Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-27
A TRIP ABROAD.
Through the Norman Country
Industrious Men and
Won on.
Paris, the Gay Metropolis of the
Fashionable World.
The Palais du. Louvre, and its
Art Treasures.
GaASvIl1E, NoaxASD1, March q

The little British steamer Griff
was to sail from st. Killers at s am
and so all the passengers were Gale
at four o'clock BY the prompt landlor
of the Pomme dor. as we could onl
enter our destined port at food tide
The morning was stormy, and nothin
could be more cherries than startin
out at this dark unseemly hour for
voyage on the tempestuous channel
The sea was running very high as tn
Griffin passed the granite walls o
Castle Elizabeth and steamed toward
the coast of France. The picturesqu,
headlands of Jersey soon faded from
our sight, and the low shore of Nor
mSndy was seen stretching for lonl
distance to the right and left as oul
propeller entered the bay of St
Michael. The gale Of wind from the
southeast, combined with the waves
that rolled in from the broad ocean
delayed our passage so much that the
morning train had already departed
for Paris before we arrived at Gran.
vile pier. No sooner were our trunks
landed than they were seized by some
old women acting as porters, who ran
with them into the Customhouse,
where they were quickly examined by
the French revenue officers. Thcn
the feminine baggage carriers, strug.
Cling with enc another for precedence,
grabbed our trunks again and threw
them upon the hotel coach which was
in wsitiEg Women seemed to be
doing most of the heavy work about
the steamboat dock on the arrival OF
the steamer. As no train left for the
metropolis until evening, the passen-
gers amused themselves as best they
could with the sights of Granville,
which we're neither many nor marvel
lOus.
We were attracted by the peculiar
costume of the Norman women, es-
pecially their head dress, which was a
wonder to behold, and their wooden
sabOts, which were clumsy and clat-
tered noisily over the stone pavements
as they walked busily along.
PARIS. March 20.
We left Granville towards evening
by the train, which made slower pro-
gress than those in Great Britain.
The cars, however, were of the same
style, and the locomotives of the Eng
lish pattern. ALI through the Nor
man country the farmers we're plow-
ing their fields with plows as old
fashioned as the hills. but their horses
were handsome enough for an after
Moons drive in Central Park. Women
we're working in the fields here and
there, holding the pillow in some cases.
and also dropping the seed, while
others again were driving the teams.
At every railroad crossing a woman
would be standing with flag in one
hand and a brass trumpet in the
other. As the train approached she
waved her banner vigorously. while at
the same time she blew loud warning
signal from her musical instrument
We had all sorts of weather during
the afternoon, rain, hail, suow, which
covered the green grass and coated
the trees an inch in thickness: sun
shine and driving wind storm. The
tall poplar trees we're set out regu>
larry along the country roads, adding
much to the beauty Of the landscape
The farms near the seacoast were
poorly titled, the land appeared very
light, and the houses poorly con-
structed, but a progressive improve.
ment in the soil, the culture and the
style OF architecture, was plainly visi~
Die as we travelled westward. Manu-
factories, with tall, graceful chimneys.
we're more frequently seen as our train
neared the capital, but we did not
pass through any town Of importance
until the brilliantly lighted streets of
Versailles came in view, shortly after
which we were safely landed at Mont
ParnaSse Station, in Paris. 4
PARIS, March 80.
We could hardly realize when we
opened eur eyes this morning, that we
were really in the gay metropolis Of
the fashionable world. We took "cafe
complet' for our first breakfast in the
elegant diningroOm of the Hotel Con.
tiRental, where we are stopping. This
is rather a light repast, consisting Of
excellent cogee with French rolls and
superb butter. The regular breakfast
or dejeuner a la fourchette, literally
breakfast with fork, is usually par.
taken OF about noon, and is a good
substantial meal consisting of meat
eggs or fish. We we're anxious To-
visit some Of the art collections of
Paris at an early day, and so turned
our steps toward the Palais du
Louvre this morning. This immense
structure, as its name indicates was
founded where formerly the wolves Of
the forest roamed, its site being once
famous hunting ground. It was
commenced by Francis l., and exten
ded under more recent Kings. Queens
and EmperprS. The last, least and
third Napoleon expended more than
sl5,0O0,0O0 on the gallery conneotin1
the old Louvre with the palace Of the
Tuilleries. Thus combined the two
grand palaces cover an area Of nearly
hity acres, aud were unrivalled in ex-
tent and magni6cence until the pars
tial destruction Of the Tuilleries by
the Communists, in 1871, at which
time the Louvre barely escaped the
same fate. 1t will give some idea Of
the Importance of the Muses. du
Louvre to state that it takes more
than two hours to walk through the
different galleries and salons without
stopping an instant to examine
the objects of art contained thereip
After making this preliminary tour
we inspected the collection more in
detail, and found vast treasures of The
works of some of the greatest artists
that ever lived, a mere enumeration Of
which would fila volume. Pictures
are not exhibited in the Louvre dur.
irukbo l,f,t,,,.o - Al b.. -.