Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-05-18
AN INTERESTING LETTER
A Sojourner in Paris Gives a
Racy Recital of His
Adventures
Parisians Have Queer Ways in
Making their Guests Feel
at Home
Cats are Allowed to Climb on
Your Shoulders at the
Table


Special Correspondence to the HERALD
Paris, May /, 1s9O.-Shortly after my
arrival In Paris made the acquaintance
of fellow eountryman from Chicago
who had spent many years In all parts of
Europe. He was an agreeable companion
and an intelligent traveller who had
fancy for seeing things that were not even
mentioned in the guide book and together
we discovered many curious places. One
night he took me to place called cati au
Bagne Convict prison. where, according
t. his explanation, the proprietor had
leased from the state, under the con-
tract labor system of France, the services
of number of convicts 10 act as walters
In his drinking place and relied on the
novelty of the idea to bring him the chin
tagc of the curious. The large, low-ceil-
inged room was furnished in the rudest
manner in imitation OF a prison mess
room with long, narrow tables, decorated
TO represent massive stone masonry and
hung with pictures Of all phases of con-
Wet life in New Catalonia, the French
Siberia, were small windows with heavy
iron bars. The walters. dressed OF course
in prison garb. had their faces clean
shaved and hair cut short as at Sing Sing.
From one ankle to another stretched
what looked like a heavy iron chain which
sounded dismally on the sanded nOOr as
they came and went with all so.ts Of
drinks and attached To II was longer
chain bearing ball about four inches
in diameter which Is generally car
ried over the arm. A strange place, you
will say, for festivity; nevertheless il was
crowded with men and women, drinking
and smoking as gaily as possible.
The Bagne Is situated In the quarter Of
Paris rising steeply little way behind
the Grand Opera House which is called
Montmortre where you may see the can
can in all its glory and. in place of the
brdsseries frequented by the students
with their grisettes. they have curious
little places like the one mentioned, many
of which are beautifully decorated with
frescOes or pictures done by the very art
lists who resort there. One of the most
popular of these is the Lapin (rabbit)
situated. In the Place Pigalle. The
principal room Is occupied in the centre
by billiard tables and around the sides
are private boxes very much as In
the restaurants on the Pacific coast. In
which you may have drinks or supper. A
smaller room adjacent, in which is a
small orchestra. has its walls covered
hltn lItctOcs tNlututlN uOut ny ~ Itcl-
class artist, in which all the personages.
including Christ in a copy OF the cele-
brated painting of the Marriage Feast in
Canaan" which was one Of the scenes
most frequently chosen by our grand
mothers in the East for the old-fashioned
embroidery pictures, are represented with
the heads of rabbits.
Hidden in out of the way corners of
narrow and crooked streets. thev make
no attempt to attract the stranger, but
keep on the even tenor OF their way
supported exclusively by the patronage
of some particular clique, each one of
whom Is known personally to the pr0prie-
tor. During the day they are very little
freQuented. for no one works harder while
da flight lasts than the artist, but as the
''absinthe hour approaches, about half
past o'clock, they rapidly fill up with
men Of all sorts, most Of them with pipe
I'm their mouth and still wearing their vel
vet jacket and Leonado de Ninche cap,
who, as they smoke and sip their absinthe
or bitters. talk OF the progress made in
the picture ON which they are at work and
Of their prospects for getting i passed by
the stern committee Of the salon exhibi-
ton, or ask the aid Of their fellow artists
in finding good model for some particu-
lar style OF beauty which is to be the in
spiration of their next effort. As they
come In each greets familiarity the host
who wanders from table to table exchang-
Ing II worn WIFI all anu touCutS his ndl
to the ladies at the desk. The walter
PUSHES of for their drink and brings the
evening newspaper they are In the habit
Of reading. without having to ask them
any questions. He knows not only theii
habits but their names, and III there !.
any mail for them, brings IL Immediately
for II is here that their mail Is sent anC
here that they write their letters. In.
deed. 1t Is almost like their club, aud tn,
stranger feels, ON entering, little en-
barrassed. Only after many visits and 1
long period of probation Will th3hos d,
you the honor TO greet you with bon
sOir, monsieur.
Near by is the clou mail. the Frencl
slang for pawnshop). built in the antiqu,
fashion Of brick with heavy timber
which show through the walls on the in
side, and in which are driven enor
nous rusty nails. sci wing as hat pegs
The walls are covered with engravings an,
and colored caricatures a century old, an'
illustrating the career " Napoleon tn
Great. The low, broad windows, file,
with the little panes OF poor glass used b.
our forefathers. are protected by heav
iron gratings. which suggest the tim
when the inn was place OF defens
a blazing wood fire from the great fire
place In the interior shines out cheerful
through curtains OF Turkey red. In tn
cellar. the fantastic decorations of whic
looks as though II might have been don
by good artist In temporary fiji Of dc
lerlum-t remcns. Is concert OF mandOlir
piano and guitar.
In the samb street as the Lain, and
. little higher up. Is the TUT Cui File, 0ii
Tie pig that rms away, rathe} a dlsrepul
able place. where there Is aYcelar decor
ated with very funny pictrfes, In whic
the characters are all represented by pig
There is piano and they have a livel
time here after midnight, all the pei
formers being volunteers from among'
the hdbitues. One OF these Is an old ger
ueman, rather stout and OF digniiied maj
ners, who has a fine face, with gra
beard and magnificent forehead, set O
by mass OF gray hair. which j. brushs
back and hangs over his shoulders. u
Is always dressed In black with froc
coat. and II | had seen him In anOth,
place. should have taken him for son
eminent man. He puzzled me so mu'
night and watch him. fascinated with u
sight OF such a really distinguished lool
ing man surrounded by this obscen
beastly crowd of men and women reve
lers. His face bore an expression
serene enjoyment. and did not look Ill
10 sensuality. after some great calamit
nor could / see In him any trace OF |
sanity. There was mystery about hi
which excited my curiosity to the highe
pitch. but all my efforts to solve IL we
in vain. He did not use tobacco, al
strangely enough, never drank anythil
but milk.
AT the other end of the scale from q
Tui Gui File Is the Chat Noir, (Bla,
Cot). frequented by the better ella,
whose walls are covered with really II
paintings. forming a continually chan
ing loan exhibition, and where there Is
really good concert In the afternoon a.
evening OF piano, violin and viollncel
musician take up the violin or sit dov
to the piano under a sudden inspirat
and play music that was soul .inspirin
All conversation was hushed, the waite
went about on tip-toe. the man VINO W
games Of cards were neglected while