Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-12
ADJUSTMENTS IN PARIS
rhe "Ham'' and "Gingerbread" Fairs.
General Noise, Bustie and Din.

rhe "Ham'' and "Gingerbread" Fairs.
General Noise, Bustie and Din.
French people have very strange manias.
and one of the most peculiar Is to offer
themselves at stated periods amusements
IN which there is nothing really amusing.
We are now treated to the Ham fair. !"
and in day or two this must give place
to the Gingerbread fair" not less dear
to good Parisians. The booths on the
Boulevard Richard Lenoir. to the number
of 360. are filed with sausages. hams and
Lard But since the opening of the fair
the rain has poured in torrents and the
venders cross their arms and disconso-
lately wait for customers. Every year.
just before Easter. all Paris feels the ne
cessity Of eating pork In some form. 9th
erwise there would be DO Ham fair"
The Gingerbread fair" that begins i'm
mediately after Lent and continues six
weeks. is the most important of Partisan
fairs; 1t Is held In the Avenue de Vim
cennes. at the Barriere du Trone, half q
mile beyond the site of the Bastile. The
road is not AZ agreeable one, and to many
It Is known only because of Pere La Chaise.
There are days reserved for the fashion
able world. and then in the Boulevard
Voltaire may be seen private carriages
threading their way among carts and cabs
until the fair is reached Gingerbread Is
very cheap; we can buy NJ. Csrnot for two
sous. and Gen. Boulanger in full uniform,
with fine beard made of anise seed. is sold
for the same price. The. dust always
gives quite relish to these delicacies.
and as we whisk it off it flies away only
to return with e-enforcements But the
people regale themselves. notwithstand.
ing. and the urchins. besmearing their
faces and smacking their lips. constantly
repeat: ''Comme c'est bonP'
In the center of the fair are numerous
stalls Of charlatans. swings. merry go
rounds. circuses, riding schools with
wooden horses. balls. to which dancers are
admitted for five sous-in short. q thou
sand tents that cover noise, hustle and
general din The theatres have a most
form-an Oriental palace and q
portico with Doric columns. The subjects
of the plays are usually taken from fairy
tales. We admire the device of the wrest-
lers. Academic d'Armes; on peut lutter
avec eux. mais les TOUGHER impossi1leI"-
q striking union of wordsi In front of the
wrestlers' tent there is always great
crowd The master of ceremonies has an
immense speaking trumped and continu-
ally shouts: ''Will you wrestler There is
4 glove" The professionals beckon the
into the ring. and together they
roll in the sand The triumphant profes-
sional exclaims: There you arel Rise If
you wish" But the crowd often insists
that all has not been fair. and the struggle
II the amateur be victori
BUS the professional is angry. and SO it
goes.
As night approaches the dancing halls
ire brilliant with electric lights, the
group of visitors become more talkative.
yayer. in fact. forgetful that II they have
lot come in carriages there is scarcely a |
Of return to Paris unless on |
loot. There are no cab stands. omni |
1uses: the horse cars accommodate com
few, and the Seine boats are
Always full But the crowd crushes.
ostles and hurries one down the Boule
'ard Voltaire. Place de la Republique, the
irand Boulevards and Champs Elysees
Until home Is reached Baroness Aithea
Salvador in New York World