Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-29
Perisian Kiosks.

Now that the kiosk is an accomplished
fact in our city, the following descrip
tion Of them as they exist in Paris may
be Of interest to our readers. It should
be remembered that in other cities of
Europe and our own country their uses,
as will be manifest to the American
mind, can be and are less limited.
The word kiosk lin French kiosque)
comes from the Turkish kieuchk, signi-
flying kind Of open pavilion, or summer
house, supported by pillars. where the
Mohammedan women ''sit and muse all
day long, surrounded by merry children.
Transplanted 10 Paris, the kiosk be-
comes little building Of wood, iron and
glass, situated on the edge of the trottoir
or footway of the boulevards. and occu-
pied by the Partisan news-vender. To
the Englishnan who comes to Paris for
the first time the sides of the boulevards
seems to be literally sown with these
curious constructions, which, with the
trees and benches, and the tables and
chairs outside the cafes, form such
singular contrast to the bare streets Of
London.
The newspaper kiosks are about four
feet broad, sometimes six.sided, some
times eight.sided, and about ten feet in
heigth from the ground to the caves of
the roof, which Is in the form Of an
ornamental dome about three feet high.
Each of the six or eight sides consists of
three panels or divisions. The panels
around the base are of wood, the upper
ones OF glass set in light framework.
On the side facing the houses and the
passers-by there is a wooden door five or
six feet high. The kiosk, like the news
paper is an "excellent medium for adver-
tisements, which may be pasted upon
the inner surface of glass panels or
windows. Colored announcements dis
played in this way are seen to advantage
and always lock clean and bright; while
after nightfall the gas inside the kiosk
gives them most brilliant and pictur-
esque appearanc resembling stained
glass. SO illuminated, the kiosks may
be compared to number of immense
Chinese lanterns ranged in q line on the
boulevard.
From an early hour in the morning
until very late at night--or maybe until
very much earlier hour next morning
the door of the kiosk is open, and the
passer.by sees in front a board set upon
tressles and covered with neatly folded
newspapers. Inside the kiosk sits the
news.vender, or marchande de journaux.
II seems to be in the nature of things
that the occupant of the kiosk should be
an old woman past what the French call
"certain age" She sits there with her
knitting or mending. and sells papers
during perhaps sixteen out of the twen-
ty-four hours every day, summer and
winter, Sin sunshine and in storm"
Some of the marchandes whose kiosks
are in good positions--on the Boulevard
des Capucines or the Boulevard des
ltaliens, for instauce-have quite as
large a show Of newspapers as many
railway book stalls in England. They
sell not only all the innumerable French
daily papers and illustrated papers, but
the London dailies and illustrated
papers, with the principal organs of the
German, Italian, Spanish and Russian
press, as well as time stables, guides, ETC.
AT Christmas time these kosks have an
immense display of literature, of which
much is English. Pail Mall Gazette.