The record-union., 1894-07-14
LIFE AT THE ELYSEE.
View of the Social Side of III. Carnot's
Career.

LIFE AT THE ELYSEE.
View of the Social side of III. Carnot's
Career.
A writer for Hd9pe7's Weekly recently
gave an interesting view of the life of
President Carnot at the Elysee Palace.
The writer states that as President of the
Republic M. Carnot received S240, 900 a
year-that is TO say, $4,000 as salary,
500, 900 for keeping up his official state,
and $4,000 for travelling expenses. This
money is paid in monthly installments
of $40, 900, and, according to NJ. Grevy's
experience, it is insufficient. With $780,
600 year the President of the Republic
cannot travel about the country. because
democratic France is still full of mon
archical traditions, and III every town
where the President spent single day he
would be expected to make such numer-
GUS and generous gifts to hospitals, chari-
ties and other local institutions that a
visit to half dozen towns would exhaust
his years budget. AS for going and Iv-
ing for any length of time in one of the
numerous national historic chateaux that
are scattered over the surface of France,
this is out of the question, because IL
would cost heaps OF money to prepare
dwelling-rooms in these chateaux, to hire
servants and TO receive visitors.
Statistics exist on this matter. A
months stay in the chateau of Saint
Cloud used to cost Napoleon exactly
100000, and during the two and half
months which he spent every year at
Compiegne. where he had hunting parties
and series of guests, the same sovereign
used to spend not less than $500, 900. The
expenses of the Elysee, according to Nj.
GreVy, are enormous. A ball at the
Elysee cost $4,000, and an official dinner
from $500 to $500. The President needs
eight horses, four carriages and the neces-
sary contingent OF groOms and coachmen.
Besides his own private servants, the
President has to pay more than thirty
huissiers, footmen, house servants, gar
deners and frotteurs, whose duty it is to
wax and polish the parquet floors OF the
palace, to say nothing of the introducer
OF EN- bassadors and Master OF Ceremonies
NJ. Mollard, and of the Secretaries of the
Elysee. With such heavy expenses as
this important establishment implies, the
only travelling the President of the Re-
public can safely undertake, without risk
of fupsetting the equilibrium of bis budget,
is journey to the Opera or the Comedie
Franchise, or a ride in the BoiS de Bou-
logne and visit to the racecourse at
Longchamps.
For these reasons NJ. Grevy limited his
hospitality at the Elysee, and gave very
few dinners. NJ. CarnoI, it is reported,
intends to give dinner every Thursday,
and to invite not only politicians and
diplomatists, but also scientists, artists
and men Of letters, who, after dinner,
will be entertained with concerts and
select dancing parties, all of which looks
lar more practical and charming on paper
than it is in reality. However. NJ. Carnot
has re-engaged the cook who presided
over the kitchens of the Elysee during
n l..
IN the neighborhood as Handsome AL
fred" (''le bel Alfred'). Alfred has been
re-engaged at his former salary of g, 800
year, but with the assurance that his
saucepans will be more active than they
were under the Grevy regime, and his
perquisites consequently more consider
able. NJ. Grevy never having honored
me with an invitation to his table, / have
never had an opportunity of testing the
skill of ''le bel Alfred" but 1 have been
given to understand that, though not to
be compared with the eminent from
pete, whom Gambetta enticed with
golden bait from the cooking stove of the
Baron de Rothschild to the Presidential
kitchens of the Palais Bourbon, Alfred
is not wanting in Imagination, tact and
ambition-very precious qualities in an
artist whose privilege 1t may be to dress
food for diplomatists, and by his cooking
to influence the destiny of nations.
The privileges which the President en-
joys besides this palace, which the State
places al his disposal as habitatIon, are
the use of the mobilier national, or ma
tional and most historic furniture and ta-
pestries preserved in the Garde Meuble-
privilege of which he avails himself for
decorating the reception rooms of the
Elysee on grand occasions-the use of the
State boxes at the Opera and the Comedie
Franchise, and of the State tribunes at the
race courses of Longchamps and Auteuil,
and the right of shooting and hunting
over certain portions of the State do
mains, namely, the forests of Marty,
Ramboulllet, Compiegne and Fontain-
bleau. Marshal McMahon used to shoot
almost exclusively at Compiegne. The
shooting right of Fontainbleau has been
let by the State to private individuals,
and since NJ. Grevy's Presidency por-
tons Of the forests of Marty and Ram
bouillet alone have been reserved for the
head of the State. NJ. Carnot, although
he had no taste for shooting, and al
though he had not handled a gun for
twenty years, had decided to shoot once
week alternately at Marty and Rambouil-
let, and to organize frequently grand bat
tues, to which he would invite the diplo-
matte corps and the high State officials,
the Senators and Deputies, by series. The
Presidents first shooting party, with
twelve guns. bagged last December, in
four hours, in the Marty woods, six roe
bucks, 36l pheasants and los rabbits.
The garden of the Elysee is full of mag
nificent old trees. and one of the finest in
Paris. Indeed it is a small park rather
than garden.
The President wears derby hat only.
of course, on such unceremonious occa-
sions as his morning stroll within the
bounds of his garden. President Grevy
was very fond of this garden, and espe-
cially of the little pond and it's noisy
bands of ducks. Whenever NJ. Greyy
was in doubt on any question he used to
ring his bell, ask for piece of bread for
Baby, Pour Bebe," the name of his pet
palmiped, step out through the easement
window and go and feed his ducks. This
was also his favorite way of escaping
from the pertinacious solicitations of Nj.
Wilson. Whenever the ex-President
wished to refuse M. Wilson, he would
simply walk into the garden, weather
permitting, and feed his pets. The conse-
quence was that Nj. Wilson reserved his
most important demands for wet days.
when he knew the elements were in his
favor, and his father-in-law consequently
in his power.