The Washington critic., 1888-03-10
THE CRITIC" ABROAD
Among the Cabmen and Horses of
the French Capital,
THE CITY'S WALLS AND GATES
A Socialistic Bacchus-Thc Orig
inal French Flats.

A Socialistic Bacchus-Thc Orig
inal French Flats.
PARIS, Feb. 2S.-sad to say, snow
and ice are the order of the day i'm
Paris, but Parisians suffer little incon-
venience from the snow, as salt is soon
sprinkled over the pavemcnts, after
which they are most thoroughly swept.
When the streets are slippery, men
with bamows Of gravel and shovels are
ordered out in large numbers to scatter
it over the boulevards. Carriages, cabs
and omnibuses are supposed to drive
on the right side of the road, but the
cab drivers pay no more attention to
the rule than if it did not exist, and
were ii not a fact that their horses sell
dom travel faster than five miles an
hour, delays and Interruptions to bust
ness would occur from collisions. As
there are 10000 cabs in the city, the
boulevards are generally overcrowded
with these vehicles. Cabmen are in
sured, and pedestrians, if knocked
down or run over, must pay q fine for
being in the way, which undoubtedly
accounts for the perfect indifference Of
the drivers regarding accidents.
THESE MEN ARE TERROR,
inasmuch as they enjoy with great
glee the dismay they cause nervous
people by making noises with their
whips, resembling pistol-shots. These
whips they will crack almost in the
faces of pedestrians, evidently
| anxious to show how much noise they
can make and with what ease they
can manipulate their whips. A half
drunken coachman will treat himself
to succession of these reports, and
many horse will prance and dance,
perilling the lives Of people.
An equestrian was riding on Champs
Elysees recently, when one of these
nuisances not only cracked his whip
in the prevailing style, but touched
the back of the riders animal and
make the horse rear. As soon as pos
sible the rider called q passer-by, to
whom he gave his horse in charge,
then calmly dismounting, gave the
whip-cracker what he richly de-
served-a good thrashing.
If Paris is a paradise for women
it's the reverse for horses, and if a
society of prevention of cruelty to
animals was ever needed anywhere,
it's in the Capital of the World, where
horses are whipped in most brutal
manner, and it is disgrace to the
city, which prides itself on its high re.
finement and its peerless beauty.
A HORSE MARKET
is held twice a week, and curious
feature in il is an incline for testing the
strength of draught horses. They are
harnessed to wagon made with O
strong brake for this purpose, and have
to drag it up the incline, but we are
told the test is not always satisfactory
The dog market is held Sabbath after.
moons at the same place, and the one
who sells his dog must pay three cents
for entrance fee. Dogs are even shorr
of their fur coats at q time when most
needed. Some of them resemble
lions, whilst others have fancy de
signs upon their backs in rings and
squares.
THE CITY WALLS AND GATES.
The city of Paris is shaped like al
egg, and surrounded bya wall twenty
one miles long. Five miles beyont
this wall are sixteen forts, connected
by railroad, so that in case of war
men and supplies can be transported
from one to the other. Duties on pro
visions and merchandise brought into
the city for sale are collected at the
sixty gates. Every vehicle passing
through is searched for contraband
and the question asked, "Have yor
anything liable to duty?" Ever
trans are stopped, the driver warn
ing the examining officer by means o
q horn attached to q bulb, which h,
presses when signal is needed
Peasants are obliged to show the con
tents of their baskets, and pedestrian
are subjected to close scrutiny, in or
der to see if they have concealed
about them a bottle of wine or to
bacco. This seems very small anC
tiresome, but the city collects $500
q year in this way. There are man,
Germans living in Paris and its sub
, urbs, and whatever they bring in /
, more strictly examined than that o
|
VISITORS ENTERING PARIS
are much impressed by the ncwnes
of the houses, which are mostly bull
of cream-white limestone. Smokc.es
fuel being generally used, account
for the preservation of the buildings
which are seven and eight storie
high. Proprietors building ncy
houses are obliged to adopt design
harmonizing with adjacent buildings
so there is II great uniformity in tn
style of architecture. The house
have broad entrances with court an
garden, the inside doors are broade
than the windows, which open an
shut like door, instead of guile
tine. Merchants generally occup
apartments over their business houses
Bankers residences adjoin thei
counting houses, and are walled in $
as not to be seen from the street. Tn
people live in masses, or in flats, no
family by family, each in its ow
dwelling.
FLATS.
The peculiar custom of living il
flats or suites of apartments necessi
tates every house having its concierge
who acts for the landlord as ager
and spy His lodge being at the Ell
trance of the house, no one enter
whose business is not known. He