New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-03

CHANGES IN THE PLACE ,VENDoME-AN
ARISToCRATIC MARRIAGE.
Paris, August IS, 1893.


our at-beleagurcd population by the pubic holi
day on Tuesday last. Those OF us religiousiy in
clincd celebrated the day as the Feast OF the
| Assumption. The few Bonapartists that are left
| celebrated il as the Fete Napoleon The Mon
archists celebrated the day as commemorative the
VOW Of the childless King Louis NH, and by i'm
plication the birth of Louis XIV, while the
ordinary Republican content to regard the date
MS mere public holiday, without giving much
thought 10 its why or its wherefore. Never,
| indeed, have / seen 9th OF August uni
versally observed as very popular holiday. and
| q feature OF the day the increased attendance
ut the metropolitan churches and the marked en-
| thusiasm with which the prayers for the Pope
and the Republic were sung, as If to indicate the
widespread satisfaction which the new conciliatory
| policy of His Holiness toward the present French
regime is ahordng to our people. Most people
took advantage of the day 10 leave the city, and
it's thorOughfares, with their interminable rows OF
garng white houses were a. deserted as tile streets
| of some sun-bathed Oriental town at the hottest
part of the day. There Is no respite from the
overpowering and tropical heat, nor there any
signs of the prolonged drouth coming to an end
The sun continues to pour its rays on just and
unjust alike, and the temperature is like that Of
a Turkish bath. Our people to have lost
all their sprghtincss, their life and their vim, and
walk about languidly and in sleepy way, eating
little, but drinking, ! am sorry to say, great
deal. Indeed the cafe and wineshop propretors
reaping a rich harvest, owing to the permanent
thirst developed among the Parsians. Iced
| sorbets, lamonades, settler water. wine, beer and
cold coffee are consumed in enormous quantities
from morning TO night Crowds of customers
stand before the uncovered counters of the
marchands de win, waiting to be served with
| cheap wine carefully packed in ice tins. while in
the cafes the walters are busy at all hours OF the
day carrying cooling beverages to The gasping
Parisans. Notwithstanding this the public
health continues good, and there is no foundation
for any report to the contrary. Indeed il seems
TO be even better than in the provinces, where
the abnormal owncss of rivers and streams is re-
sulting in nauseating Odors that cannot fail 70
be injurious to the health of the inhabitants of
the district, besides which numerous industries
are at standstl owing to the dearth of wate-
for supply of steam.
OF course there is no evil that does not carry
with 1T corresponding compensation, and it
is now known that the prolonged drouth VIII
have the effect of rendering the wine harvest of
France record breaker Wine this year will not
only be extremely abundant, but exceptionally sn-
perior in quality. Grapes plentiful and OF
ever, that there is prospect of the price of wine
being affected by this abnormally rich yield Of
the vines In the first place, the wine growers, in
order to recoup themselves for losses in previous
bad years. will begin by asking high prices OF the
middlemcn. When the growers are obliged to SELL
the spectators will step in and form syndicatcs
to corner" this years wine, which they Will
only let 20 az their owl prices. A. for IN" win"
that is retaied here at ) cents quart, and which
forms the staple beverage OF the petite bourgcosie
and Of the masses no harvest, however phenomc-
nal could possibly affect either its price or its
quality When the retailer has no more in stock
he retires mysteriousy into his cellar, and alter
short time his supply is renewed without any wine
cart having been seen driving up TO his door. This
is in great measure due TO the Onerous dues ex-
acted by the municipal customs officials at the
octro gates OF Paris-dues which result in the
ma or part Of the cheap WINE sold in Paris being
manufactured within the city limits of everything
else EXCEPT grapes.
In recording the death of the Due de Rolan
last week, omitted TO mention the fact that his
wife was q stepdaughter of tie famous Countess
Guiccioli, whom the noble author of "Ehilde
Harold" rendered immortal, but who, in the de-
cline of her days in Paris the second wife Of
the Marquis de Boissy, showed no sign of ever
having been either pretty or clever enough to
charm so brilliant Lord Byron Talk
ing of the grand monde here, may mention that
during the past week there has been sort Of
pilgrimage of mobiles bearing the most illustrions
names of France to Randans, where the Comtesse
de Paris has been staying with her two daughters.
Randans is not far from Vichy and was left by |
the Comtesses father, the late Due de Monpensier,
to her second son, Prince Ferdinand of Orleans, |
who likewise succeeded TO the title of Due
de Montpensier, it being considered that the in
heritance and assumption of this French dignity |
by the old Dukes only son, Don Antonio, husband
Of the Infanta Eualia, might affect his position
as a member of the Spanish royal family and
pensoner upon the Spanish civil list. Tho
Chateau of Randans formerly an abbey and
passed through many hands before it became the
property of Nine Adelaide sister of King
Louis Philippe, who purchased it in s2l for just
half a million of francs. In the salons may be
seen portraits Of all tho royal House of Orleans,
while the chapel is noted for It's statues and
stained glass windows. 1t is likely to be the
last visit Of the COmtcsse lie Paris to the place.
as it is understood that she desires to sell it, not
even the greatest care enabling the royal
proprietors to derive sufficient income from the
property to defray the current expenses thereof.
No American who has visited Paris can fail
TO have been struck by the aspect Of the Place
Vendomc and by the imposing character of the
houses which surround the square. all of them
bearing evidence of having been built in by
gone age. 1t may interest them, therefore, TO
know that the two buildings next TO the Hotel
Bristol are about TO be sold and demolished III
order to make room for some modern cdllce
They have hitherto been tcnanted by the mill
tary governor Of Paris and his staff, who have
held their headquarters there since the com
mencement of the reign of King Louis Philippe
They were built by King Louis XIV on the
site Of the old Palace de Vcndomc and have
been inhabited in turn by Law, the famous
Gnanccr, and by the revolutionary orator,