Evening capital., 1889-10-09
scRlssLlNo ON eIFFEL TOWER.
Names. Puu. Verses and Sentiments oE
Many Sorts sn Many Languages.


Names. Pum. Verses and Sentiments ~
Many Sorts IN Many Languages.
Big as the Eiffel tower Is. It is too cir
cnmscribed for the people who insist
upon writing their names and recording
their impressions on its iron framework.
They have used up all the available
space. AID the girders. beams. protection
rails and riyet heads within reach bear
the literary contributions OF many thou
sand visitors. The tower is gigantic
cosmopolitan registry Of names. Be
tween 1900 and 10000 people ascend it
every day, and most of them consider it
their duty to add to the collection. The
Figaro newspaper keeps visitors book
at its printing offiee on the second floor
TO accommodate visitors who have not
the desire or who cannot find the space
to scribble on the ironwork.
The writing left is in as many lam
guages as there are nationalities among
the visitors, but the most interesting
contributions come from the native
French. A Frenchman grows naturally
into the opinion that France is the foun-
tain of progress. civilization and every
thing else. This opinion remains his
principal article of faith through life
especially when his life is confined to
France. When he mounts the EiffeI
tower, by means of American elevators.
he is more than ever convinced of the
universal supremacy of France. He
bursts out into uncomfortable fits Of pa
triotism.
"Glory TO the noble France" writes
one after his name Honor to French
genius, says another. Having mounted
the Eitfel tower, am proud of being
French" writes NJ. Mason. II will
name my next daughter Eiffeline." says
a Bordeaux engineer. One, NJ. Gouloux,
apostrophizes thus: Trench genius,
thou wilt always be the first in the
worldI' and patriotic Marseillais left
this record: Long live la grand France.
the birthplace Of civilization of the en-
tire world.
Some OF tho visitors drop into poetry,
and perpetrate bad puns at the expense
Of the tower. what height Is the tailor
who has forgotten his measure and sits
down on the third platform of the tow
erS' Is common calembour which one
left. The answer. of course, is that he is
sitting sans metre, or at cent (1O0) metres
This next, of the same style, wasaddress-
ed to the silk weavers of Lyons: "The
Lyonese may content themselves, for as
often as they ascend the Eiffel tower
they will see all Paris en- pas de soie--in
silk stockings, or underneath, as pas de
sole usually are. The punsters, as they
would say, sometimes rise to the situa-
ton, but puns and bad poetry are not
improved upon by translation.
NJ. Seller, of the Grand Opera, writes:
II wish that my voice rose as high as the
tower" Isidor Goldschmidt, presti-
digitateur: II have. found my master
pour les tours" (for tricks, and an Italian
confesses that "at 1000 feet | can find
nothing to write which would be up to
the situation-Aquello. empego." A
Dutchman leaves this neat compliment
behind him: "The tower is not so high
as our esteem for France" and Span
lard says: "The Tower of Babel separat-
ed peoples by the confusion of tongues,
and the Eiffel tower reunites them.
More than one thinks this very clever: 81
never thought would occupy such alofty
position in life"
Tho tower makes q favorable impress
sion on lovesick Orlandos, who scrawl
sentimental messages to their Rosalinds
whenever they get the chance.
To her who hasn't come-~PauL
JEANNE. ma cherie; from the top Of the tower I
send thee a kiss.-Alphonse.
think OF. thee, Adeo aide
These are samples of the messages left.
They are all written in the second per
eon-the usual French lovers style.
Catholic priests are not above record
ing their impressions. They write in
Latin.
20, altitudol" exclaims the cure of
Villeparisis, in Seine-et-Marne.
Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
says a priest from the Meuse.
Another excels them all with his "Glo-
ria in excelsis Deo. New York Sun.