Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-13
THE earn VEL.
TIE BATTLE OF CONFETTI" AaD Tow
IT IS WAGED AT NICE.
Paris and the Parisi9ns-s Society and It's
Hunting, Religious and other
Seasons in France.

Paris and the Parisisns-s Society and I'll
Hunting, Religious and other
Seasons in France.
PARIS, February l6, 1880.
The carnival came and went this year
with step SO light that many were not
aware of its presence. Mardi-gras each
year grows thinner and thinner until it has
now become but shadow of its former
self, and has dwindled down to almost the
same dimensions as Mercredi des Lenders.
Instead, however, of weeping over its de-
parture, the good people remember that
other times, other customs. and that likely
something else win come along to replace
it. Only the struggling remains Of the
BonaPartist party, who have so many
skeletons in their closets that they
constantly call the attention of the pubic
to their glded ornaments, plaintively re-
greet the disappearance of the bG9gS 9g'GS,
which formed an important featnIe OF the
carnival during the Empire. These oxen
were attached TO a decorated car which
contained persons in fancy costumes, and
the whole were followed by great crowds,
not, however, alone, for policemen almost
as numerous as they accompanied their
steps to arrest the hilarity should it ex-
coed the bounds OF imperial etiquette
Napoleon III. did not spare either inven-
ton or ingenuity to occupy the French
with amusements, remembering that II a
chlld1s given playtiing he forgets that
which has been promised him. ana that Is
why there were then
NUMEROUS FETRs
Throus hout France, and why the French
were constantly dancing and singing with
out, however, being more disposed to
dance and sing than other nations. Some
years ago the carnival commenced to be
represented only by children, when the
streets were on Mardi-gras crowded with
miniature peasants, kings, queens, knights
and follies; but even the children have
abandoned the carnival to its fate, and,
with the exception of here and there
young girls dressed in boys clothes
IA costume appreciated by all girls. and
a little couple decked out in hat, cap
and spectacles of grandfather and
grandmother, no other traces of the grand
old carnival remain. 1t rained almost the
whole day this year on Mardi-gras, which
dampened somewhat the ardor of those
disposed to greet the carnival in the streets,
but that did not prevent the theaters from
being crowded to OVERLOOKING and numer-
Gus dinners and parties from taking place
in the evening.
TIKI CARNIVAL,
An imitation of the bacchanalia, one of
TIE pagan feasts which has unconsciously
glided into Christian domain, was brought
from Italy into France, and without spe-
cial assistance and artificial means, like all
hot-house plants, it is doomed to fade when
the solieitude is relaxed. Only on one
point of the French territory does the car
niyal each year flourish with all the vigor
of an indigene. Nice, which has repeatedly
belonged to Italy, France, to Italy and
France again, has carefully retained
among the precious relics of the old
country the carnival in all It's brill
fancy and originality. The people, al
though loving France are Italian through
their LANGUAGE and their customs. and
without any effort on their part they
plunge into all the extravagances for which
special dispensation is given on Mardi-
gras. What fete, and what fairy-like
scene All along the principal street and
on both sides of the street tribunes are
erected before the houses. Flowers of all
colors in great profusion, floating stream
ers, garlands, giTandoles of colored glass,
notices, shields with the arms of the city,
all futtering under deep, beautiful sky,
and animated by the sun. 1t is surely a
charming spectacle. But that is only the
exterior form of advertisement it is but
the aspect of public fetes to be seen through.
out all France. The originality of the car
nival at Nice is neither IN the richness OF
the costumes nor in the pomp of the pro.
cession. That which strikes the promen.
adler who knows nothing of the carnival OF
Italy is the battle of confetti. These con,
fetti are regular hailstones of hard paste Of
different colors, and not only have they the
form and dimensions of hail, they also have
the same destination. The confetti is created
and brought into the world for the sole
purpose of flashing the passers-by. Eight
days before the carnival all the shops are
filled with confetti. Industries far opposed
to each other vie in the propagation of this
engine. The baker sells confetti, the
grocerman, Of course, but the fruit mer.
chant, the umbrella merchant, and still
others whose ordinary occupations would
seem too far removed from that produce,
hang large sacks at their doors. One i;
then sure that ammunition will not be
wanting. However, the day of battle ar
rives and the confetti pass from the mer
chants sack into the cartridge-box of the
combatants. You see from early in the
morning grave personages carrying il
bandoleers, sort of game-bag, which al
first sight seem to be swollen with
the presents of St. Hubert 1.-THE guardian
of hunters) but no,
THEY ARE CONFETTI,
And it is the chase after man which is be-
ing organized. All those who are going
to engage in battle are besides fur
nished with a sort of porringer il
tin, whose handle of reed serve.
by means of an elastic to project the loat
ahead. The maneuver is very simple
The porringer is Glled, a slight bend bach
is made, the hand let go, and-a gentle
man has received the blow full in the face
1t is the custom the victim does not ever
turn round /; scarcely a slight movement
indicates that he has been touched. Their
one passes to another, and so on they shoot
they reply. 1t is battle fray in which
ten thousand persons take part. All appa
rition on the battle field is Immediately
saluted by general attack there is NJ
neutrality, the enemy is everywhere. They
draw upon you from every quarter, from
the left, from the right, from all the win
dows, from all the tribunes the contitti fly
cracking ON the hats, and leaving every
where pasty trace when touched The
ar is no longer breathable. seeing is i'm
possible, and blinded, deafened, choked
the stranger, muttering hard things o
these exuberant customs, thinks seriously
of beating retreat, when he perceives that
everybody he elbows is not only armed FOL
the offensive Init is also nrenared for th,