The daily gazette., 1881-02-14
OUR PARIS LETTER.
Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
PARIS, Jan. 81. 1881.


German PAuxerrois without stopping
to take a good look at it. When we
came to Paris in September, we found
it in the very midst OF many other in
teresting and historical things and
places, and the beauty of its architec-
ture and the gorgeousness of its adorn-
ments, especially its magnificent
stained windows, attracted our atten-
tion. The outer walls OF the building
were then black with the Crime of dirt
and the smoke of the bituminous coal
though its springing arches, its deli
cate columns sustaining its domed
roof were graceful in the extreme. lis
black color suggested mourning for
the wicked tolling of its bell as a signal
for the commencement of the bloody
massacre of st. Bartholomew" on
the 24'h day of August, 1879.
On being told its name we looked
at once for the old bell that called the
butchers to their murderous work;
but it was gone, and in its place are
forty sweet toned bells whose musical
chimes almost caused us to forget the
wickedDess of the bell that is gone, no
one knows where.
A church has stood upon this same
ground ever since the days of Chill
der.c, whose old edifiee was Torn down
thousand years ago by the Normans
who builded church to their own
liking. This, in turn gave way for the
present structure, which has stood for
five hundred years. Within a few
weeks the work of renovation and re-
storation Of the old building were be-
gun by cleaning the outside walls
This work Is accomplished to about so
feet from the ground, leaving the wall
for that distance almost as white as
snow, and strangely contrasting with
the black above.
Across the street from the Church
of st. German is the great "Halles
Centrale," or wholesale market of
Paris for meats, fish, fruits and vege-
tables. The chief market of a great
city indicates, pretty accurately, the
products of the country that supplies
IL; and The quantity and quality OF the
supplies indicate the articles best ap-
preciated by the citizens.
In London we found the meat in
great dIsproportion with the fruits
and vegetables. Here, on the other
band, the vegetables largely prepoI-
derato.
The Paris market covers twenty
acres, is all rooted and divided into
four equal parts. One part is suffi-
cient Tor meats of all kinds, beef, NUT
ton, poultry aud venison. There is
practically no pork in the Paris mar
ket. Indeed, there are few swine in
France, and these resemble the wild
species, being long in body, thin in
shape, with long noses and great teeth.
The color is steel gray, land the bris-
ties are hne and have woody appear
ance. The hams sold in The markets
all have the Chicago brand.
But for quantity and variety of vege-
tables there is no country that can
equal France. They seem to utilize
every green thing that grows, making
soups and greens of much that in our
country is regarded as mere weeds.
The celery is remarkably fine, and
onions not unfreeuently attain the
weight of one pound each. The va
riety Of potatoes most in demand is
the Early Rose. These are worth
about one dollar per bushel in The
wholesale market.
Fruits are neither plentiful, cheap
Lor excellent in qualify. Grapes are
good, but sell from twenty to twenty
five cents per pound. Apples are in
ferior in both size and favour, and
command high prices. They are sold
by the ksL0, which is equal to two
pounds. Oranges, which are now
coming into market in large quantities,
are remarkably fine and would be rea-
sonable in price were it not for the
Octroi duties, which nearly equal the
original value of the fruit. Very fine
oranges are worth about thi ty five
cents the dozen. Except grapes and
oranges, we have found no fruits in
Great Britain or in the Continent to
equal those of our own country.
Grapes and plums are the fruits of
Germany and Holland oranges and
grapes the fruits of France, Spain and
Bavaria. The apples attain neither
size nor favor the peaches and april
cots have none of the rich, delicious
are grown almost everywhere, and we
nave odUeu OI JneLu IN all Un0 countries
we have visited without finding even
suggestion of the delicious fruits of
New Jersey and lower Delaware. We
saw few pale colored sweet potatoes
on exhibition in a store in one of the
finest streets of Paris, but they were
only regarded as euriosities.
The markets of London suggest
beef eating nation, while those of
Paris imply vegetable diet. 1t is
calculated that the amount of beef
consumed by one Enslishman will suf-
flee to keep five Frenchmen in good
condition. We cannot say as to that,
but We believe q working man in
America would think himself badly
used did he not get three times The
amount of food that Frenchman
deems satisfactory. We have fire.
quently observed the men at the pub
lie works eating their dinners of bread
or pstit-pdin, and bowl of Uin ordi-
nars, or sour wine, worth from flye 10
ten cents. Or, where restaurant is
convenient, bowl of vegetable soup
only, with bit of bread. Yet har-
dier and more comfortable lot could
eco rcal,y ha found IL, anu oo,,ot,x