The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-12-11


opened or shut, as required by the
weather Just over the windows is
painted the outline of the surrounding
country and also the name of every
prominent object. Several young ladies
are in charge of an extensive collection
of picture and mementoes in the highest
gallery: no one is allowed to sketch or
take photograph from any point on the
tower, as the picture monopoly is either
rented to company, or worked by the
owners of the tower. Above the upper
gallery is a small place where the great
electric light is housed, most of the
night the great beam of light can be seen
straying over the city, lighting up
spots here and here, the blaze now white,
now colored.
Paris lies like a map at your feet,
resembling a toy city, while people
walking about below appear to be about
an inch high; while we were at the top
shower came up and funny it was to
see the open umbrellas like little dots
far below the owners feet appearing
just beyond the edges as he walked.
The surrounding country for great
distance is plainly seen, the numerous
towns and villages, the many forts. with
that most famous of all, Mt. Valerian, a
very strong work on a high hill over
toward st. Cloud, the fortress so fire.
quently mentioned in the newspapers
during the siege OF Paris.
The observation gallery is incompar-
ably the best one | ever saw, in spite of
the awful height, 1000 feet, one feels
perfectly secure, and no matter what the
weather may be, it is comfortable up
there and nothing to intercept the view
in the slightest degree. Just across the
river captive balloon made ascensions,
going about two hundred feet above the
top Of the tower. The charge of convey
ance to the top is 4 francs, and the
tower has long since paid for itself, it is
, all clear profit now, and they deserve to
make money, for it took a tremendous
amount of faith to see their way clear; |
wish some of the capitalists in the
eastern part of the United States
had even a small portion of their
faith, when local improvements are
under discussion.
Just back of the tower are the remains
of the exhibition buildings of 1880;
large as they are they are nothing com
pared to the gigantic lower part of the
tower. Just across the river is the Tro-
cadero, fine stone building of a circular
shape, standing on a little hill and with a
handsome lawn sloping toward the river
This building was part of the exposition
but was intended to be permanent. Just
in the rear of this, is the little cemetery
where we found the tomb of Marie
Baskirtseff as peculiar and Russian as
herself. Her mother has erected toni
which has one good-sized room, fur
nished with many things which had be
longed to the dead girl, including som,
of her paintings: the interior could b'
viewed through the glass of the orna
mental doors. The mother now spends
her time in showing to visitors the studio
formerly used by her daughter.
The opera building occupies fine po
sition at the head of the broad Avenue
de rOpera, which starts at the Louvre
1t is very hOndsome INTELLECTUALLY, il
built of granite and fronts on thre,
streets The vestibule and grand stair
case is magnificent, and it is fine sigh
to witness the outpouring of the audi
ence after each act, to promenade in th'
elegant lobbies. Almost every persOI
rushes out at the end of the act, al
though they scarcely have time to ge
outside before the electric bells call then
back for the next act. tits positively tn,
worst notion | ever knew an audience t,
have, a perfect nuisance to those espe
cially who do not wish to go out eacl
time.
The tomb of Napoleon is simply mag
nificent. 1t is Joined to the rear of til,
church of the Invalides, through tn,
glass partition one is plainly seen from
the other, The tomb is mass of marble
under the great dome is circular spac,
about 25 feet below the level of the floor
A row of female figures in marble bea
on their heads the splendid white marbl,
parapet surrounding the mausoleum, owe
which visitors lean to look down on til,
immense block of black granite finely cut
in which the body of Napoleon reposes
AT the corners of the building are larg
rooms containing the bodies of Othe
noted men. Old soldiers, covered will
medals are on guard, and woe to hin
who does not tread softly there. VIII,
this place OF so much beauty and inter
est should be opened only ON parts o
four days a week / could nOtimagine, bu
this is the style everywhere in Europe
the hours for public buildings and gal
leIies to be opened are arranged in sucl
la peculiar way, and generally one day il
a week they are closed, no one can tel
why, there is no need of it, but it all re
quires study to make the most of one
time, for these places are opened lat
and closed early.
The Palais Royal was formerly til,
abode of prince, who got hard up TO
money, and conceived the idea of max
ing the whole of the first story of his i'm
mense palace into shops and rentin,
them, a scheme which was carried out
and gives Paris collection of shops tn,
like of which cannot be found elsewhere
The number of them is very great, on,
whole side is devoted exclusively to Jew
elry stores, said to be the largest anC
most dazzling exhibit in the world. 1t il
curious 10 wander through the various
corridors, lined with shops.
The Avenue Champs Elysees, a granC
tree-lined boulevard, a wide roadway
bounded on each side by grass, the whole
width about 400 feet. 1t leads directly
to the great "Arc de Triomphe," built
by Napoleon l; passing under this, il Oh
foot, the Avenue BOis de Boulogne is on.
tered, a broad boulevard lined with trees
and fine mansions, and which leads Ia
the wood of Boulogne, great tract OF
| lOTeSt, JnTOuHn WHICH nne ROADS, long
vistas, bride and foot paths have been
cut. During the war of 1870 the Ger.
mans occupied this for a camp, so that
when they left after Paris surrendered,
very few of the trees were left, terrible
wreck had been made of the once lovely
place, but no one would now dream Il
had ever been touched.
The "Arc de Triomphe'' and the "Arc
Carrousep' in the Place de Ia Concorde
are the only two erected of the four Ma
poleon intended TO put up to his own
glory, but his laboEs were sadly inter
rupted by the allied troops, and he went
away to visit.
The Carrousel held the famous Vene-
tian horses until Napoleon had to re-
store them; they were replaced by a
very ordinary group. The Place de la
Concorde is a very large open square, just
opposite the rear of the Louvre; having
fountains and statuary, but mostly
paved. An ancient Egyptian obelisix
near the middle marks the spot where
Marie Antoinette was executed, while all
about the square are marble monuments,
each one representing French city. That
of Strasburg, taken by the Germans, is
covered with mourning tokens to signify
that it is dead to France. A short dis.
tance back Jf the square is the famous