New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-20
GRAND DUKES IN THE SLUMS.
GLISfPSES OF THE UNDER WORLD OF PARIS

GLISiPSES OF THE UNDER WORLD OF PARIS
| Paris, December H.
The Russian Grand Dukes Alexis and vladimir
have been doing" the slums of Paris under the
escort of NJ Rossigno Of the detective department.
In like manner they have visited the underworld
of st. Petersburg and London. and they
| anxious TO sec and compare the lessons de
| Paris Their motive they declare to have been
| less curiosity than pity, but it is not improbable
| that this was an afterthought of the Imperial
| visitors. Certainly il would he a very hard
hearted person whose predominant sensation after
| such an experience could be any other than pity.
Grand Duke Vladimir concludes from his OBJ
servations that misery in Paris differs. in it's out
ward aspect at least, from misery elsewhere 1t
3 as hungry, cold and naked, certainly as
| vicious, but not nearly as ugly And his estl-
mate is not far wrong. Here every one laughs;
no other city in the world has so many shrine.
erected to folly. The Moulin Rouge has its side
| street counterpart, and Paris qui samuse has its
lower Depths which, unless one enjoys especial
| escort, it is impossible to penetrate.
Not only in those dismal haunts where criminals
hold rendezvous, but in the more innocent and
harmless resorts of the lower classes strangers
regarded with the utmost suspicion. There is one
dingy place Of entertainment known as the Cafe
aux Mrlitons, in the Elysee MOntmartre, which is
very popular. A large part of its attractivencss
| lies in tho mystery and secusion with which il
| is enwrapped. The door is locked, the windows
tightly suffered that not single ray of light
escapes into the street. One raps several times
before the door is unlocked, and opened the very
smallest crack, and porter demands the business
of the intruder. II he is admitted. the door is
| Immediately barred behind him. There is abso-
| utely nothing to conceal. The crowd within is
rowdy enough, but not at all criminal. 1t is the
custom of the place to greet every newcomer with
abusive remarks. the ruder and more offensive the
better. The noise is deafcning most of it coming
| from toy whistles made Of papier-mache These
are the mirltons" from which the place is named.
| There is bar at one end of the room, and the
amusement-seekers sit around small tables and
drink cheap beer while the show goes The
| !" show" is NJ. Aristide Bruant, the proprietor of
| the place, a veritable character. He walks up
| and down the room, among the tables, and sings
| topical songs of his own composition, immensely
| clever of their kind and Of flavor pungent
enough to suit his audience. He also recites stand
| ing on chair at one end of the ROOM Overhead
hangs another chair, which is not an ornament, but
| q memento of the former proprietor of~the Mir
| ltons who was Drained with it in q cafe row.
No such accident is likely to happen to M. Rruant
| lie is an athletic person and abundantly able to
take care of himself. He is proprietor, manager.
| entertainer, barkeeper and bouncer," and fills
each role or all Of them at once, if necessary, to
| perfection.
The Cabaret du Perc Jules is another curious
| resort. The advertisement reads:
"Au Pere Jules
VouleZ-vOus rire ct vOuS amuser 2?
Musee Comique pour les aduItes settlement"
| This solicitude for the morals of the younger
generation is mere blind, however Except the
mixtures with which the walls are decorated there
is nothing particularly indecent to be SEEM The
"musee comique' consists of number Of rather
| ingenious machines, such stereoscope into
which one looks expecting to see picture one
presses the spring according to directions, and a
stream Of water or a quantity flour is squirted
into his face. The lower class Frencrman has
enough of the child about him to be immensely
entertained by this sort Of thing, and does not
feel cheated that the entertainment is so much
less immoral than the advertisement would have
him believe.
The balmusette is another form of amusement
as popular in Paris as in other places. The Grand
Dukes were much impressed at one place in which
the men dancers were made TO pay two sous for
each dance This comes high, but plenty Of
men 90 without their dinner for hour of
Waiting =" 1t is very French" said Grand Duke
Alexis.
As interesting in their way as the cafe chantants
are the underground restaurants frequented by
the lower classes at an hour when everything
else has closed Under many OF the colder houses
of Paris are remarkable cellars-two or three OF
them. built over each other In these caves the
din of Bedam might go on and not sound
| penetrate TO the street above. They are kept
open ell night, and patronised by AL sorts
and conditions of night-wanderers, from honest
market people to thieves and highwaymen The
aspect of the place is perfectly quiet and orderly,
no games or amuscments are carried on, but at
the same time IL people feel like retiring to dark
corners and talking in suspciously low and in
tense whispers, one interferes.
No Summing experience in Paris is complete
without a visit TO the ras-pickers' settlement.
There are several Of these, Tut the most celebrated
| is lust outside the city the cemetery of st.
| Ouen. Imagine collection of huts, shakily con-
structed out of a tumble of back-door debris-oid
boards tiles broken bricks, bits of sheetiron, and
odd scraps of zinc and tin, stones, turf, mud,
matches of old carpet-the refuse Of generation
Of ash-barrels These huts are built In lines, more
or less regular, digniied by the name Of streets
and avenues. even boulevards. for all one knows,
for no more pompous or selfsatisfed community
exists than that Of the chinoniers. They num-
Der over 10000, and are as well organized and
knit together as any Industrial society. The call
ing Is hereditary 20 large degree, there are
restrictions on the business, and protection from
outsiders Is guaranteed by law. Zach colony