The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-03-02

lnueeu altaih]d q marvellous degree
of perfection.
When . man is knocked down and
run over by carriage on the streets
here, he is picked up, arrested and
lined for not keeping in his place on
the pavement. This plan works like q
charm, as people keep off the street
snd collect in groups at the corners,
where they are escorted acros. at
Intervals by gendarnes. In Il dashing
city like this, ii the vehicles had TO
turn out of the way tor every geloot
who wac leisurely wandering hi. way
across the street they would have u
block in no time.
General Boulanger and the Comte
de Paris had 4 sword duel a short time
ago OF which affair I nad the honor to
bs n spectator. All the party (and a
pretty good sized one, too) took
carriages early one morning and went
10 piece of woods near the suburbs
Uf the city, where the two combatants
were given swords and stationed about
twelve feet apart. They both had TO
take off their coats, although it WAS
awful cold, the thermometer being Is
degrees below zero and snow foot
deep on the ground. After the
principals had made swishes and
swashes and waved their swords
around their own heads to their hearts
content, BOulsnger made terrific
slash at the Comte which would have
ended that parsonage but Tor his sword
striking about six feet to the Comics
left side. Then the Comte retalliated
by a cross way swipe vt BOulanger
that would have spoiled his beauty
forever had not the point OF the sword
Jailed to reach his opponent by about
tour feet. Here 1t began showing,
whereupon both combatants COM
menced blowing their halt-frozen hands
and dancing up and down in the snow,
while the seconds and spectators
hunched their overcoat collars up over
their ears with their shoulders, jammed
their hands in their pockets, hoped
up and down aud stamped around
lively TO keep warmth in their bones.
When time was called it was showing
SO thickly no one could see foot in
front of him. The cambatants were
now of course lost to view but they
could still be heard slashing their
swords around in the air like "all get
out" Suddenly terrific howl on the
left bespoke some one was hurt. 1t
appears the Comte. losing his place in
the snow storm, had wandered around
in circle, slashing away, and had got
back to somewhere near to where he
started from and had given his own
second a whack in the ear Blood was
drawn, however, and when blood Is
drawn (no matter who it comes irom)
everyone's honor is satisfied. AS the
blood was drawn from the Comte's
second the victory was given to
Boulanger. The spectators ran up
and congratulated, the principals rushed
into each others arms and wept tears
on their respective bosoms; there were
wild hurrshs; the whole pack got into
the carriages, drove back to the city
and repaired to the Grand Cafe on
the Boulevard des Capucines, where
all the duel party sat down to msgnifi-
cent champagne repsst, which, some
how or other, had been prepared
beforehand by restauranteur and to
which they did Justice, ss Frencnmen
usually do. When news OF the affair
reached the city the mayor Of Paris and
the project Of the police had to GO and
Visit The field, and had to interrogate
the carriage drivers and q number of
other persons, all wholly ignorant OF
the affair, and they bad, also, (French
law being very sxacD to make a
'.proces ver6dl' not only of what each
witness knew (Which would not have
been much), but of what he suspected,
which was very great deal, and of
what, to the beat of his recollection, he
had heard other people say, which WAS
q very great deal more, and, as during
ordinary French judicial investigation,
1t is the practice tor everybody to
speak at once, the business takes some
time and makes all the officials con-
necled with it very sensible OF their
own Importance and of their zeal for
the republic. Being from the United
States an American will of course ex.
pect me to admit that they do all these
things better and In more business
like fashion in France than over home
The news had followed the party to
Paris with marvellous rapidly; tho
afternoon papers came out with vivid
and glowing descriptions and account
OF how Boulanger had barred his noble
breast to the sword TO save the honor
of France; the newsbOys were sur
on the streets and their stock
as soon as they appeared; !;
gentlemen by the hundreds tore their
coat tails off in the rush up the news
paper Office steps to buy a paper.
About four O'Clock al immense crowd
had collected In front of the Hotel
/ hoA h.. -,
about five minutes General Boulsnger
would drive out. Sure enough in
about ten minutes here came the
carriage containing "a big pair OF
epaulettes and al Immense planned
two o-cornered hat" reclining back in
The cushions. Of course there was q
yell of ''ViUe le BoulGnger" The i'm
mense crowd waved their hats, howled
and began quarreling among them
selves; the soldiers were called out !;
even cavalry prsnced back and forth
trying to keep order, for tue crowd
was becoming more and more excited.
Toward night on the Place de la
Concorde they had q regular fight; the
gendarmes clubbed the people, the
soldiers drew their swords and the
mob fell over a wagon OF wood that
was standing on the street, and dubbed
the police and soldiers. For a time
it was quite lively. Now, we were all
laughing and joking about it, but yol
can rely OH it each one was secretely
counting his "spondulix" TO see if he
had enough to disappear quickly in
case of need A person i'm the United
States might think it big thing TO be
president, but tho president of the
U. 5. is nowhere compared to the
nero of French duel.
To see the Pantheon you take a
BOAT on the Seine as far as Pont de
Chatelet, which is pretty as well as
interesting little bridge, and walk the
est of the way. Ii stands on the
highest ground in the quarters of the
;ity, on the lett bank, and occupies the
lite OF the tomb of Ste. Genevieve,
died 5l2) the patron saint OF Paris.
The chapel erected over her tomb had
allen to decay and was removed about
he middle of the last century and
eplaced by the Pantheon. 1t used to
'e church but now contains mostly
ombs. The modern painters are now
Ill painting and frescoeing the walls.
Down below in the vaults, among the
est OF the tombs, is Victor Hugo's |
offin and vault, also the marble casket
a which he was placed and exhibited
or three days under the Arc de !
triumph, after his death. In the vault |
! was piled up like u mountain with |
iurel wreaths and palm branches.
he echo down there is marvellous. A
erson said all kinds of things and they |
1ere repeated as distinctly and clearly
3 almost to make you think some one