New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
FRANCES SHOOTING SEASON
IT'S OPENING WILL INTERFERE WITH THE
GENERAL APPROXIMATIONS OF
GALLO SPORTSMEN.
Paris, August 0.

",
the Minister of the Interior into three great
uonos !, ono of which the season begins on
August 10. the second on August 20, and the
third on August 81. by referring 10 'hc almanac
il will be seen that each of the dates falls upon
Sunday, that being the DAY CHOSEN ny nos'
Frcnchmen upon which TO go shooting. France
differs from most Of the other countries In
Europe in that very few Of the great territorial
marnatcs take the trouble Of preserving game.
Moreover. the bulk Of the land is in the hands
of small peasant proprictorS, lac' w''lch hatu-
rally nreyents any preserving on large scale.
The consequence is that game Is exceedingly
scarce. although the sportsmcn are perhaps more
ru,orous than in any other country. Indeed,
there is hardly Frenchman who does not in the
corrso NJ tbo season shoulder a gun ard set forth
70 kill something. Az a rule the contents OF his
oamo-bac arc limited to rabbits arks and per-
hans a blackbird or two. Lucky, indeed. is he
when he secures that much, and is not forced to
purchase OF some gamcdcaer or poultercr Eng
jish nboasants. German partridgcs or Italian
ouai, in order not TO expose himself to ridicuc
whom be rcturns TO the bosom Of lis family.
The paucity Of results does not in any way in
tcrfcre with the magnificcncc OF the equipment
of the sportsman, and it is difficult to conceive
a more entertaining spectacle thah 'hat pre-
scntcd by the appearance OF the great Ia'iro''
tcrmini here on the evening OF the SATURDAY pre-
codiro tho opcninr day. Nowhere clse is to be
soon such an elaborate array OF Gaine-hass' guns,
rjcantic hunting knives, cartridGc-bcltS, re-
trovors and costumes. the CATERS and the caps
being particularly gorgeous. The conversations
foo is interlardcd with all sorts Of English sport
ing expressions and phrascolory, which, Owing
;,r;t nf the pronunciation, Arprl
con. would have some difficulty In recognizing
or comprchcndmg The return on th" Sun
dav evening is less triumphant than the de-
parture and the days shooting frequently Is
brought 10 close in some wcll-known restaurant
herr, Tho sportsmcn taking advantage OF IN" I"aN"
Of absence accorded TO them ny their better halves
60 make the most Of their liberty. II Il the
chasscnr of the establishment who toward IN"
early hours Of morning is thea sent on 10 Our
great markets 10 purchase the game, ana NJ OF
o'clock the Nimrod reaches his home, according
10 his own account by the first morning 'ralh'
completely exhausted by the fatiSucs OF IN" cha''
the partie fine ut the boulevard restaurant h"lh'
kept a profound secret. II is prudent, however
for the sportsman 10 maintain amIcab" relations
with his cook. since otherwise sh" Is apt TO draw
,bo attention Of her mistress 10 the fact that t."
game is either unrcaSonably high or "l" that
there are no traces OF shot, most OF the i'r'lIh
oomo that reaches tho Partisan markets having
been shared in traps and nets. i.v'n ir'h'"-
man ar rather. 7 shonll say, n Partisan. than
whom there is no man more fertile IN rc'"Hr'" ana
moro ready with an excuse is apt 10 LOOK non
nIussoJ and embarrassed when. after "Npaiatlnc
AZ oroot loncth on tine extraordinary manner m
which he brought down tli" pheasant or ~"
nartridcc or thu rabbit. his vii" suddenly appears
In tho room and interrupts him with ia" port'nt-
ous remark that the cool, finds il impossible either
70 nluck tho bird or skin the bunny, owing To IL
advanced state Of decomposition. Tho only
Frcnchmcn who do not 90 in for shooting mr." IL"
disciples Of Izaall Walton, most Of them retired
shopkccyers who throughout IN" summer. IN ram
or sunshine line the banks OF th" seine, not onlf
above and below Paris but even III" "mbankn"ht
within the city limits and who are perfectly CON
tent II a day Of twelve hours fishing enables Thorn
10 scturn home with three or four minnows the
size Of n sardinc.
II i. 70 DO foorcl that tho opening NJ III"
shooting season will interior" with IN" attendant"
Of voters at The polls ~ any rate IN tho'r
districts where The Season hcgins on thr Goth. ~"
date fixed for the general election or where il
has already begun the week previously. In
fact the Government would have don" better
10 have chosen another month for It's appeal
70 the country than AUGUST II i probable tina
the assurance possessed ~ III" Administration OF
attaining a largo majority renders it indifferent
10 any considerations aS regards time or oppor-
tunity. II il expected. indeed. that the Govern
mcnt. notwithstanding ~" Panama and other
kindred scandals. will poll larger vote than ~
any general election held since the overthrow Of
the Empire. The Monarchist- seem doomed 10 al
most entire disappearance. Tho Cont" de Paris
and his wealthy relatives appear indispos'd to
devote any more money 10 th" propaganda or
tbcir cause. and circular has been issued by
their principal lieutcnGnts here appealing for sub
scriptions from the public I'm order 10 meet I'll"
electoral expenses Of III" party. This appeal III
itself is calculated 20 dampcn any enthusiasm
or fcrvor which the followers Of the 'omte d"
Paris may formerly have possessed, and il s'Tns
scarcely fair 70 ask them e. devote their money
ia a cause In which he himself il no longer
willing TO risk ccntme. Moreover. the some
what shabby treatment accorded 10 the Duchess"
dues who devoted no less than 3,ueoO"o
francs Of her fortune to the furtherancc oi IN"
Conir de Paris's prct'nsions ut III" Tim" OF
his alliance with General Eouangcr, is calculated
20 discourage people who might otherwise feel
disposcd TO put their hands in their pockets in
responsc 20 the circular letter bearing the we'll
known signatures Of the Marquis Costa de- Beau
regard. OF the Marquis dllarcourt ana of the
Comte dc Chcvilly. The appeal concludes with
the stercotypcd announcement Ia the effect
that "tho smallest contributions will Ia thank
fully received"
One by ono the great ladies Of the Napolconic
court are disappearing from Wow, the most recent
death being that OF the gentle old Comtcsse de
Brancion, who was the widow OF distinguished
officer killed before Scbastopo and who, after
tho loss OF her husband, was appointed govcrncss
TO the little Prince Imperial. Although the
widow OF Admiral lruat was nominally the prn-
cipaI "Gouvernante dcs Enfants de France yet
il was the Comtcssc de Brancion to whom the
actual care OF the child inruscd, and up
TO her last days she never tired Of telling
what a sweet-tcmprcd warm-hcartd boy the III
IL L. L.. Lon,