The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-07-02
BARON HAuSSMANN.
The Career Of the Energetic Project Who
RECONSTRUCTED Paris.

RECONSTRUCTED Paris.
Baron Haussmann, the creator of mod
ern Paris, through the vast systems of
public improvements instituted and
carried out by him as prefect Of the
Seine under Louis Napoleon, was strick-
en- by apoplexy while at dinner on re-
cent evening, and died in the course of
the night, being nearly eighty-two
years old. Hadssmann was q native
Partisan, says the Springfield (Mass.)
Republican, and grandson Of man
who was banished by mistake In 1910
as one Of those who in convention voted
the death Of Louis XVI. He was born
March 81, 1909, Yves educated at the Con-
servatory of Music, but became IN ad-
vocate, and after the revolution ct 1880
was sub-prefect successfully Of several
departments, and project Of the Var,
the Yonne, and the Gironde under the
presidency of Louis Napoleon.
Shortly after the second empire was
established Haussmann was made pre-
feet of the Seine, and entered at once in
1858 upon the changes which have made
"Haussmannizing" term to signify
the complete transformation of a city
from age, dirt, crookedness and sqnalor
to freshness, cleanliness, convenience
and splendor. Some have said that the
idea of these unexampled improvements
in it's main outlines belonged to Napo-
leon I'LL, but the energy and ability
with which they were achieved. were
such as to almost entitle Haussmann to
be called great. New boulevards, cut
ting through and demolishing the an
cient and picturesque but narrow and
noisome quarters of Paris; great pub
lie gardens and open squares replacing
nests of wretchedness, splendid rows Of
buildings, theaters, hospitals, asylums,
public offices; strong and artistic
bridges, fountains and many other ao-
cessorics of beauty; the making into
grand parks the Bois du Bologne, the
buttes de Chaumont, Vincennes and
Montsouris; these indicate the charac-
ter Of the work. The grand boulevard
of Sevastopol, on both banks Of the
Seine, the boulevard Malesherbes, and
over twenty others were laid out
through the old parts Of Paris, and one
of them preserves his name.
This required an immense expense,
and presently Haussmann was charged,
notwithstanding tho great sums raised
by the municipality, with raising more
money still by means of unauthorized
bonds. At his request the budget Of
the city was given to the control Of the
corps legislatif, which spent most of
the session Of 1869 in examining his ac-
counts. The result was the authorizing
of a new loan of fifty-two million dol
lars, but Haussmann was asked to re-
sign his prefecture, and, refusing to do
so, was relieved by imperial decree in
January, 1870
After the fall Of the empire he left
France for time, but the public re-
sentiment of his extravaganza was not
lasting. He returned In 1871 and was
appointed director of the Credit Mobil-
ier and brought it into pretty good con-
dition again. Haussmann was made
senator under the empire, elected q
member Of the academy Of fine arts,
and got the grand cross Of the Legion
Of Honor in 1862. In 1877 he was re-
turned to the chamber Of deputies from
Ajaccio, beating Prince Napoleon, and
was frequently called upon to defend
there his administration Of the public
works. The municipal council of Paris
even voted in 1870 to change the name
Of the boulevard Haussmann, but final
lv relentad