, 1888-05-23
ADJUSTMENTS IN PARIS.
The Ham and ''G~inEsrbread" Fairs
General Noise, hustle and Din

The "Ham' and "GinEsrbread" Fairs
General Noise, hustle and Din
French people have very strange manias.
md 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 q day or two this must give place
TO the Gingerbread fair" not less dear
to good Parisians. Tho booths on the
Boulevard Richard Lenoir. to the number
Of $50. are filed with sausages. hams and
lard But since the opening of the fair
the rain has poured in torrents and the
vendors 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 no Ham fair"
The Gingerbread fair that begins i'm
mediRtely after Lent and continues six
weeks. is the most important Of Partisan
fairsi 1t is held in the Avenue de Vim.
cennes, at the Barriere du Trone, half a
mile beyond the site of the Bastile. The
road Is not an agreeable one. and to many
II. Is known only because of Pere la ChRise.
There are days reserved for the fashion
able world. and her 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. Carnot 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 a relish to these dellcacies.
and as we whisk 1t of 1t flies away only
to return with re-enforcements. But the
people regale themselves, notwithstand.
Ing, and the urchins, besmearing their
faces and smacking their lips, constantly
repeat: CONNIE o'est boni"
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 Eve Sous-in short, a thou
sand tents that cover noise, hustle and
general din. The theatres have a most
attractive form-an Oriental palace and q
portlco 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, mails les TOUGHER impossibler"-
n striking union OF wordsl In front of the
ShN shcio ID NWh1b u BTthL
crowd. The master Of ceremonies has an
immense speaking trumped and %continu-
ally shouts: "'Win you wrestler There Is
q glove" The professionals beckon the
amateurs Into the ring. and together they
roll In the sand The triumphant profess
sional exclaims: There you arei Rise If
you wish" But the crowd often insists
that all has not beer fair. and the struggle
recommences. II the amateur be victori-
GUS the professional is angry. and 30 it
goes.
As night approaches tho dancing halls
are brilliant with electric lights, the
group of visitors become more laxative,
gayer. In fact, forgetful that II they nave
not como In carriages there Is scarcely a
possibility of return to Paris unless on
foot. There are no cab stands, omni-
buses; h horse cars accommodate com
paratively few. and the Seine boats are
always full But the crowd brushes,
jostles and hurries one down the Boule-
ward Voltaire. Place de La Republique. the
Grand Boulevards and Champs Elysees
until home Ia reached--Baroness Althea
Salvador In New York World.