Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-01
visit to the race course at Long

cnamps.
For these reasons M. Grevy limited
his hospitality at the Elysee, and
gave very few dinners. M. Carnot,
It is reported, intends to give din
ner every Thursday ,and to invite not
only politicians and diplomatists, but
also scientists. artists and men of let
ters, who after dinner will be enter
tanned with concerts and select dane
ing parties, all of which looks
far more practical and charm
ing on paper than it is in real
ity. However, NJ. Carnot has re-
engaged the cook who presided over
the kitchens of the Elysee during M.
Grevy's Presidency artist known
in the neighborhood as Handsome
Alfred" ("le bel Alfred"). Alfred
has been re-engaged at his former
salary of 81, 400 year; but with the
assurance that his saucepans will be
more active than they were under the
Grevy regime, and his perquisites
consequently more considerable: M.
Grevy never having honored me
with an invitation to his table,
1 have never had an oppor-
tunity of testing the skill of "le
bel Alfred,' but have been given to
understand that, though not to be
compared with the eminent Trompette.
whom Gambetta enticed with gol-
den bait from the cooking stove OF the
Baron de Rothschild 10 the Presiden-
tial kitchens of the Palais Bourbon,
Alfred is not wanting in imagination,
tact and ambition-very precious
qualities III an artist whose privilege it
may be to dress food for diplomatists,
and by his cooking to influence the
destiny of nations.
+ The privileges which the President
enjoys besides this palace, which the
State places at his disposal for q habi-
tation, are the use of the mobilier ma
tional, or national and most historic
furniture and tapestries preserved in
the Garde Meuble-a privilege of
which he avails himself for decorating
the reception rooms of the Elsyee on
grand occasions-the use of the state
boxes at the Opera and the Comedie
Franchise, and of the state tribunes
at the race courses Of Long
champs and Auteuil, and the
right of shooting and hunting
over certain portions of the State do
mains, namely: the forests of Marty,
Rambouillet, Compiegne and Fon.
tainebleau. Marshal Mcmahon used
to shoot almost exclusively at Com
piegne. The shooting right of Fon-
tainebleau has been let by the State
to private individuals, and since M.
Grevy's Presidency portions Of the
forests of Marty and Rambouillet
alone have been reserved for
the head of the State. M. Car
not, although he has no taste
for shooting, and although he has
not handled gun for twenty years,
has decided to shoot once week
alternately at Marty and Rambouillet,
and to organize frequently grand
baHues, to which he will invite the
diplomatic corps and the high state
officials, the Senators and Deputies,
by series. The Presidents first shoot
ing party, with twelve guns, bagged
last December, in four hours, in the
Marty woods, 6 roebucks, 361 pheas-
SAINTS and lOS rabbits.
The garden of the Elysee is full of
magnificent old trees, and one of the
finest in Paris. Indeed, it is small
park rather than a garden.
The President wears derby hat
only, of course, on such occasions as
bis morning stroll within the bounds
OF bis garden. President Grevy was
very fond OF this garden, and
especially of the little pond and
its noisy band of ducks. When
ever M. Grevy was in doubt on any
question, he used to ring his bell,
ask for piece Of bread for Baby,
("pour Rebe"), the name of his pet
palmiped, step out through the case
ment wisdow, and 60 and feed his
ducks. This was also his favorite
way of escaping from the per-
tinacious solicitations of M.
Wilson. Whenever the ex-Presi-
dent wished to refuse M.
Wilson, he would simply walk into
the garden, weather permitting, and
feed his pets. The consequence was
that NJ. Wilson reserved his most i'm
portant demands for wet days, when
he knew that the elements were in
his favor, and his ather-in-law con-
sequently in his power.