The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-26
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Information for the Guidance of Ameyi-
cans in Paris.
Especial Correspondence

cans In Iaris
special Correspondence.
New York, Jan 2l.--It has been in the
nne of my destiny TO attend the last three
worlds fairS-namely, at Vienna, the Cen
tennial and the Paris exposition of 1873.
Being then veteran worlds fairist, it is pos
sible that may give some suggestion and
information Of Use to those of my fellow
beings who may take in their first worlds
fair in Paris during the coming summer.
suggest, in the first place, that you cross
in French steamer. You want, OF course,
to familiarize yourself with the French Gus
toms and language us soon as possible. On
French boat yea are in France the moment
you step on her from New York per.
Don't try TO learn French from books. Don't
read or translate French by yourself. II you
do, you will only get the French words III
your eye and an American pronunciation OF
them i'll yot& ear, and on arriving at Parls
you won't have any language at all to use.
You will bc better of with no knowledge at
all of French You will then have nothing to
unlearn and can start square. Spoken lam
guage has more to do with the ear than the eye.
Six wordsin French properly pronounced are
better than 600 translated and understood
with their English pronunciation quietly
fastening itself on you rs you read them from
page or paper. And every shade of that
English pronunciation must be unlearned be-
fore you can get the right start ON French
basis
The street cars in Paris will not stop any
whore for you to get on or oil as here. III
You bcclon to IA driver from the street, no
and others will think you crazy, The cars
stop only at certain stations where they
punch and re-punch way bill Us they did
with our mail coaches Il hundred years ago.
You can go beyond the walls of Paris and
have your bag or sachel unmolested. But
when you come back, be it on car or omni-
bus, the octroi or local customs officer at the
barrier OF city gate viii go through it to see
if you are bringing in any contraband eggs,
butter or cheese from the country. Carry
with YOU over the Atlantic as little baggage
as possible. The French railway charges are
fearful ON all personal baggage weighing
something over one hundred pounds. On the
French railway train keep "A watchful eye on
your ear if YOU get out at IA station for refresh
ments. especially at night, because their trains
are not made up of long ears like ours. They
are strings OF relatively small coaches, open
iny at the sides instead of the end and resem-
bic each O.her so much that it is difficult to
distinguish one from the other. If you run
back to tie train in panic you are liable to
get iurol.' 'rOng coach, and if you do you
cant gntil the train stops again. You
may :, f.. ing that time be shut up with
the -four or six people occupying that car
riagc who may regard you as an intruder,
,.r.tI IN
The floor will be uncarpeted, the bed small
mountain in height; the gildcl clock under
the glass case rarely goes. There is seldom
over quart OF water in the wash pitcher
and no breakfast, save coffee aud rolls,
may you get until 10 O'Clock Make up your
miad to take TIE country as it Is and the
people and their us3ges us they are, and you
will get along very comfortably. But you
will have hard work ii you try to Ianheeize
them into pork and beans, pumpkin pie and
breakfast bucWhpgt cake customs.