New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04
TOPICS IN PARIS.
GAYETY Is RAPIDLY WANING.
HARD TIMES pREvAI.-MrNs DINNERS - ART
EXHIBITIONS - THE DIsAPPEARANcE
OF TIE CAFE RICHIE.

entertaining going on now Last year at this
time the leading restaurants were crowded. While
! in every thoroughfare Of the fashionable us
: tricts one could see windows ablaze with hght
and hear the more or less rant echoeS oi
! dance music This winter there is far less
gaycty. People appear to go TO bed hiuch ea'iler'
/ and even the boulevard restaurants cose their
! doors shortly after II. owing to lack OF bus-
moss II IL not that the city is by any means
| empty and the Parsians who have LETT Tor the
south are after all. but small minority. any
| doubts on this subject being set at rest by the
/ crowded condition Of the clubs OF an afternoon
/ and the number OF well-known faces mat nave
! been seen on the ice during the last week Inc
! truth is. however. that entertaining mas become
! SO very costly. and the hOspiialltes so suihplu-
! Gus and elaborate that considerations OF
economy compel all those who do not happen TO
be perfect Croesuses 10 restrict their receptions
70 one or two great functions during the season.
instead Of opening their salons weekly or Tort
nightly as formerly And It IS to be feared that
until this period Of depression, coupled win the'
under the circumstances i-tImed, tendency OF
society toward ostentatious and eXtravagant en-
tertaining. give way to better times and greater
sirnnlcitv there IS likely 10 be- little Improvement
In our social gayety.
As usual during the period intervening be-
tween New-Year's and the Concours Hip
nioue. or Horse Show, small exhibitions and
mems dinners are the order of the day. These
stag parties invariably take place at the boule-
ward restaurants and should you 20 to the
Lion dor. to Durand's to Noisin's or tn We
tours YOU will be asked II YOU belong 10 the
"Macedoines," the HOurguignons." the Beet
Roots or 10 the Potatoes. These are the
names Of associations formed mainly for the
purpose of bringing together round the dinner
table men who are Interested in kindred pur-
suits and who might not otherwise have many
social opportunities for the interchange Of
ideas. There are the diners dos Timidcs' tof
the bashfI ones). the diners des Auteurs
Stiles" (of playwrights whose pieces have been
hootel off the stagc the dinner OF the
"Parisiens de- Paris" which took place last
night and at which Emile Zoa and Francois
Cope delivered addresses. and that Of the
"Amis dcs Livrcs." presided over by the Duo
d'Aumale: while Sunday night the "Mo"-
ristcs" fifty in number sat down to their annual
banquet in the restaurant Of the Hotel dos So
ctites Savautes in the Rue Serpcn'c The
Moli1rstes form one one ~ the ollrsi-csiabliShel
societies in Paris, comprising bibliophlles. actors.
journalists poets and authors. all OF them alike
interested in honorng the memory Of Frances
hoping 10 enjoy an opportunity Of producing
their own literary lucubrations ~ one kind and
another. Turbo' ana ducks alirrnatrd with
rhymes and sonncts. and Will some were wei
come the majority were quite the reverse. and Il
needed all the philanthropy promoted by n sue
cuent rcpast. washed down by Burgundy. To
submit 10 the infirtion with good grace
With regard to the exhibitions now In progress
the principal ones are those of the Photo Club
(Which has opened international exhibition
at the Georges Tcttcs Gafferics I'm III" Rue Sze)
and Of the Lady Artists In other galleries II the
same establishment. The Photo club has suc-
cecded In obtaining exhibits from the bcsi-known
amateurs in tn" United States. Italy. England.
Russia and Austria. and among those whose
works have received particular commentator I'm
the art columns Of the Partisan press are the
prints Of Miss T.. Clarkson. 81 Ncw-York: Mr..
J. q. Bullock and Clarence Moore Of Phadel-
phia; Mr.. Enkemyere Of YonkeIs: Miss f.. !.
Farnsworth, Of Albany. and Mr. W. b Post Of
New-York The Lady Artists exhibition con-
sists Of oil paintings pastcls aquarelles and
miniatures. ana the pictures of Princess Edmond
DE- Polisnac. who exhibits under her maiden
name Of Winner tia Singer. Of Miss Emma Chad
wick ana Miss Emma Spare seem to have at
tractcd special attention. While on the subject
Of ladies' exhibitions let me ada that n ladies'
fencing club has just been started here under
the patronage of the Corntcssc de Murat Of the
Confess De I.ongucyal. and Of other ladies ~
the great world who have achieved renown FOR
their skin with the foils The principal pro-
fessor is not n man. but Nine Gabrielle the
wife Of The former master-at arms Of the great
military school Of Saint-Cyr; and the device
adopted by the club Is "Ludus Pro Forma." since
the exercise Of fencing is calculated 20 develop
the special graces and beauties OF the feminine
figure
\ wcll-known club which has accorded n /
more les costly hospitality to many Amer |
ican visitors 10 this city-namely he Grand /
Cerce. Of which NJ. de- Itrtdia. formerly Min /
ister Of Public Works. is prcsident--has Just /
been closed by order Of the Project Of Police on |
The ground that some of its members had been |
guilty OF infringing the very strict regulation
prohibiting the borrowing of money by members /
from the "garcons de jcu." or attendants at the
card tables. Nearly every one Of the card /
scandals which have been SO prolific in the
clubs here OF late years have had their origin
in dishonest completely between these garcons
de jeu and members Of the club who had been
unfortunate enough. by means Of loans to place
themselves within their power. Hence the action
Of the Preftc Of Police, which. although severe
and altogether unexpected. meets with general
approval-cXcept. naturally on the part OF the
members of the now defunct club.
Every year abOu, this time are threatened
with strike on the part OF the members Of one
branch or the other of the postofce department.
Two years ago the letter carriers were on the
point Of quitting work owing TO the Government
having minated It's intention OF restricting
the number OF neither garments furnished annu-
ally to the men. Last winter 1t the parcel
carriers who were dissatisfied with the gratuites
donated by those residing in the districts which
they served. while this January IT is the men en-
poyed In the railway postal service who are de-
handing increased pay compensation for the
extra work entailed by the sending Of New Years
,ards etc. While on this subject II may be OF in
erest to state that the recent references in the
press with regard To the existence Of
A Cabinet NOir' at the pOCtoffce, where the let
ers and correspondence of persons suspected By
he authorities either political or criminal