The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-26

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 start
ed out to buy their dinners. They first
invested in a little bunch of kindling-
wood to start the fire with, and then in
little bag of charcoal to keepit going.
The person who bought more than
day or two's supply of fuel would be
looked upon as a foe to the State, so
fixed is the public habit Of buying only
enough for the day. The kindling-
wood and charcoal shops are as promi-
nent and numerous along the streets as
any others, and they display their goods
in the windows as attractively as pos
sible, the kindling-woOd neatly tied in
small bundles sold at one and half
cent apiece, the coal, in square blocks,
and the charcoal, in bags, varying
from ten to fifty cents apiece. If fire
wood is wanted by some aristocrat, who
is bold enough to establish fireplace,
he pays for it at the rate of about two
cents stick, and he buys Just enough
to last till the dinner is over and the
company bids farewell in the evening.
In food the range is somewhat restrict
ed, the Partisan buying almost every
thing by weight, at so much for the
kilogramme, which corresponds to
nearly q pounds. Reducing the prices
paid to American money and the pur-
chases to pounds, it is found that Pa
risians pay about AZ cents per pound
for veal, 36 cents for ordinary rump
steak, and 40 to 60 cents for beefsteak,
50 to 40 cents for mutton chops, 50 cents
for leo of mutton, GA cents for coffee,
81 to 81. 20 for ordinary tea, Al cents
for bread 80 cents for butter, As cents
for ordinary ham, and 20 cents for
boiled ham sold in slices at the shops
| (the usual way in which it is boughD,
Is cents for loaf sugar broken into the
accurately square Jumps universally
used here, about cents quart for
milk, cents each for tomatoes, and
y cents half peck for potatoes. These
are the usual prices now paid for these
articles, and, although the list does not
include all, it shows the high prices at
which most articles of food are sold in
Paris. This is due not only to the in
creased charges consequent upon the
Exposition, but also to the "octroi,"
or city customs, Paris levying a heavy
duty upon almost everything brought
into the city in order to raise revenue.
But, with these very high prices, the
Parisians can still live more cheaply
than in most other places, owing to the
small value of the articles of food they
subsist upon, and the absence of waste
fulness. L do not suppose there was a
dinner, outside of a hotel, served in
Paris yesterday Sunday, of which the
food that composed it was not bought
at the shops and markets on Sunday
morning. This important business
oyer, the populace started for the day
amusement-to the Exposition, to the
theatres and cafes, to the Boulevards,
or to Versailles. 1t being the great
fete day at Versailles, the first Sunday
in the month, at least 100000 people
directed their steps to that famous city
and palace, but Paris could readily
spare them, for, including the strangers
attracted by the Exposition, there are
probably 5000, 000population here now.
Paris Letter to Philadelphia Ledger.