The morning call., 1893-07-09
FRENCH PEASANTS CRITICIsING STATIONS WORK

the less was the place an eyesore to the
PaFisians with their love of order and pic
turesque beauty. Finally the P-efect
of Public Works took the matter
in hand. To-day the old, Cnsighty quarry
forms one of the most beautiful parks ad 4.
lacent to the French capital. Masses of
verdure have clothed unsightly spots with
varlegated coating of lovely green
from rocky lodges dash watercourses, in
one instance having fall of about 100
feet. and the entire place is one mass of
flowers and foliage.
THAT illustrates the French character,
and the Government wisely considers that
in fostering and educating the artistic
tastes of the people it is ot only bepe6ting
the nation materially but developing some
thing In each citizen Of which they never
can be robbed and which is an everlasting
delight.
"The Government appropriates about
$500, 900 per annum for the encouragement
of art, and this year it has made purchases
in the salons amounting to $4,000. In
this way valuable works are secured
10 tie nation, and are distributed
among the art institutions of the
country. 1t is amusing to stroll
through the Louvre or any Of the art gal
leries on a Sunday and listen to the re-
marks made and the criticisms passed on
the art treasures dis played. The poor and
common folk know all the celebrities by
name, and their work is subjected to a
rigid and in the main truthful criti-
cism."
There are several student quarters, but
at Montparuasse and Mnntmartre most of
the Eng lsh-speaking foreigners live.
was fortunate in knowing some French
people, and quickly got in contact with
the artistic crowd | desired to mingle
with-the past masters in the French
school. In this way L mastered the Ian
guage in a very short time and felt at
home.
Americans often make mistake. Clubs
have been established in the neigh borhoods
where students congregate, and while in
every way admirable they always appea red
to me to have an unsatisfactory effect.
Students too often would 60 from the clu b
TO the studio and from the studio TO the
club aud never get in touch with the peo-
pla in whose midst they were living. They
remained as alien in language and artistic
thought at the end of their student career
as when they began.
"Of course these clubs. partaking as they
do of a semi-religious character, offer a
good substitute for home. and often pre-
vent youngsters from drifting into bad
habits. l am speaking, however, only
from an art standpoint.
n remember not long before / came
away being in one of the restaurants on
the boulevard when two verltable hay
seeds'-they afterward told me they were
from Salt Lake-came and sat down be-
side me. and, l suppose, taking me for
an Englishman or an American, called
out:
''Sav, mister, look at the list, will you,
and see If we can get any pork and beans
We've been trying to get good square
meal for three weeks and haven't struck it
yet
Now. these youths had been in Paris a
month, but they had started off by isola-
ting themselves. and. without change.
their residence in Paris would benefit
them but little.
Il remember, too. very decent young
fellow who for time was in my set We
all called him Ragout de Muuton and for
this reason: For five solid months after
his arrival in Paris, whenever any one
happened across him in any of the res
taurants he was sure to be found raven
ously devourlng ragout or stew. One
day some of the boys chaffed him about
his prediction for this one dish, when he
replied: 'Geewilikins, bows, it's the only
thing on the card l can ask for
Poor old RagOut," murmured NJ. STAN
ton. as his thoughts flew back into the
past. "he acquired better sense later and
got out of the rut into which he and too
many others had been running.
"Can a student follow his studies on
very moderate sum? Oh. yes, but it would
expense is so wide. The mode of study
ing varies, too. Any one under 80 years of
age is eligible, so far as age goes. for ad-
mission to the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
There a thorough technical art educa-
tion is given, but as almost all the leading
artists have academies, where the models
are much superior. this one fact attracts
large following of students. Indeed, not
unfrequently pupils of the Ecole des Beaux
Arts go for certain studies to an artists
academy just for the benefit of the m 3D.
els"
And with whom did you study, Mr..
Stanton?"
Jean Paul Laurens, the great historical
painter, was my teacher. He is beauti-
Iul col0Tlst and wonderful craftsman.
His composition is most Impressive and
woe In scope, reminding one. in painting,
Of Wagner's breadth in music lie is now
preparing frescoes for the Pantheon and
the Hotel de Vile. l spent happy days
under MS tuition. Then | also studied
under Paul de Lance and George Cabot.