cascades, one can we'll I'M
derstand that Louis the XIV, alone,
kept employed constantly more than
$4,000 laborers and 5000 horses and
carts in the construction of the place;
and at his death, the work was only
about half finished though sufficient
~ far advanced to serve as an abode
for himself and favorite Madame de
Mautenon.
To go into detailed description
of the wonders Of Versailles, in the
space Of one brief letter, is simply
impossible. It's greatest attraction,
and the wonder Of the world, are
the fountains, or ''Gyondes Eaur, .
which are not surpassed by any
works of a like, but stand as a mag.
niGcent monument Of splendor Of
Louis XIV and his extrayagant court
AS it costs about ten thousand francs
per- diem to let these fountains play,
the more economical republican
court which now holds it's sittingS
at Versailles has limited this exhibi
ton to the first Sunday Of each
month, so that the fountains now
play only twelve times a year instead
Of every day, as in the time Of Louis
the magnificent. Hence, I selected
last Sunday for my visit to Yer
sailles, and, taking the railroad on
the western bank (i5e. g0uche) ar
rived there, amid a dense concourse
Of Parisians and provincialists, aftc,
about an hours drive.
AS the fountains were not to com
mence playing till four o'clock there
was ample time TO look about thu
gardens, which are kept in excellen
condition, and precisely in the sam,
style in which they were original,
laid out. This straight, cut-anl
dried, so-cal]ed french style Of land
scape gardening, with its CAREFUL,
trimmed shrubbery and rcctangula
flower beds, is not generally, pleasin,
to an American OF English eye; We
It cannot be denied that when car
RED out on Il larger scale, as here
there is certain grandeur about it
which would be unattainable BY an,
other method. The layishness wit
which statues, ofmarble and bronze
are scattered everywhere, and ofte1
in the most hidden and unexpecte