Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-09-17

towns on French territory and recrossing the
frontier | reached st. Privat near the end of
the line OF battle The numerous mounds
and crosses in the vicinity show how flercely
the ground was contested at this point Dis
tributed over the field are a great many
handsome monuments to the memory of the
men, $4,000 in all, who were killed in this
battle From St Privat 1 went to Aman-
weller, railway station, where took train
back to the city. Three days sufficed to see
all that was worth seeing in and about Metz
About o'clock on the evening ofJune 27th,
after an uneventful journey of ten hours, we
arrivedat Paris, the great city on the Seine,
the gayest city in the world and the most
cosmopolitan city in Europe the city of fine
boulevards, the city Of great and bloody revo-
lutions, the city from which most of our lead
ing fashions emenate the city with history
more interesting than any fiction ever writ
ten. BY securing a room at a hotel and tax
ing our meals at a restaurant where "leetle
Angais" was spoken, we managed to get
along very well, Notwithstanding our inabil-
ity to speak French. In and near the center
of the city English and Americans CONVEX
SAINT with the French language are to be met
with almost everywhere. When none ofthem
happened to be about to interpret our wants
and the little French we had picked up did
not suffice to make them known, we resorted
to the universal means of communications
where language fails, signs and gestures.
l have indeed become so proficient in the art
of pantomine thatI am seriously contemr-
lating seeking an engagement with Hanlon
Bros. when return to the United States.
Paris covers an area Of 80 square miles, has
a population of ., $4,000, a garrison of $4,000
men and a system OF Notifications similar to
those of Metz, 81 miles in length. 1t is gov
erned by a "Prefect of the Seine appointed
by the government and town council ap-
pointed by the citizens. Thecity is divided
into 90 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, each presided over
by mayor and two councillors. sThe length
of the Seine within the city limits is about
seven miles and is crossed by thirty bridges,
In the heart of the city it divides into two
streams which about Ia miles further down
come together again. About half way a
branch connects the two, thus forming two
islands called the Isle of Cite and theEIsle ST.
Louis. The public conveyances consist of
fiacres tcabs) of which there are over 13, 900 in
the city 81 different lines of omnibuses and
50 lines of street cars, some Of which are
drawn by horses others propelled by ele c.
tricty. steam or compressed air. Many Of
the street noises were new to me and are
probably peculiar to French cities, such as
the hoarse blasts of the street car horns, the
shrill piping of the drivers of nanny goats
through the streets, seeking purchasers for
their milk, and the crying of the dog BARRIERS
and members Of chairs and crockery ware
The immense trafic on some of the streets
is a source of wonder to strangers and it is
surprising that more accidents do not occur
as people cross them at any point lodging in
and out among the vehicles until the opposite
is reached With a map of Paris for our guide
we made many expeditions in and about the
city, 1.-THE distances We're short we walked,
| if long we took cab, omnibus or stre9tcar.
After our first breakfast in the city we start
ed out for preliminary walk. We had not
gone far when we were stopped by a well
dressed Englishman who, If the tale he told
us was true was surely deserving of our SYM
pathy. His wife had eloped with bloody
Frenchman, taking with her all thath he posses
sed in the way of money and valuables leav-
| ing him with two children to. look after and
no means to provide for them. o, its bombed
ard, now, hoint it? Would we kindly give
him few francs to keep his children from
starving? Having but little confidence in his
story and thinking that he might be but one
Of many working the same or similar scheme
70 attract the coin, we gave him but few
sous instead of francs He evidently thought
the sum too small to merit his thanks He
was probably accustomed to receiving larger
ones We turned and went on our way feel
ing not at all certain that we did a good act
in giving him the few sous.
ITO be continued)