Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-08


make the same ludicrous attempts to inter
change ideas with the voluble little Frenchman
A vast concourse OF people, truly, but the great
city is abundantly able TO provide for them
The rumors that float over to the States, with
regard to the overcrowding of Paris and the IN
ability of visitors to procure Accommodations
of auy kind, are grossly exaggerated.
We came here q week ago, without pre-
arrangements. and had no difficulty in securing
good Accommodations: not luxurious, perhaps
but eminently comfortable, and that at no such
exorbitant prices as are commonly reported
Another favorite myth of American cores
pondents is the extortion practiced by cab
drivers. 1t is all nonsense; pay driver the
regular fare and little pouboir, and with a
"Merci. Monsieur" and a smile, he is of. and
your ride has cost you, even though 1t is Paris
| and Exposition season, less than half what you
| would pay for the same service in Plttsburg
any day in the year.
RATHER LARGE.
As to the Exposition itself, it is big. Not
having seen great number of such shows
can't compare it with its predecessors, but to
my inexperienced eye, it is big. In fact tnls
bigness is about the only distinct impression
that first days ramble through it leaves on
ones mind, and when you are sure you have
been through it ALL you haven't: but for days
| in your maneuyerings aboutsthe city you will
| come across patches of the Exposition IN all
| sorts of unexpected places.
| The great central enclosure on the Champs
|
| legs, and these are all connected by railway
| with the main body There's vast deal of in
| formation stored up in this Exposition, but the
| only way to get it is to follow II dimes recon-
| mendation with regard to the British Museum:
| go and engage house in the next square and
| spend the rest of your life studying it. !"
| Americans are not given to dressing in red,
! white and blue when they visit the Exposition.
| Little Nicaragua makes about as good show
| ing as the United States, and the exhibits from
several countries whose names are mainly as
| sociated with the study OF geography, compare
very favorably
Even the American who is patriotic enough
| to allow the corner of a Fourth of July hand
! kerchlef protrude from his breast pocket stuffs
| it in when he comes to the railroad exhibit tor
| here, drawn up beside magnificent trains from
| English and continental roads. he sees, repre-
| senting this great and glorious Republic
| (cesture). quarter section of Pennsylvania
| the side of a Pullman sleeper. In looking at
| them one findS himself wishing for New YORK
| and Chicago limited vestibule train and refer
| ring TO the Golden Gate train, an American in
| the party was heard to say, Wouldn't that
| knock 'em sillyI''
| YANKEE VISITORS.
Speaking of Americans, you ought to see the
| citizens who come over here. Lowell says
somewhere that there are no people in the
world who dive SO deep in the sea of European
| reminiscence and come up so dry as the Ameri-
| cans and a very few weeks on this side of the
Atlantic will amply verify the statement You
will find them in the peat bogs of Ireland (tak-
ing piece home, you know, to put on the man
tell. among the lakes and hills of Scotland,
everywhere in England, and all over the CONT.
nent And it will surprise you to notice the
kinds of people who come over. They are all
here: and you wonder why they have come.
There's the individual with moss on his coat
collar and little rills of dandruff running down
all the wrinkles; the lank-cheeked man whose
entire time is spent 'catchin trains" and who
shouts sharply to his wife, "Git in here, Mary,
quick! don't you know how close we come to
missin' that train yesterday" Then there's
the benignant old lady who announces that
Paris is "chuck full of history; she hadn't any
idea there was so much history here, but knows
where she can find out all about it, and intends
to read it all up when she gets home" There
are whole squadrons of fair school teachers,
eager, yearning girls who 60 about with note
books and lie d pencils.
The stfngy man is here who imagines that all
the crowned heads of Europe, and few of the
republics, are leagued together ito skin him
out of his money! and the real American who
looks at the Swiss lakes and declares that they
cant hold a candle to Lake George" And so
mightgo on to infnity, adding to the list char
acters more or less obnoxious l must relate
Just one conversation, even at the risk OF being
accused of purloining from Mark Twain. 1t
was out at the Palace of Versailles the other day
(which, by the way. is in my judgment the most
interesting spot the stranger visits in Paris)
had chanced to fall in beside dapper young
fellow with very shiny silk hat and general
d
terrupted the explanations of the exceptionally
intelligent guide with pointless witticisms. and
as we walked on to the next "object of in
terest," he said:
"You from American
YES"
Thought SO; what part?'
srm from Pttsburg Just at present"
'Pittsburg! Ell? Smoky City. Pm from
Kansas City. Pm lawyer down there. What
business you in in Pittsburgh"
Teaching, recently"
hat sn9 hat tpa
salary? say what lot of money these French
have wrapped up in these picture galleries.
All sentimental value. too But I've seen SO
much in Germany and every place that Pm sick
of them. Where you stopping?'
"Pm at the Rapp."
Pretty cheap down at the Rapp, isn't it?"
Three-dollar house. Ny sister and are up at
the Grand, mighty expensive up there, SIS a
day, but we're going to take it slow and see
everything, grand opera and all. Well, zoodby
you'd better come out to Kansas City to teach
and get big salary"
And that young fellow will go home and talk
about how he enjoyed the art galleries of
Europe, Hogarth's curves, etc.
But to return to the Exposition, and the
American exhibit, the only part of the latter |
that really attracts crowds, is Mr.. Edison's de-
partment. He makes fine showing and his |
phonograph booth is always crowded 1t is |
very curious to watch the expressions of people |
to whom the idea is entirely new, as they hear |
their own voices reproduced. All shades of
feeling, from CONSERVATION to the keenest en- |
joyment may be noted. |
THE ORIENTAL EXHIBIT.
To me the most interesting stroll in the exhi. |
bition is down through the Oriental quarter. |
where there is such diversity of face and cos |
tune, as we'll as tongue. AS you listen to this !
1argon and walk through the shadow of the |
great tower you involuntarily exclaim IA |
modern Babelr' But go out into the streets of |
the city, pick your way through the Boulevard |
des Italiens at any time except from 4 to JAM.
and your thought will be, "a modern Babylon" |
Eat, drink and be merry" is the principle on |
which the Parisians seem to act, and from early
in the morning until early in the morning the
cafes and the streets in front of them. are
crowded with people, who sit there by the hour
and eat and drink, and smoke and talk, and
read and loaf.
A few of us, night or two ago, undertook to
nnd out, if possible, when this congregation
would disperse; but at 2 o'clock we gave it up
There were still crowds of people on the street.
and we were told that many of them we're good
for two hours more. To see man leisurely
his evening paper on the Street at 2
M. would be a novel sight at home, but here
it is common.
The words Modern Babylon" suggest the
Shah. He leaves this afternoon for Vienna
Of course THE DISPATCH knew all about his
visit here and in England, and have possibly
thought OF some significance In the exceedingly
friendly reception rendered him by both En-.
gland and Russia.
saw him the other night at the Hippo
drome. They have performing lion down
there now as the drawing card which rides a
hnrca fhr0nOh q hO0n and Ell |