Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-14
PARIS LETTER.
THE GRAND MUSEUMS OF THE
LOUVRE.
Dead-Cathedral of Notre Dame
Palace OF Justice-Etc.

Palace OF Justice-Etc.
| Especial Correspondence of the RRcoRD-UNIos
PARIS, March 81, 1888.
After u brief stay in England and 8
trip across the channel we are in France
The landscape is everywhere beautiful
and visit to France impresses one of Its
grandeur and beauty. 1t contains two
and half million population, and is the
most cosmopolitan city in the world. Oh
its residents only 80 per cent. are native OF
the city. The remainder are principally
Belgians and Germans, the English and
Americans only numbering Is per cent.
Paris covers an area of twenty eight
and half square miles, di-
vided into twenty wards with a
Mayor to each. But the authority and
position usually given to Mayors in Amer
lea are vested in the Project of the Seine.
who represents the Government. Archi-
tecturally, Paris is most attractive, beauti-
fed by several large parks and forty
squares, charmingly arranged and orna-
mented.
The bouleyards of Paris formerly the
bulwarks), name applied to four profni-
nent streets OF the city, conveniently III
tersecting all others, are the most hand
some in the worid. They are from 30 to
100 feet wide, and are constantly crowded
with pedestrians upon the walks and
b,.13I,.has on the HIGHWAY
THE LOUVRE
But the great attraction Of Paris is the
Louvre. 1t requires nearly two hours to
walk through it with easy pace, and a
week to study its collections carefully. 1t
contains the Egyptian, Assyrian and the
Grecian Museums. 1t is collection of
what shall denominate the sum total of
antiquity, and presents paintings, sculp-
lures, needle-wrought tapestry, the me-
chanical arts, and both literature and sci
ence, cabinets Of coins, paper money, and
orders of exchequer, 1t shows room of
wooden furniture, from an ottoman to a
divan, and from commode to bedstead
and to a secretary. The artifcers emp
ployed every cunning Of their craft to
appease the Jealous pride Of competing
customers. The engraving in wood repre-
sent things on earth, in sky, under earth.
Every figure that came to their notice was
copied and produced on wood Some of
the designs are very pretty, and will be
copied later by modern engravers, while
others are the product of RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and were in demand by dissolute class,
minus of virtue, and polluted with ali
manner of vice. II must be borne in mind
that many of these designs date back
nearly four thousand years.
THE WORK IN BRONZE
And in gold exceeds all others. The mol
ten work gives evidence that the art of
casting in this age is still in its infancy
what will it be when perfection is reached
The beaten filigree, and the hand wrought
specimens represent flowers, leaves,
vines and fruit; also, beasts, birds, fishes
and insects, besides designs of men and
angels There are shown curves and
angles varying in every relation and still
harmonizing all yariances. The skill dis
played i'll jewelry is astonishing. looked
anxiously to find the utensils of their cum
ming arts but none are found that indicate
superior machinery They took weeks
and years to accomplish what, in many
instances, we do without delay. The most
difficult construction noticed was the
mosaic work varigated with precious stones
and shells so neatly cut by the ancient
lapidary, and so closely fitted that the be-
holder would pronounce it an enameled
painting. The sculptures, also, are with
few exceptions, representations of life.
The criticisms overheard were often better
calculated to exhibit the stupidity OF the
visitor than the taste of the artist.
Gold and precious stones must have been
| abundant, and the art that made them so
rich as TO make them rare, one of the
maryels of that artistic age. There were
GOLDEN cHARIoTs,
And gold mounted harness. Implements
Of war were inlaid with gold, and golden
panoplies set with the costliest Jewels.
Solid gold composed the furniture of
royal palaces, and gold-threaded counter
panes spread over their ophir beds. Their
temples were plated with the glittering
ore, while urns and vases and toilet sets
were coated with it, and the wardrobes of
both men and women draped with gold
woven fabrics, and adorned with chenille
and seton insertion.
There are also to be seen wooden and
silk garments of Tyrean colors and courtly
styles The toys Of kings and queens, and
The play-trinkets of princes and princesses
are to be found here. Cooking utensils,
tableware and cutlery, and in short, every
article, both Of commodity and of necessity,
have been found and put on gratutous ex-
hibition, TO be viewed by the generations
| following. As one stands here he becomes
4 Al. Al. a. II
The past, with its momenteous weight of
antiquity; the present, with its irresistible
| force of application and the future with
the stupenduous sway of those moral and
civil energies, whose ultimatum will con-
sumate the millennium.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST.
Paris is city of palaces. The ancient
buildings are not all marble and granite,
but since 1870 and 1871 marble is used on
all principal streets, and every additional
editice is constructed with the view of be-
merce Of the city. Every style OF archi-
lecture was adopted in the earlier centuries
Roman, Corinthian, Assyrian, Egyptian,
Grecian, and later Medieval; but l saw
| numerous modern structures. The nine
tenth century mas revolutlonlZed the
world, and taught it the lesson that, "The
abundance of man CONSISTENT not in the
things which he possesseth."
| Money is being invested so as to refund
itself by reason of use, and be ready to be
used again. A palace is of no more value
to a city, when once occupied by the elite
who squander life in luxury, than mere
hut, nor as much as the humblest cot,
whose inmates are virtuous and indus
trious. But many of these grand abodes
are occupied by good people, who are
fatigued with empty ritualism, and are
exerting their influence, with others, to
put Paris into more humble path of life,
and not let presumptuous sins have do
miuion over her.