National Republican., 1881-12-10
OUR PARIS LETTER.
LIVELY TIMES AT THE CAPITAL.
winter eeeptOns-socicty Gossip-The Mysteries
ofthe Wine Trade Of France-The Time
for Americans 10 Commence
the Business, &C.


bright and cheerful. Winter receptions on n |
more or less extensive scale everywhere in |
course Of preparation, and fiutter of eager ex-
pectatlon is beginning to animate even the
american colony" Already Consul General
and Mrs. Walker have made known their day at
home" while Mrs. Lucy Hooper, DR.. Warren, Mrs.
Mackay, Mrs. Eakin, aud all the old residents,
and recent arrivals arc extending real American
hospitality TO their exilcd pilgrim friends and
cOuntrymen. Vice. Consul General II. NJ. Hooper
has just sailed to the States and will no doubt
visit Washington. Down in the st. Antoine quar-
ter, and up in the region of Montmartre, squallor
and ekeing poverty hold their own. The blue
blouse brotherhood indulge in their periodic strike
for higher wages in the former locality, leaving
their athes to rust and their families to starve,
while they run In debt at their enemy's grog shop.
Lean and lank Bohemians of the art clan wcnd
their way toward the studios of Boulevard Clichy
and the Rue dc Ia Pic, where they toll with more
OF less hope of success toward the LOFTY round OF
the ladder of fame that Phidias and Raphael at
tained. Among them are many earnest young
AMERICANS OF NO MEAN TALENT,
who como here for an "artistio atmosphere"
which can't be found at home, Said atmosphere
artistic 1t may be. Henry Bacon, after his mag
nihccnt article on Parslan art and artists, pub
lished in Scribners recently, goes boldly TO work
on series of French seaside sketches, some Of
which will no doubt figure in next years Salon.
Q. Il. Dubois is at work on another Of his charm
piece for the Salon of 82; w. r. Brown, who has
spent the summera at Venice, Is taking in expert
ence that will enable him to equal Mast or Keppcr
as a caricaturist; while all the others, both pro.
fessionals and tyros, OF whom shall give ful
account In future letter, are industri0nsy elab-
Grating great variety of more or less interesting
subjects. Before leaving Bordeaux went deep
into the mysteries of the wine trade, and into
ttal will invite the readers attention back TO the
banks Of the Garonne. Between that river and the
Sea or Bay of Biscay there extends n peninsula
nearly hundred miles in length. known as the
"Medoc." The most costly wines are produced by
.ne vineyards oi tnls lertle disrict ana on nc
have been enabled at an enormous expense to
keep them pretty
FREE FROM PHYLLoxERA,
while growers of cheaper varieties have been
obliged 10 succumb 10 the attack of this dreadful
plague. Bordeaux is situated on the Medoc side OF
he river, about forty miles from the sea, or at least
from the point at which the Garonne empties into
the sea- and Is therefore the natural as well as the
actual centre Of the wine trade. Asaconsequence,
nearly half ofhe population is engaged in this
industry, directly or Indirectly and most II notal,
OF the wealthy families there have made their
% ,.So Sf nT Thasa cs py,s, be @ t
before any idea cnn be formed In regard TO the al
most panic which prevails on account Of the grad
ual and alarming decrease ofthe wine crop This
decrease began 10 be apparent about ten years ago.
aud has gone Oh from bad TO worse since that time,
I'LL at present The most despondsnt reports are
coming In from what used to be the most pro-
ductive districts. In many places the vineyards
have been totally destroyed by the phylloxera, in
that was obtainable. In some instances the de-
structon of the vines has been accelerated by the
SS psS Of chemicals That were o, meant to
has caused the increase of scepticism
among wine producers as to The hey virtue OF OF
speak, Of tho wine-growers is reached In the in.
PRODUCTION of hardy varieties OF American vines, of
siSoa Of Psmp,onp tbe s ~ piant % The usS root
which resists phylloxera and graf upon 1t the ma.
tive varieties This process is expected TO preserve
far made are not sufficiently compr hensive to
enable those interested to form any conclusion.
