Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-24

I1fTu7CtEH or three OF the men went
with me out to Yer
sailles, and also showed them the lookup
and the Black Maria. Not having much
time at our disposal, we peeped in the gal
lery only and hurried on to the Grande and
the Petite Trianon.
M. Thiers used to be very fond of going
out and refreshing himself with cup of
asses milk supplied him by the head
gardener at the Trianon. The great little
man often feared that quadrupeds of the
same kind as those which supplied him with
drink might get into the game of running a
Government. An English writer once said
that when cart was conducted by a
donkey, man and a monkey, it was the ass
alone that pulled straight, and the facetious
writer alluded to the cart as the Estate
chariot"
IN FORMER TIMES.
Some persons believe that the small Tri-
anon is the work of Marie Antoinette, but
she only made the English garden and laid
out the hamlet in "disperse ORDER" as it is
styled by the military. This Trianon is the
work of Louis XIV, while Louis XIV. laid
out and planned the large one. In st.
Simon's Memoirs is an anecdote which is
always swallowed by modern credulity.
When Louis XIV. was visiting the build
ing of this royal block he thought certain
window was smaller than the others, but
Lugois vigorously contested this assertion,
even with insolence, whereupon the King,
tiring of the dispute, told a courtier to
measure it, which was done and the archi-
tect was pronounced in the wrong. The
war of the Palatinate followed this testy ex-
hibition.
The Trianon was created by Louis XIV.
because he wanted to be free as he was not |
at Versailles, in the midst of so numerous
court, in which he felt himself as much of
slave as he was master. However, a few |
years later courtiers and etiquette again in
vaded him in his new royal abode, and so
he built another place and called it Marly. |
This last mentioned spot is now the country |
home of Victorian Sardou, the famous |
drumatist.
PARISIAN PALACES.
When Louis XIV. conceived the fantastic |
idea of constructing the Petite Trianon, he |
entrusted the architect Gabriel with its exc
cution, and although of great merit he got |
very little for his trouble. He had already |
built the Ecole Militaire, also the Garde |
Meuble in fine style. 1t is this Garde Meu-
Of the Place de la Concorde, and is now the
building to it on the other side of the Rue |
Royale is occupied as private residences and
by one of the leading clubs of Paris.
Very little is known of Maria An
occupancy Of the Trianon. Louis |
XIV. and Madame Du Barry left traces be-
hind them much more dishonest but less
familiar, perhaps, than those which are
dropped in the enchanted spot by visitors.
The enchantment has long since vanished,
however, and the pretty English garden is
no more than swamp. am very much
afraid that instead of your taking away
impression of the place, when you
come over, you will carry off a fever.
One of my French acquaintance has in
his private gallery painting showing us
Louis XIV. seated on the lawn facing the |
little canal which runs past the Grande /
Trianon. His eyes are following a gondola |
that was organized by the |
Duchess of Burgundy, and small yacht
filled with musicians is behind the gay
court. The King could not take part in
this pleasure trip on account OF his rheu-
lnatism.
AN AQUATIC PROMENADE.
That night, after the pretty promenaders
had supped, they went out again, the even
ing being mild, and padded their own
canoes about until nearly dawn. Another
picture in my friends gallery represents
''Trianon sous Bois," that is to say, an
annex which was inhsbitated by the Dau-
phin under Louis XIV. and afterward by
the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy.
The old King of Poland. lodged in the
Trianon. here, too, Charles K. made his
first halt when on the road to exile, and
during the year 1910 Napoleon took his
wife Maria Louise into the place. But that
part of France to which the Austrian Arch
duchess paid most attention was the neigh
boring palace, the Petite Trianon, which
was still occupied by her aunt, the Queen.
The following year the King of Rome, who
was Just born, was carried about on coach
in the grounds.
Napoleon put fine library in this little
dwelling, a house always more sumptuous
than it was handy. In 1915 the Prussians
pillaged the Trianon; then they had pen
chant for books, but later on clocks seemed
10 be their hobby.
GOING TO RUIN.
At the present time the Grande is in a
still more dilapitated condition that is the
Petite Trianon. I cannot understand why
The Government should let these two his
torical places go to decay, as they are very
attractive to visitors and draw many per-
sons out to Versailles. do not think for
eigners weuld mind paying small fee, and
this would aid in keeping up the two
places.
Coming back from the country, we rode
through the Bois du Bolougne, around the
Arch de Triumph and down the Camps
Elysees. There is a police station in one
corner of the Palais de IIndustrie, and
just then the Black Maria was leaving with
several prisoners for the principal lookup.
Over here this prison vehicle is called the
salad basket, and last year nearly 81, 900
persons had free rides in it.
The place to which they are conveyed
from the "violin" or district station is
called the "depot," and is, SO to speak, a
sort of house of detention, not only for
special categories, but for all kinds of crimi-
nails, and where they are locked up tempo
'arily. This rule is not without exception,
rs not only certain persons have a forced
'ojourn there for whole months, but a
special class of criminals remain until the
expiration of their term of imprisonment.
GREEN BALL PLAYERS
1t would have done your heart good could
you have heard me going on in sort of
guide book fashion with these young men
rom the United States. 1t is true they are
track baseball players, and are on trip
'round the world, but they were the
yreenest lot of fellows 1 ever saw in Paris,
10 far as sightseeing was concerned. They
went to the students ball and they. were
,razy to have look at Boulanger. 1 think
'hev witnessed balloon ascension, but all
'ther things seemed uninteresting to them.
1t was not until we struck the Black
Maria that they showed genuine animation.
Perhaps it was almost like being at home
,gain, and they questioned me lot about
he system, even expressing q desire to visit
he depot" Eight such prison vans are
employed in Paris daily, and there are two
arrivals at the depot, one in the afternoon