Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-09-10
Paris Letter.
-s-o~ o~r Regular corep.,dent.J
No. 10 AvE WAGRAM, PARIS, !
AUG. 18th, 1873. (

AtG- L III 100 =.
The plan OF the Universal Exhibition
Of 1875 is, so far as the Champs dc Mars
Is concerned, simply an immense parallel.
orram, interseesed st right angles by
numerous avenues, between blocks of glass
cases iull OF the most ingenious and the
most highly finished specimens imaginable
Of every thing that can contribute to the
convenience, the comfort, and the luxuri-
ous enjoyment of life. There IS obviously
no limit to the productive powers Of hu-
mainly, If there be al adequate supply
Of the the raw material, Of capital, and
Of mechanical or Of manual labor, but
there does, 50 it appears to me, occur from
time 10 time a visible halt and surceAse
II European iaventiveness- Such stop
page Of me inventive faculty Is = defect
characteristic Of the enormous Bazaar be-
vond the Bridge Of Jena. The roaring
looms Of time make as stunning a CHATTER
Is ever but it is the old old tissue that
is being woyea There Is maximum Of
OF Cregariousness and 4 maximum Of iso-
lstiou among the exhibitors. You look
in vain IN these intermin2ble corridors OF
shop windows for many rare specimens Of
individual ingenuity. Individual man,
except in . very few instances, seems 10
have disappeared, and Is replaced by great
companies and great firms. In particu-
lar.Liug the merit OF this or that display
one almost feels Inclined to append to the
description the warning word Advertise
mcut. The Exhibition Is, in fact, a car
niyal Of enteFpriSing manufacturers soli-
citous Of orders, aud Of pushing trades
people who axe eager TO sell their wares.
Almost all the samples Of retail goods
have price tickets affixed 10 them, and
when We hnd such articles Is eheap boots
andshoes, and coats and pAntalOons so mark
Cd, our enthusiasm about the educational
value Of the ShOv Is apt TO grow cool
On the other hand. en- the Opposite side
Of the Seine, the educational character of
the Exhibition Is insisted upon The
Palace Of the Fr0vsd,ro has become a
social science congress combined with .
society Of ATT AID here the din Of sci
entidc talk almos; rivals the CHATTER OF
wheels on the other bank o. ae river.
Il has evidently not occurred to the
originatCrS Of this Babel that mans
reteutiye faculties are not equal to his
receptive ones, and that a msn possessing
a brain which only holds, SO 20 speak,
pint, eudurcs die suffering through the
mistaken kindness O. chose who enieayo.
TO pour q Niagara Of information into H.
BE 1t as it may, the principal impression
conveyed by what l have hitherto seen
is thst there Is too much Of everything IN
the Champs Je Mars and the FrocaderO,
th2. me Illustration c. every department,
Of cosmopolitan industry mas been distend-
I'd to ex;rAvagant and weaTisome proper
tiors, and that the shopkeeping element
l. everywhere. ssyc 10 the Fine Art Gal
leries. aggreSsively prominent l may be
mistaken. bat | fancy that have seen
on son.v ,Av4--als Ct faces, not one French,
but foreign, among the visitors 70 The
Exhibition, hstIcss, tagged aud Devil
dered expression, and knos very well
that am not mistaken IN the diagnosis
Of my own sensations, after three hours
wandering 70 and fro n this wilderness I
OF glass cases, when, l say, ia lit;le lunch
were not speedily administered 70 repair
the exhausted human tissues, there would |
be lAEger Of somebody gong melancholy |
mad Yes, We are 81 very fond Of picture
galleries. and vesJ;hu,cs full cf beautiful |
marble statues. The late NJ. Fortuny
w.s g truly great painter. . q. Henri |
Reguault So are the still living Geroue
and Messonnier. Gustaye Dore's Bac-
chanalian ' ase deserves to be re-examined
and re-a3mired over aud over again. The |
ceramics, bronzes. the crystal chandeliers,
the tapestry, the clocks and watches aEo
AL monstrous fine But three hours con
temptation Of such objects, to So nothing !
Of flying glsnces which We have cast
while hurryiDg through the cases full of
boots and shoes, riding habits, combs and
brushes, and ladies and gentlemens IN
derclothing, are apt to induce state of
mind far exceeding detection, aud trench
IN indeed, on downright evaporation.
To put the case plainly Is an man
prepared, on a hot day in August. to walk
through FIVE miles Of densely crowded
street. looking IN at every store window as
he goes? II he Is not equal TO such .
pilgrimage on foot, he should engage 3
"fauteuil rolout' as the little three wheel
ed, man propelled carriages are called, as
soon as ever he has passed the Porte Rspp,
ant finds himself within the precincts Of
the Pr. Exhibition.
"