Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14

the corner OF the Rue Laf6tte, on the Rue La
! fayette that two notable barricades were strug-
| gled over when the communist we're driven
| back.
Like nearly all Paris streets, except in the
richest and newest quarters Of residences. the
| ground Goors of the houses which line the Rue
Latht'e are occupied by shops and offices.
Under Lady Richard Wallsces fine apartments
| there 10 q shop of the boulevard and there are
only two exceptions TO the rule along the whole
| street One Is the old Turkish embassy, which
goes begging for tenant, because no one
would now think Of keeping up go great an
| establishment in this part Of the city The
| other is the banking house of Rothschild.
THE RoruscHiLp's BASKIso HOUSE
Rothschild's is made up OF Nos. 10, q and
% Of the Rue Lafitte. No. 10 is the entrance
| to the old mansion. now long abandoned as
residence. Behind 1t they still keep the beauti-
full old garden, with its forest trees which
runs back, forming terrace along Rue La
fayette-a curious sight In this heart of busting
Paris. The exterior appearance Of Ro;hschilds
is Quot and grave beyond the imagination Of
Americans. There il slgn not even a door
plate, no plate glass windows and especial
mark Of notability. II is row of dull Hooking
yellow fronts in stucco, without ornament, and
with small iron bars at the windows, which have
cheap green shades. There is usually a number
OF handsome private Carriages in front; but this
| is its only sign. 1t might be passed repeatedly
and never noticed.
In the possession Of such q neighbo. as the
Banker Rothschild the d~ellers on the Rue Laf
Ate have ono advantage which Ia at the same
time II result OF a most decided disadvantage. 1t
is not known whether the anarchists hold the
Rothschids in particular detestation, but the
great bankers for a long time have employed
special police officers to patrol the Rue tafitte
| in front of their establishment. T" have two
officers near at hand on q dark, narrow street il
a considerable safeguard in Paris, where night
| attacks are frequent and sometimes occur on
tho grand boulevard itself The continuation
Of the Rue Laffitte beyond the church Of
Lorette ia called tho Rue des Martyrs Here a
! few weeks since young man returning from
tho new skating rink of the Pole Nord was
stabbed to death at an early hour Of the morn
ing, His mistake was to walk alone in Paris
during the late night But this portion Of the
| Rue Laffitte is made safe from bandits and rob-
bers by the presence Of Rothschild's private
| police.
| All this Is in the night time; but there are
| other unsupported robbers on the Rue Laffitte
| by day. from whom the police. regular or tr-
| regular. offer no protection. They are 20
| numerous that they give the street its peculiar
character. They are the picture dealers and
| the curiosity shops.
PICTURE DEALERS AND CURIOSITY sHors.
It is from these shops-some very great and
| rich and hono-able--that the American taste IN
painting Is largely decided. The picture
dealers Of the Ruo Lafi.te have special faculty
for cornering the floating works, sketches,
experiments and the like Of lately deceased
| painters with great names and then Of boom
ing the market consistently until they have dis
| posed OF them to regular patrons at good
price. Only a short time ago it was Millet, of
whom you could find specimens in profusion,
often mere studies. but rated at prices which
the painter never received for his best works
when he was alive. Last winter it was the turn
OF Corot and many pale study of mopoton-
Gus tint, with deadly yellow glaze like oil
cloth, was set up in an expensive frame to
| tempt the lovers OF great name. Year after
year new picture dealers set themselves up be-
side the old ones, hoping 20 catch the accidental
trade OF passing strangers, who remember that
some where Oh the Rue Lafitte there are deal
ers in masterpieces.
Their near cousins, the curiosity dealers, are
even more dangerous to tamper with They
show you antique snuff boxes, watches with
curious dials all Of tho last century clocks fur
niture, tapestries, armOr and every other thing.
They peculiarly affect old miniatures which
| they unblushingly attribute to Boucher Frago-
| nard and artists of that character and time
| 1t is quite fair to say that one must have
knowledge OF antiquities to cope with these
! polite dealers. There IRE also here dealers in
! remarkably fne prints especially Of the early
times of engraving. and sellers of costly antique
| books, and there the usual shops which
| handle modern expensive editions de luxe and
engravngs. 1t these shops which determine
the character OF the Rue Laffitte to the ordi-
| nary victor Of Paris
There are, however, two other kinds Of in
dustry on this street. The first gives group
| of hotels and the second few wholesale wine
houses. The latest addition hns been to the
latter class. 1t is the agency of a Malaga firm,
where every species OF spanish wine is sold
sherry cheaper than in Jsrez, Malaga at better
bargains than in its native city. not 10 speak
/ OF port and Madeira, which are not Spanish at
| all, and of Manzanilla and the other rank ia bic
wines of Spain. Then there is a number Of
| minor champagne houses. Each month q new
| brand is put on the market, for which great
things are claimed-you can have large bot
tie as cheap rs three francs Perhaps the less
| said about these cheap champagnes the better
| They are OF the class that il now and again ex-
| plotted IN America, at prices nearly as high as
the weii-known labels Immense discounts can
| be given on them to the Wholesale dealers who
can afford to keep In their pay impecunious
young men that once were rich and have now
| prestige enough to introduce the wine into
clubs and to society.
| THEE SMALL HOTELS.
The small hotels form the lat OF the indus
| tries Of our little street. There are three of
them all much patronized by foreigners-one
by Italians and South Americans, another bv
| English and Americans and all by provincial
| Erenchmen. Their usual price ia ten francs, or
| 81, day for room and board complete. Their
table dhote Is the resort of people who wish to
| eat great deal for small sum, and it is really
| as cheap as anything in Paris. In one Of them,
at least, there Is curious sliding scale Of prices
| for every room in the house. with board with
out board, single meals, weekly table board and
! wine. all graduated according to the age, ma
| tionalty, sex and external appearance of each
applicant. Ordinarily four francs is charged
| Tor the regular dinner Of the hotel. including d
! half bottle Of wine. soup, fish. entree vegeta-
| bic, roast. salad. dessert and cheese. II the
stranger argues for while he will have the
| lunch at three francs ard the dinner will re-
| main firm at four. II he has friend among
the hahitues of the hotel both meals NAV be re,
duced to three francs and he pays when he eats.
| If he eats two meals day for the term Of two
weeks the price will come down to two francs
| for each meal, and even know Of one Young
| Frenchman who has complete board and lods-
| ing at the hotel For five francs a day-that is,
| an exact dollar. and this includes service and
| butter with his morning coffee.
For myself long since learned to dread the
ordeal OF table hote. terrible alike to nerves
and stomach But the liberty Of restaurants is
| near at hand and for one who likes the real
| Paris, with all its fsvors Of art and histur,o
gossip, there may be far worse homo than
bachelors apartment in the dirgy Rue Lafsitte.
STERLING HELLO.
Empire Toilet.