Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-09
What it Costs ParisianS to Live.
Paris letter to the Philadelphia Ledger.


All the shops being open on Sunday
morning in Paris, this peculiar people,
who live only from hand to mouth,
first bought their breakfast, and then
started out to buy their dinners. They
first invested in Il little bunch of kind
lingwood to start the fire with, and then
IN little bag of charcoal to keep it going.
The person who bought more than a
day or two's supply of, fuel would be
looked upon as q foe to the state. so
fxed is the public habit of buying only
enough for tue day. The kindling- wood
and charcoal shops are as. prominent
and numerous along the streets as any
others, and they display their goods in
the windows as actractively as possible,
the kindling-wood neatly tied in small
bundles sold at one and one, half cent
apiece, the coal in square blocks, and
the charcoal in bags, varying from 10
to 30 cents apiece. If fireWood is wanted
by some aristocrat, who is bold enough
to establish a fireplace, he pays for it at
the rate of about two cents stick, and
he buys just enough to last till the din
neris over and the company bids fare
well in the evening. In food the range
Is somewhat restricted, the Partisan
buying almost everything by weight, at
SO much for the kilogramme, which
corresponds to nearly q pounds. Re-
dudng the prices paid to American
money, and that the purchases to pound.
1t isfound that Parisians pay about AZ
Gems per pound for veal, SO cents for
ordinary rump steak, and 40 to so cents
for Deefsteak, 35 to 40 cents for NUT
tonchops, SO cents for leg of mutton,
81 ents for coffee, 81 to SI20 for ordi-
nay tea, f. cents for bread, so cents
foroutter, As cents for ordinary ham.
ano7O cents for boiled ham sold in
she's at the shops (the usual way in
whrh it is bought,) 10 cents for loaf
sugr broken into the accurately square
Jumps universally used here, about S
Gems a quart for milk, cents each for
tomatoes, and II cents a half peck for
pottoes. These are the usual prices
nov paid for these articles, and, al
thClgh the list does not include all, it
shtHs the high prices at which most
articles of food are sold in Paris. This
is due not only to the increased charges
SNi''CtoCiIC opoAI IllC Oub
alo to the ''octrol,'0 or city customs,
Paris levying a heavy duty upon almost
everything brought into the city in order
to 'aise revenue. But, with these very
hih prices, the Parisians can still live
NICE cheaplY than in most other
plaes, owing to the small value
Of the articles v Of food they
subist upon, and the absence of waste
fulless. I do not suppose there was a
diner outside of a hotel, served in
Pals yesterday (Sundayl ofwhich the
foo that composed it was not bought
at tie shops and market on Sunday
moning.G This .inimportant business
owe, the populace started for the days
amlsement-to the exposition, to the
thetres and cafes, to the boulevards, Or
TO Versailles. 4qIt being the great
feteday at Versailles, the first Sunday
in tie month, at least 100000 people
directed their steps to that famous city
and palace, but Paris could readily
spae them, for, including the strangers
attncted by the exposition, there are
proably 5000, 900 poptdationhere now.