Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-03-05
The Siege of Paris.

The Christmas month during the
siege of Paris (lS70) was o month of
sadness and suffering The gates of
city were finally closed on the 10th day
of September, 1870, only to he opened
on the I'd day of February, 1871. The
intervening months in the besieged city
were to be months of horror, starvation
and anguish to nearly two millions of
people. Never in the worlds history
| had there been such q siege laid to such
city as Paris. 1t was lonely and
people of Paris when they realized that
their beloved city really was besieged
and that they were cut off from the
wide, wide world-no news, no letters,
no mails, and no communication with
the outside. 1t was not believed that
the siege could endure for long time,
not longer than few weeks. at most,
and, making up their minds that the
blockade would soon be broken, the
Parisans accepted the situation with
that light-heartedness which belongs to
the French character For some time
things went along quite as usual, the
great feature being the immense mill
tary force of nearly half million of
men which had been brought into the
city. Any man who would have pre-
dicted that this siege could last four
months and a half would have been
deemed insane. The siege of such
city as Paris, with its two millions of
people, was an event without parallel
in history. The contemplation of all
tpSf,sHhat asaHefffg III tfIse people, Or an
the anxiety and terror, of all the hun
ger, cold, starvation, sickness, and hope
deferred, the commandments, the bat
ties, the wounded, dying, and the dead
make most appalling picture.
The United States Minister had been
charged with the protection of some
30, 900 or 10000 Germans who found
themselves in Paris ut the breaking out
of the war between Germany and
France. The Government of the lat
ter country soon deemed it necessary to
issue a sweeping order expellinQ every
German from Paris, but coupled with
the condition that no man could leave
the city without passport, or ldissez-
pdsse1', from me. That involved an
immense labor, but, when the gates of
the city we're closed, supposed that
they had all gone except a few sick
| women and small children, and GER
tain number of old people too infrm to
travel. But in this l was mistaken.
Large numbers of women remained
behind with their children. having no
place to go to in their native country.
and no home except in Paris. Their
husbands made the best provision for
them possible, and, believing the siege
would not last long, they ventured to
remain in the city, concealing them
selves for the most part in their own
homes. But their little resources soon
became utterly exhausted, and starva-
ton stared them in the face The Ger
man Government had generously placed
fund in my hands to meet the press
ing wants of its people in Paris, and, it
becoming known that represented the
German Government, our legation was
soon crowded with poor, haggard, half
starved women and little famishing
children. who had come to seek aid and
to ameliorate their sad condition. Each
one received something. according to
the exigencies of the particular case
Hon. Il. Il. Wdshb1u91e, i1l the Cur
rent.