Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15
[CORREsPONDENCE OF THE STAR.

tCORRESPONDENCE OF THE STAR
PARIS May 81, 1878.
Yesterday was the big day at the Exposition
so far. The visitors numbered $4,000, about
l3,Uo being free. Frenchmen love a fete day,
but yesterday was regular 'picnic' for them,
and they celebrated Ascension day, Voltaires
centennial and the anniversary of the death
OF Joan of Arc all together. Business gener-
ally ceased throughout the city, and thou sands
took advantage of the opportunity to visit the
EXPOSITION. Any demonstrative celebration
was forbidden, to prevent trouble between the
antagonistlc admirers Of Joan of Arc and Vol
tare and the crowds Of enthusiasts had to
upon the monuments of their respective idols.
The project of police took every precaution
the hot-headed VOltairists would have been
apt to incite under another form of govern
ment: In the afternoon Victor Hugo, who
was, was formerly antagonistic to Noltaire, deliv
cred an eloquent address in his memory at the
Gayety Theater. The audience was very large.
but not one tenth of those who endeayOred to
SECURE tickets of admission succeeded in their
efforts:
RAINY WEATHER AND MUD.
Ihere has been great deal OF rain OF late,
and it has shown the walks at the Exposition
in very poor light. There is but one cover
ed entrance to the buildings. and at every
other, visitors are Obliged to wade through the
mud. Asa general thing the French do not
visit the Exposition until afternoon, and in the
mornings the buildings look quite deserted.
They don't do anything of any account here
until after their breakfast near noon, and
visitors can do without lunch at the grounds.
The restaurants are crowded all the time but
the principal ones are situated at either end of
the buildings, and are not nearly so easy of
access as at our Centennial exhibition. Not
only are no fermented drinks allowed to be
sold in the buildings, but it is with difficulty
that one can find drink of water. Later in
the summer this will be found a serious diff
Guilty, and it is generally regretted that there
is not room in the American section for one of
UrfamQuS SOda-Water fountains, which would
prove not only novelty, but very convenient
and useful.
There is, too, noticeable
ABSENCE OF MUSIC
at the Exposition, which seems strange, when
there are so many fine bands in the city,
There is but one band on the grounds. and
that is composed of hungarian musicians, who
play every day at the Csarda, or Hungarian
buildings. The Csarda is a little wooden cot
tage with a thatched roof built on a bit of
glOund granted by the Spanish section. 1t is
very smali, ana can by no means accommodate
beautiful music. The band is composed of
sixteen musicians, who perform their national
music, alternating with the famous Straus
waltzes, in splendid style, from II IN the morn
ing till in the evening In addition they play
until 9 clock at a restaurant on the Quai
dOrsay, and afterwards in the Orangery at
the Tuieries until II O'Clock. They seem never
to tire, and think nothing of playing eighteen
hours day. They never play with notes
FEATURES OF THE AMERICAN EXHIBIT.
The exhibit of photographs in the American
section shows great superiority over the pho
tOgraphic exhibits by other nations. james
Landy' OF Cincinnati, shows some very fine
peare's Seven Ages of Man is particularly
noticeable. Sarony, of New York, of course
makes makes ar tne show: and the photographs of
Joshua Smith, of Chicago, has a beautiful col
lection of cLildren'S photographs. very
uniquely arranged; j. Quincy, Of Sews York,