Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-18
GLIMPSES OF PARIS.
Up the Grand Eifel in an FL
eVatOr.
Wizard Edison and the EIposi-
tiOn's Wonders.
Paris al Night, The Prison Cafe, Ma
pols0n's Tomb.
Pared Towns and Scenes Along the Cy-
clists' Run to Pontainebleau.
From our Special Correspondent. !
FoNrAlSEBLEAC, FRANCE,

From our Special Correspondent.
( FoNrAISEBLEAC, FEANcE,
June 80, 1853.
Gay Paris, With It's Thousand attractions
| has been left behind faiu would We have
extended our eight days stop into two week,
or more, but the Itinerary proclaimed other
/ wise, so that nov We are started on one
months continuous riding the real wheeling
/ part of the tour being Just begun. Forty
/ aiiies. or more must now be recorded daily
| barring sundays, and if We followed the
custom common to France, those days would
| net constitute exceptions. The Sabbath here
| is nothing less than a holiday true the
| churches are open-but so are the stores, and
races, and all other sports are freely in
| dulged in nor do the people hesitate to work
| If so inclined. All this CRATES hsrshly on
our feelings of propriety and ideas as to the
sanetity of the first day of the week. The
| French respect for religion is apparently as
/ shallow as is their extreme politeness
are little more than mere outward forms.
| To turn the hands backward bit. let me
| tell of few of The sights of Paris. one
I place few of US visited is seldom seen by
travellers, and while il cannot be said to be
high toned yet it comes just within the
| freaks of the city Cafe Bagne Prison res
tsursnt) is the place, and it is surely curl
osity. Pulling a string, bell sounded way
/ off in the rear and shutting to the door.
I loaded down with a heavy chain and bell-as
in ancient times prisoners were tortured
came waiter, attred in the garb of con
/ Wet, and in every way resembling one.
! Producing a monstrous key the lattice work
( door was opened. and in French were in
/ yted to enter BARROW place from which We
might have shrubk without previous lnfor-
nation. But, announced by loud shout,
/ and with an apparent courage hardly felt,
We followed our conductor along what might
have been-to judge from appearances. a
veritabe prison passageway into a seemingly
enormous cell Here were a dozen rough
tables ard SIX or seven tough looking wait
| ers, presumed to be prisoners. In the rear
we're cells. in which were the supposed
| unhappy victims, working at various trades
shoe making, tailoring. etc. The whole
thing is farce on the past times Of impr SON
nent and the euillaune. The proprietor
is an * colonel Of the Communists and
certainly shows it. HIS couutenance had a
wicked expression, as though ii yrlied y
spirit delighting in acts OF violence. GA the
walls were paintings of men prominent in re-
volt. Behind the bars, for our benefit, the
method of fitting the chains to prisoners was
illustrated, and for couple of francs W
might have enjoyed the dist notion (?) of be-
ing chained in this queer place. But 10 one
cared for such DOtoriety, in fact, although
Knowing all was peaceful. We felt a little IN
easy locked in with men who were once
Communists renowned for revolving deeds.
The experience was novel. yet there was
!, s - g.
out ard passage. Had not one of our nun
ber spoken French fuently, should not
have dared to attempt a visit 10 cafe of
such description. However in looking back,
there is satisfaction in knowing you have
seen what the general traveller does not,
even if it WAS such a simple thing as a cheap
restaurant.
Paris lives at night, in dayl people
plod along with a lazy air, as though suffer
ing from the previous nights csrouse. 1t is
after amplight that the city becomes the gay
metropolis, for which it is worldwide famed.
Then 1t ia that the cool houevards are crowd
ed wiih laughing giddy throngs, and the
streets are lively with the moving lanterns
of thousands of hurrying cabs. Standing in
the beautiful gardens of the Tuleres one
evening little past ten, the sight was quite
entraucing. Straight as al arrow, for more
than two miles the vision travelled along the
brilliantly Illuminated Champs Eiysee way
down to the distant magnificent Arc de
, lromphe, and all along was constantly
changing panorama of light. These were
the cabs filled with pleasure parties. The
resemblance to an approaching torchlight
procession was suggested. Turning the
glance bit to the left. dazzling light sur
mounting tower of fire at once claimed
sten;ion. The great Eitfel was illuminated,
while from the tip-top shore a brilliant
electric, made by some kind of revolving
machinery to occasionally dim. For fully
an hour We sat observing the loving couples
and watching the brilliant rays
/ SO much Of interest is clustered in Paris
thst in the eight days allotted that city by
our party it was quickly evident that hardly
quarter could be seen, so the sche me Of
/ following individual preferences was adopted
/ ! might tell of the architectural beauties of
I Hotel de Vile tcity hall), as well as the
pleasure of visiting those two famous
/ churches, the Notre Dame and Pantheon. but
/ hundreds of correspondents have before dwelt
I upon them, and any description | might at
/ tempt would be but weak reiterstion. Per-
+ sonAliy the Notre Dame was disappointment ;
Z it is not half so grand as Imagination had
! painted. The Pantheon better fulfilled ex-
pectatlous but the most beautiful erection
/ in Paris is Napoleon's Tomb. The interior
is exquisite. Ascending a broad exterior
staircase and passing through the open doors
a seemingly pervading air of grandeur COM
munioa'es. Directly beneath royalty
adorned dome stands the sarcophagus con-
tanning the body of the distinguished Emper-
or. This is in crypt ten feet below the
L. III
leaning over a broad white marble railing
we looked do 'n upon this magnificent rest
ing place of the most dearly beloved son OF
France No ore can spproach nearer. The
floor is emble naticsliy tiled, while in the
outer circumference are allie egoricsl figure
and urns displaying precious battle fiags
The religious altar in the background Of the
hall is the most beautiful thing | ever saw
The foundations and columns are of polished
streskei marble, and the decorations art
gold. On either side large windows Will
yellow panes cast soft yellow light upor
the rich altar, with an extremely artistic ef
feet. Descending some stone stairs the closeC
entrance to the crypt wss seen. Elegantly
carved oak doors seal the opening Abov,
are Inscribed the words from the Emperor
last will Of which the following is the trans
lstion Il desire that my ashes may repos.
on the banks of the Seine, among that Frencl
people have so we'll loved
From here to the Exposition, this year
, great Partisan attraction, is bat short walk
At this point the entry is through machiner,
hall crowded with triumphs of modern skill
For the United States, Edison has far tn
greatest iisplsy, the expense of which is sal,
t. be over 800 900. All his wonderful in
ventions are exhibited. bat the phonograpl
, attracts far the most attention. It'll certain
iv a marvellous instrument. Past 1tterance
into this sound preserver were heard wit
nearly the iistinctness of couversation--sbou
the same as through a telephone. Ther
are also good exhibits of rorkin
machinery and sewing machines from GU
: country. In another department there ar
several large ieweiry displays, and type
writer's and the zraphophone are prominent
: the latter rival Of Edison's speech recorder
: Displays from every nation on the earth srs
] think. sheltered By the acres of roof
Not more than oue quarter Of the nAmmot
whole can We pretend to have seen. AID 4
fer description of such great thing,
would be hard to decide where to begin
is, after eli, really nothing more than a IA
much the sane a. ve are accustomed q
!, only on = very gorgeous scale The Unite
Y States display is not vha, il ought to BE-
e France is splensiiiIy represented PefhaI
- one Of the most pleasing departments is Il
grand art gallery where hundreds Of fAmo'