The Osceola times., 1881-03-26
A SAIL IN A SEW Err.
Floating ON Rivers of Filth-Nfiies of Tn
sayory Smells that Linger In the Nos
trils.
san Francisco Chronicle.

visitor to take sail in his swlll barrel.
The French do this. They invite visit
ors to sail in their sewers. A city sewer
is simply bigger oflal barrel. The visit
to the Partisan sewers will occupy the
best part of a day, and thus keeps the
visitor so much longer in Paris. A visi-
tors expenses in a strange city are gen.
orally one-third more than he put on his
schedule of legitimate expenses. There
are legitimate expenses and illlegitimate
expenses. Legitimate expenses are an
ticipated the illegitimate are not. The
illegitimate are generally contracted in
haste and repented for at leisure. So
that marriage is not the only matter
atoned for in this manner. But for
bear. There are two visiting DAYS per
week for the sewers. You go down at
the Palace du Chatelet, close by the
small column raised by the first Napole-
on in honor of his earlier victories. That
is where | went down one bright after
noon. | had previously written to the
Prefect for a pass to the sewer. The
pasteboard he sent in response was three
inches square, and as finely printed and
embellished as an invitation to Fifth
avenue millionaire party. On these Wis
iting days the officials take up small
stone slab in the Palace du Chatelet, and
disclose a hole and series of winding
iron steps going down to the main sewer.
Ii is the main sewer only we travel on.
The smaller sewers leading into il are
not navigable for the gondolas. A
very distinguished company had gath
cred about this little black hole
First came fourteen Chinese Man
darins, all in blue silk robes. They
came in carriages attended by coachmen
and footmcn III livery. Their arrival
caused a great deal Of bowling and cere-
monial on the part OF the seven officials.
They were passed down the hole one by
one, while the lesser caste Europeans
waited. The distinction of rank and po-
stion must be kept up even in entering
a sewer. These Chinese noblemen at
tempted their entrance to the hole with
much dignity. The dignity held on un-
til they stepped into the hole, and at
tempted the descent of the narrow wind
ing stairs. But silk robes reaching TO
the heels and Chinese wooden shoes are
not compatible with the descentof very
narrow pair of stairs through hole so
small that the Mandarin's head while
out couldn't see where his feet were GO
ing in the hole underneath him. II was
sort of comedy in fourteen short acts,
each act representing the going down of
a Mandarin. We stood outside the mar
now rail ard enjoyed it. Then came five
Arab chiefs in their long white bornous.
They also attempted the dignity of the
desert, but failed like the Cinnamon.
When the Chinese and Orientals had
descended the herd of Americans, Eng
ish, Germans, Italians and Russians
were allowed to follow. The etiquette of
rank is well kept up even in sewer.
We went down and found ourselves in
A large vaulted space. The main sewer
was there, black as the Styx and many
times nastier Directly over it, the
wheels resting on rail on either side,
were a number of open cars, holding
| fifteen or twenty each, whose construc-
| ton would almost warrant the term ele-
CANT. Bottoms and sides were of light
/ wicker-work, and at either end shone
/ two globular lamps. As fast as car was
/ filed with passengers two men on either
| side of the sewer passed stout bar
/ through fixed iron rings in the ear frame,
and, bracing themselves against the pro-
| iecting ends, trolled of and trundled us
away into the darkness The Chinese
/ Mandarins and Arab Sheiks went first.
| At short entervals the noise of murmnr-
/ ing rills and babbling brooks came to
our ears. These as we were rushed by
/ them, we saw TO be the tributaries of the
/ main stream. The sewer over which we
rode was named from the street under
which it ran-the Rue de Rivoli-and
| the murmuring rils brooks and rivulets
were called from the streets under which
| they passed. Some bounded into the
main river in Joyous little cascades, and
/ the meeting of others with the parent
river was conducted in a more quiet, or
/ derly and solemn fashion. The average
smell was simply that of sewer, some
what carbolized perhaps, but still a
sewer.
We stopped. Here we were to leave
! the car. Here began the remainder of
/ the passage by water-at least it is called
water: and for navigation the fluid an
swcrs the purpose but it isn't water.
/ We left the car The barges were load
/ ing up. Each would hold fifteen or
/ twenty people. In the distance | saw
| floating away the gondola carrying the
/ Sheiks and Mandarins, who everywhere
must have official and social preference
over us plain honest, civilized men and
women. Our barge started. Twenty
were on board. II rolled unctuously in
the dark-colored fluid. AS the passen-
gers moved about in getting TO their seats
! It rolled as a vessel might roll in a lake
/ of molasses. 1t was so unpleasant. The
motive power was furnished by few
/ blouse-covered Frenchmen attached TO a
long rope, who, in the capacity of mules,
1 hauled us along. Silently we moved on
Not a ripple was heard under the PROV.
The sewer had no capacity for ripping.
Little was seen, save the gllmmer of the
lamp on the barge ahead of us, and a
long. straight, silent, murky stream.
The barge, loaded deep, seemed but a
few inches above this Partisan Styx. As
we slightly rocked there came awful sug.
eestions to our minds of the possibility
Of shipping sea. On the current We
saw strsws, corks and lemon peelings
! A young man. actively and unpleasantly
cuiious, thrust his cane into che streeul
wiifh . sis< & sSc4t!.s seaH1iaG1 o.
- H ~ cn66 6 boaE1 = = T.