Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-17
AN AMERICAN BOY IN PARIS.
Letter From M. j. Rhees, Jr., an Al
student ut the French Capital, to Hi
brother An this City.
HOTEL FoYoT, 80 RUE DE ToURNoN, |
PARIS, November IA, 1882.

| FARlS, NONcluUtT II, loOE.
DEAR JoE:-The more 1 see of Paris,
the better like it and the more I am
impressed with the grandeur and
magnifcence of the sights which
abound on all sides. My friend Mr..
Ben Rhodes, of Danville, Pa, and my
self not only have the honor of being
warned to our couches and aroused
therefrom by the clock on the famous
Palais de Luxembourg, directly op-
posite, but also have the pleasure of pass
ing through the beautiful garden,
(which nearly surrounds it and contains,
pobably, as much area as third part of
Wheeling), two or three times day on
our way to.and from the art school,
which is about twenty minutes walk
from our hotel. The hotels here do not
compare very favorably, in regard to
accommodation, with those of America.
Our house is very comfortable, how
ever, Nd aSerfect model Of neatness
and cleanliness. AS We, like most in
mates of hotels in Paris, get our meals
outside at a cate or restaurant, we only
find one cause of complaint, which is:
| that theIproprietor expects us, when we
wish a fire, to purchase our fuel fro n
him. We having been accustomed to
buy our wood where we chosec, oncluded
| to try a Yankee dodge on monsieur.
| There are many small establishments
where they sell fire-wood of all sizes,
from logs down to small blocks of
shayings glued together with some
sort of resinous paste and triquettes,
composed of coal dust mixed
with the same resinous COM
pound and pressed into blocks six inches
| by three. These briquetteS are Rerfor-
| ated with holes and last long While.
| They cost two SOUS each. Our scheme
tor getting the better of our landlord,
| whose prices are much more exorbitant
than the occasion calls for, is as follows:
| We take an oil cloth coat from the hotel,
purchase our fuel in small quantities,
and smuggle it back to our room con-
cealed under the coat. AS it has rained
| every day, / believe, since arrived we
have had very good excuse for adopt
ing this plan. The charge in this hotel
for room, twelve by fourteen, with a
fireplace is forty-five francs or about
S.. so month, and meals average three
and half francs per day. There are
great many young Americans studying
art here, and would make quite a re-
spectacle showing in case of trouble
with French or English students. AS is
our custom, Rhodes and l sailed forth
last Sunday to see the sights. We con-
cluded to visit the panorama of the
battle of Champigny fought during the
-Prussian war of 1870, in wnich
a regiment of French soldiers held an
old garden and chateau for several hours
against overwhelming numbers of Ger
man assailants, only six of their entire
force being left alive when the place
was finally carried. We had a beauti-
full day for our expedition, rare thing
at this time of year, and as it was not
| cold. Rhodes carried his OvercOat on his
arm. only mention this fact because
/ think YOU would have been amused
to see the people on the street staring at
his extremely short sack coat which rs
considered quite the thing in America.
was very much surprised to find on
my arrival here, that the French whom
had always considered the most polite
people in the world, were, on the con-
trary, the most impertinent starers L
ever met. don't believe Texas cow
boy, Just off of the plains, and wearing
his leggings hat, spurs, and six-shoot-
er, would create more OF sensation
than did Rhodes little coat. | actually
saw one finely dressed man stop alter
we had passed and call the attention Of
two ladies and a couple of children to
the wonderful spectacle. We
marched bravely on, however,
and arrived at. our destina-
ton without having been mobbed.
On the way we passed the ruins of the
Palais DIES Tuilerie5, which have not
been touched in the way of repair, since
the burning of the place by the Com
munists in 1871. The Palais stands at
the head of the Jardin DIES Tuilerles,
which extends a long distance down
the Seine and is kept in the most eX-
uuisite order. 1t is filled with flowers,
which, even at this late day, are in full
bloom. 1t contains many fine fOunt-
aims surrounded by masterpieces of
statuary from the hands of the greatest
sculptOrs. Many of the statues are
COMPARATIVELY new, the originals
having been so badly broken in the
commune riots, that it was found i'm
possible to repair them. In
Others can be seen the seams
where they have been patched,
having been thrown down and broken
by the rioters, favorite game of theirs,
but not so badly demolished as to be ir-
reparable. The panorama, to which a
better pen than mine might fail to do
Justice, was painted by the artists Detaille
and De Nouville, two of the finest
painters in France, and believe in war
scenes they are superior to any in the
world. On leaving the street, you ira
verse half the length of the dark cor
ridor when you suddenly come in con-
tact with man who informs you that
to go any further will cost you two
francs, which seems exorbitant, before
you'see the picture, but upon beholding
this wonderful work of art, in which
YOU see what you can almost believe to
lie real battle, without the very inn
portant ingredient of danger, you will
be inclined to think $500 reasonable
compensation for the pleasure conferr-
ed. After paying your two francs, you
proceed through the dimly light
ed hall, soon after turning 10
the right into smaller hall
as dark as dungeon. Just as you are
beginning to wonder when you will see
daylight again, you are brought face to
face with spectacle so CHASTITY as to
almost make person of ordinary nerve
shudder with a sense of awe nearly APP
preaching horror. Directly before you,
and blocking up one end OF the corrii-
dor, can be seen a group of French sol.
diers, some of whom, apparently dead
from starvation, are lying on the floor,
while few Others are sitting about an
old dilapidated fireplace, from which
the only light in the room
shines, at once giving the
idea of fire and lending
a weird aspect to the whole scene. This
tableau is arranged with artificial fig
ures and is kept on exhibition as an IL
lustration of some of the dreadful sur
feriRgs sustained by the inhabitants OF
Paris during the great siege Of 1871;
Turning away, with sense Of relief
from this terribly realistic piece OF
French ingenuity, you ascend short
flight of steps which leads TO circular
platform, surrounded by the canvas
| ;ol> hao-, kha ,~ainfinn hIilf IN ton