IN SOME CASES THE HYBRID VINE
has produced fine and abundant fruit, from which
Others have borne meagre and dry ruit OF no value
70 the wine grower and Others still have given
erIy sI pToduced ON the same ia land whats to- be
done for the vineyards?" is therefore the lead
ing industrial question with very important part
from being solved. At first sight It seems that any
vine thatwill produce plenty Of sound and Juicy
grapes might take the place of the old vines and
80 solve the whole problem but those who are in
formed tell us that the distinguishing feature of
French wine Is its freedom from alcohol, and its
toxicatej while Spanish and other wines
are Of quite an opposite character,
alcohol. But wine merchants and shippers can
not afford TO let their trade decline because Of the
When they usually SsS draw n their 0'sS SUPPLIES G so
while they count on the fame of Bordeaux and
the Gironde to keep up the demand, they bring
huge cargocs of new wines from Farragona, Va
lencia Portugal &C.. store II in their cellars, bot
tie IL and cork II with their branded corks after
which II goes on the market according to custom.
was informed, on very good authority, that this
system not in the least preIudical TO buyers as
the choicer brands are never amalgamated with
outside productions, and the native supply, espe-
cially in the Medoc, Is always sufficient TO keep up
the stock in the most celebrated and reliable cell
lars, while the much -wateTed ordinary" be-
comes the beverage of the working and poorer
classes, who will have wine Of some Sort and sell
dom, II
EVER, DRINK ANYTHING ELSE.
The other day your correspondent had the pleas
ure OF inspecting one Of the most celebrated wine
cellars II m BoTdesux and peraaps d IN t6s word
great grand fathers OF the present proproors more
than hundred years ago and destined TO remain
us long as theirline continues. For thirty years
more the wines and oils shipped TO the United
perority and their trade has extended to ali parts
of the Union. Their cellars located in the center
ofBordeaux, are like vast and endless labyrinth,
extending, In two separate stories below ground,
overa sariaee about equal to that covered by the
Capitol at Washington, Kicks Of plump hotties.
some miles in length, and covered with a mass Of
cobwebs and fungi, reach to the ceiling on each
side OF the narrow avenues In one series of vaults,
while In others ricks OF barrels and casks of such
numbers as 10 astonish the uninitiated native OF
the Western wlds give some hint of the extent
and importance Of the wine business. Mr. Toson,
an English gentleman In the employ of Barton *
Gueslier, informed me that 1t was not so much the
brand as the year OF the crup that must be taken
1utO COIlAl1erAllOn the heiectlOn oil wines. FOR
instance, the wines known rs Chateau LHfitte,"
-Chateau la Rose" and Chateau Leoville' are
OF extra fine quality, and are much sought by CON
noisseurs. Yet either Of these may vary greatly in
quality. and hence in value, from one year 70
another according 10
THE CROP OF GRAPEs
from which It is produced. Thus ia Rose" of
IA may be worth three francs bottle, and the
name Of 70 may bring five francs. These wines
are named from the estates on which they are pro-
dnced. They are among those In the Medoc on
which the vines have been AftiICinlly DrOtpCtpl
from phyllOxeH. Now Is the time for some really
enterprising AMERICAN to start boom IN the Amer
lean wine trade. The wilderness Of New Jersey
could no doubt be made TO produce Us fine quail
ity OF wine as was ever grown In the Gironde,
many other States and Territories might be turned
% good and profitable use In the same direction.
Ny temperance friends may not like this iden but
lager beer are the best temperance leo
turen going, and there is nothing so in.
temperate as total abstinence. Once make wine
aoleap and common beverage, aud the people
VIII become temperate for II Is a notable fact,
granted even by 6isots that the people Of wine
countries which import their ardent spirits, or 10
ulants In a glass Of bordeaux let's drink TO the
American wine trude. by the tune this reaches you
the news Will probably have been received that the
enbaIgo on American salt meats has been taken
oil In France very active efforts arc being made
by natives who are interested in the trade, aud the
CHAMBER oP COMMERCE OF PARIS
has made application TO the Government for its
abrOgalion. Il is stated In the Chambers request
that the price of food for the poorer classes is
siderably increased by the existence of this em-
barge, and that other branches Of trade are af-
fected by IT, But little space remans for the dis
eusson ofpoliliea points but one very interesting
mentioned in closing. Al present the only lawful
religious congregations in France are the Catholics,
The two Protestant parties known rs Luthemns
and Calviniats, and the Hebrews. Any Of the of
shoots Of these not tolerated except by treaty,
the Russian Church for the people OF that nation
ality residing In the Capital aud the American,
English, .tc, under the same restrictions, and
without the right TO disseminate their doc
uines or 10 make proselyles. IL Is un-
deKiOod that NJ. Bert will endeaVOr as
tooil MS convenient 10 make n huge breach In the