The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-31
THE BOULEVARDS
OF GAY PARIS.
Some Sights to Be Seen on a French
metropolitan ThOr0lghfarG.
The destinations Of "Les Bculevards "a
Famous Cafe-What There Is 80 OBJ
serve From O'clock to Midnight.

shall always remember one of the keen
est emotions of my youth. / had been
obliged, owing to my duties at the time. to
Danish myself to the provinces, where | had
remained almost two years, confined within
a small town, writes Francisque Sarcey i'll
Scribner's Magazine for June. The hour
came at last for me to return to Paris and
once more to enter into its possession.
Hardly had l deposited my trunk at the
hotel, when [ ran to the Madeleine and
clambered on top of one of the omni6useS
that ply along the line Of the boulevards to
the Bastille. had no business at the Bas
tile, but was almost crazy with JOY at
Breathing, during the drive, that perfume
of Partisan life which arises so strongly
from the asphalt of the boulevard and the
macadam of its roadway.
1t was evening, the s-jets (for electricity
was yet unknown spangled the darkness
with yellow lights; the shops. all opened,
shone brilliantly; the crowd was strolling
up and down the wide sidewalks. 1t was
not one Of those eager. breathless crowds
that seemed carried away in a vortex OF
business, Such as one sees in London; it
was composed of loungerS who seemed to be
walking about for their pleasure, who were
cheering to the sight, and diffused, as it
were, feeling of happiness in the air
From time TO time the omnibus passed
before theater. where long lines Of
people were already waiting for the
opening of the box office; everybody
was enjoying himself and laughing. As
we descended toward the BaStilIe the
passers-by became less numerous the
groups less COMPACT, but there still re-
NAMED the same air of happy animation. L
do not know, but it seemed to me that the
very atmosphere was lighter, more lumi-
l. cd t-it Ia 70 I of
subtle fumes of gayety mounting to lny
brain, and | remember that | could not re-
frain from clapping my hands, to the great
scandal Of my neighbOrs, who thought that
| was a little mad. 'Ah! how delightful it
is-the boulevard - | exclaimed, and l
breathed deep draught5 Of that air charged
with Joyous and spiritual electricity.
A FAMOUS CAFE.
Let US come at once to one of our oldest
and most celebrated cRles-the Cafe Tor
toni.
Tortoni! The name does not suggest
much to you, but to Us PaTisians it Is full
of "reminiscences. l have said that this es-
Paris. 1t was founded in 1893 by two
Italians, Valloni aud Tortoni. II soon
became fashionable; gentlemen of the
long robe and functionaries freauented
it. Among the habtues was lawyer named
Spolor, whose skill at billiards was surpriS-
lU1s ElLCt 1Olit anu ldu SuCu pressure
IN seeing SpOlor play. he felt such con-
fidence in his game. that he invited him one
day to his house and presented him to one
of his friends. the General Receiver for the
Department of the V0sges, also great bill
iard-player and proud of his talent. A bet
was made. solemn match was engaged be-
tween SpOlOr and the receiver, who lost in
few hours 10000 francs. You see
that it is sometimes useful to know how to
play billiards.
One of the most curious types Of the Gale
ToTtOni was Provost, one of the walters,
whose spine was as supple as his conscience,
and who never approached you unless
bowed TO the ground and asking in his soft
est tones
Pardon mel A thousand pardons! Is
Monsieur good enough to desire anything?"
IL was exquisite. What was no less so to
him was that in giving change he kept the
best part Of it for himself. If detected by
chance he had but to repeat:
Pardon me! pardon me- thousand par
dons!"
Nowadays the Cafe Tortoni is no longer
haunted by dipsomates like Talleyrand, but
by journalists and men OF letters. Toward
o'clock are found now and then gathered
around its tables few men OF vital bert
Wolff Emile Blayet, Henry Fouquier, and
finally Aurelien Scholl, the most brilliant
talker of Paris.
FROM TILL MIDNIGHT.
AZ o CLOCK OF DalI-pdSt !, dinner. HarlS
is, of all cities, the second city where one
can, according TO whim, eat the dearest OF
the cheapest. But on the bouevarGs there
is little choice; the rents are 50 enormous
that they ODlige the managers of the res
taaTants to maintain very high prices. For
eigners, beware! You are exploited in
Paris just as we are probably bounced upon
ia New York. Capitals have nothing TO
learn from one another in that respect.
Nine o'clock-YOu go TO the theater,
smoking your cigar, while spectators on
the Bourse crowd into the vast hall of the
Credit FOneler and cry out with much
noise the morrow's operations. Its what is
called the petite Bourse du S0r.
Midnight-The theaterS close. This is
the time when the aspect of the boulevards
is most varied All classes of society mi n
gle. elbowing and pushing one another.
Ladies from the Faubourg Saint-Germain
aight from their cOupes, and stop for
cup of chocolate at Tortonis; on
the sidewalk they run against might
beauties" women with painted faces
men with collars turned up and a cigar
between their lips, turn their steps
toward the clubs, where they Intend to
Indulge in game OF baecarat The dra-
nIatlc critics rush TO their newspapers in
order to imprOyise their accounts of the
play. And conspicuous above the incOn-
gruouS throng, legion of ragged hawkers,
whom we call cainelotS, echo one anOther's
voices on the bOulevards, bowling obscene
titles, protferlng TO the public ignoble pa
perS full OF naStiness and SANDERS. THIS
is one of the worst offenses in Paris, this
Geluge of filthy publications. which are
cried out with impunity in our streets with
cut the rOlice daring to interfere.
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