The daily gazette., 1880-12-18
PARISIAN GOSSIP.

PARTISAN WINTER WEATHER - THE
AMERICAN EXODUS AND PARIsIAN
PRICES - FRENCH TRADEsPEoPLK
AND AMERICAN CUsToMERs--AMER-
ICAN CAKES AND PIES.
Correspondent OF the Telegraph. Cd. ...
PARIS, December 8.
The weather has put on its usual
aspect Of greyness and ohilliness, and
the general exodus Of the Parisians
south has alrca ady commenced. AS to
the Americans, the large majority of
them are preparing to take refuge in
warmer eli mates. Now a Parisian
winter, almospherically speaking, is
not delightful, but up to the present
time it has always been enjoyable
from social point Of view. But this
year we are threatened with an al.
most total extinction of the American
colony. Partisan mists and cold may
get the blame of it all, although Pari-
sian prices are really at the bottom of
the matter. 1t costs an average fami-
ly far less to go to Nice, to take an
apartment there, and to mingle in all
the gaiety, than it does to pass the
winter in this once comparatively
cheap city. AS to sojurn in Italy, it
is far more economical. "Pennies 90
as far in Italy as francs do in Paris"
recently remarked to me an American
lady who has been accustomed to
spend her winters in Florence. Food
and rents and clothing have nearly
doubled in price since l first came here
some seven years ago. And now tn ere
are continuous moans to be heard
from the tradespeople respecting the
scarcity Of strangers in Paris. No
wonder, when the delights of the gay
capital are becoming luxuries that,
from their cost, only the wealthy can
hope to enjoy. Take the question of
theatre tickets, for instance. You pay
81 so for reserved seat at the Thea
ire Francois, and 81 so at any other
first class theatre, except the Odeon,
which has lately made some small re-
duction in its tariff. A reserved seat
at the Opera costs you So 40, non
reserved one $3. Ifyou take box,
you have to pay for six seats, from two
of which the stage can no more be
discerned than can the Arc de Triom-
pie. Look next at the cost of lady's
dress.
A handsome dress is now not to be
procured under $120 or $140 at the
very cheapest, and any one Of the first
class artistes in that line will charge
nearly double that amount for tile
same class of articles. A stylish bon-
net is now not to be procured under
from $50 to $25. No really good
French dressmaker will undertake to
make up dress for less than $14 and
very few will condescend to such work
at all, insisting on furnishing all the
materials. Even a pretty, stylishly-
made costume in batiste or linen costs
from $50 to $50. OF the high prices
of food, have already written. Rents
are going up every quarter~day, and
happy are those who have long leases.
l only hope that some day the Repub-
lie will get sufficiently far advanced to
repeal the octrol, and let the populace
of Paris purchase their provisions,
fuel, building materials, etc., on more
reasonable terms. That octrol is a
fearful drag on the finances of all but
the very rich. Only fancy having to
pay duty ON all the food, the candles,
the petroleum, the Goals that one uses.
to say nothing of all building mater
ials, spirituous liquors, etc. The for.
eign residents of Paris are sometimes
with their non-cilizenship,
but they cannot, under any circum-
stances, escape the tax of the octrol.
If it were not for the cheapness and
of the fiat system, the
lowness of servants
wages, the cheapness of cab fare, and
the small price of certain minor luxu-
ries Of life, such as fancy goods, gloves,
etc., Paris would have wholly lost all
for the economically mind
ID.
And Partisan tradespeople are so
in regard to American
penny-wise and pound
foolish | They look upon all our coun-
;rypeople as fair game, and never let |
Zip an opportunity to fleece them
without mercy. A friend of my own
vent to lace store the other day |
which is in process of selling out, and |
.sked to look at some Jackets of guip>
Ire lace-articles that were in fashion
ull ten years ago. A pile of these
ackets was produced from some OUT
,f-the way corner, dusty and brown
With age. The saleswoman made a
ong speech over them, to the effect
hat they were about to be sold at
uinous sacrifice and madame was
most fortunate in being able to profit
" it. She then proceeded to state the
rice, which was precisely what was
sked for the things when they were
resh and new and in the very height
f the fashion.
The American customer, being con-
oisseur in laces, calmly stated those
acts and then retired, pursued by the
ocifersus prayers of the shopwoman
nth reference to the reopening of ne
citations. For the motto Of all French
seems to be, "Fleece Amer
cans If you can, and If you cannot, then
~ to deal with them anyhow" Our
ountrypeople who 60 shopping in Paris |
owadays have but little realization OF
he cheating and exortion fIom which