New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-31
" THE LAUNDRESS QUEEN"
A MEDIAEvAL CARNIVAL. EVEN TO THE
BURNING OF A PASIEBOARD SINNER.
Paris, March 10.

Inc government TOOK an active interest In TIE
keeping Of Mid-Ient to-day with great out-of.
door mumming, masking and publication. II was
helped by the Town Council and the studious
youth Of the Latin Quarter where the Schools Of
the Faculties are stuatSl. or course, il Paris
was kept laughing at tine humors Of the Mid
Lent Carnival. 1t would not get excited about the
Panama scandals as they are coming to light, or
Being extinguished. at the Assizes. ] DO not re.
member 70 have ever seen such universal fun and
froc here, or in any other great capital, as pre-
vailed to-day. Md.Lcnt Is sacred to the laun-
dresses VINO save money during the twelve months
Of tie year TO enjoy themselves on this day In
their own traditional way. Each district laundry
ea<ts its Queen, and all these local sovereiSns
vic Queen of Queens who is generally chosen
because Sue j. pretty and well conducted. She Is
given a email sum of money by the City Oh Paris
TO contribute to her dowry. and she rides splen-
didly dressed in coronation robes Oh triumohal
car surrounded by her court. The minor queens
:onow on other cars The heroine OF to-days
fhy.l,tty was one Eugene Petit. eyed Nineteen a,
lnundress Of fine linen, and remarkably nice
leaking blonde, having fair, fresh face, and
light brown hair tinged with gold The students
Is the Schools of the Faculties had the happy idea
u getting up procession to represent in Jocosc
msnnc. A. BECAME the occasion, France from the
tsnc Of lleloise and Abelard 20 the present date
Tnfy then thought of amolgamatng their cavai-
OvIes With the laundresses cortege, which was
TO ;De,ude as many thirty cars. escorted oy
cavsss.y soldiers. costumed in the picturesque ur'-
nsrI Of muskctecrs of tygone kings and o! the
rrench Guard, which helped the people o! Pa:.s
to take TIE Bastile. The recent invention OF
Psris-conic:ti of colored pepper. to be used az a
substitute for the confetti nook commits made
- ytato and fhn
wac 2 meane Of greatly enhancing the zaye.y of
the fete The Italian confetti are hard Us plaster
Of paris can be- They wound the faces at which
shuy are thrown unless these are protected by
vtMs Of wire sauze The paper confetti fall as
1T se snow. They arc quite decorative when
rhry light OF furs In short they are the human
lssd srd Parisanized confetti. Another recent
hoos,tion is the spiral, which dare say was sug-
gessed By the paper ribbon Of the telegraphist
Gre buys it rolled up as the teleeraphic ribbon
raer is furnished by the manufacturer to the
Postoiice There 1. in :hc centre Of tho round
fat roll, which may be the size Of saucer. d
large plate. or a much larger dish, round space
:nro which short sticl; n's Tie stick is 10 bc
used in hngins the spiral" which takes a cork
screw form AZ IL flies through the air. and at
tackles itself 10 whatever object that may stop
i,s oOurse. HORSES. carriages and-what was
uorc remarkable were as II s beribboned
The trees were thus all along the boulcvards
never saw such sight as they presented Inc
fairylahds Of extravaganza and pantomimc were
beaten hollow The promcnaders and the dwellers
in tho houses along the boulcvards contributed
20 these decorative effects. Imagine what the
effects were in the electric light in the evening
The blue. pink, green and yellow paper ribbons
sp,ead over the trees in graceful festoons. The
foht VI
zcrhyr. and it looked scmi-transparcnt. The be-
,Ihhoamcnt often rcscmbcd mary colored cob
webs. and this from the topmost shoot to the
loves, bougl of trees nearly as tall as ivc-sfory
bouses.
Parf.ton children have passion for street
masoneradiug, and understand they are to play 'h"
marta which their costumes indicate. There were
tlorsantls CT little maskcrs in fancy dresses apoat
,o.dav. Some were dressed soldiers. some as
Judges, some "a g.onks, some as CLOWNS. or a.
MARQUIS OF the rouge hair and powder pcr'o"
Brt each entered into his or her part. the judges
looking grave. the Dragons hectornG. anu 'he
clowns clownsh. Adults were as glad TO como
out disguised The juveniles Many 81 'hcn'
formed small bands, constituting an outci-"oof
theatrical company. Thus couple OF sehu"rihcs
in uniforms OF sixty years ago ard armed Win
rasteboard saws In lieu 81 swords chased gro
tesoucly clothed fellows. s'cmnsly rapecallions.
rho were supposed TO haze stolen poultry Ihey
oevcr forgot their assumed characters and We're
splendid actors in the low comedy line. The real
noIice were gentle is lambs, and looked OH quietly
al the antics Of tie tom-io"!s.
The gathering places OF the laundrcsscs' SIN
dents. and children who were TO 90 in procession
was the Cours de la Refine behind the rams &c
rIndustre Places were marked OIL Tor each
group This place was for tho cyclists. THIS 'of
:he donkey brigade, this for the comic ShVatoh
Army, TO which the hame OF "IArmee DC 'ah"t
pas given. The Salvationists were the bowling
success o; the day. But to begin at tie %sn
ming tho vanguard OF the cor:cee was made up
OF twelve cyclists-studente al--who wore many
oolorcd cycling costumes and red or blue flannel
caps lilio those on the heads OF Pyrcnecan
mountaIncors Music fas, and furious hcraldcd
the Army Salvation lasses who coEtrivcd to
give their poke bonncts and uniforms rowdy air.
as they advanced, sold comic parody Of The
War Cry" which il here called by them " In
Ayant." or Forward The comic print was
named En- Arricrc," or Backward" Its sale
was uncommon!y brisk Coppce and other en-
incnt pocts did rot dsdan 10 contribute 70 H.
General Booth and his daughter, as the Booth
Boumsr were on donkcys The lleioisc and Aoeiara
grour was brilliantly successful Quays ana terraces
were crowded, and the trees were black with spec
ta.ors. who clustered the bouslIs Each Queen
WAS matched for tho day with King. The
second Queen" was elected by the Syndical
Chamber OF the Iaunderers and laundresses. ana
contrasted with Eugene Petit in being good
looking brunette. A Queen who excited no small
attention was Louise Pongot, whose mother, as
concierge, kept the door OF the house In which
Racachol lodged when he was engaged III making
his internal machines There was laundering
workshop in front Of the car IN which Louise
pougot was enthroned. Girls starched and ifoned
in it, and contributed as the car proceeded TO
trophy Of beautifully gotten up fancy articles In
lacc trimmed muslins. French girls are the hrst
a., .h. ,,orld for this kind of work and are really