Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-02
SPLENDID STREET DISPLAY
III
Elaborate Decoration Of Paris in Honor Of the
A.o'as
Flowers and Rich Draperies Were
Used In Per4usion. Ms Well NJ
ColOred Electric LIGHTS,
d ? "

d , y
The following extracts from a letter Of a
Washington ladyr how abroad. describe the
gorgeous preparations made for the recep-
ton of the GEAR and czarina of Russia dur
ing their recent stay at the French capital:
THE morning of the 9th of October the
city was in a state Of excitement enthusi-
asm and magnificence Impossible to de-
scribe. Several weeks before they had COM
menced the ornamentation and decoration
of this, the most beautiful city of the world.
France, as we all know, leads the world in
art, so with Partisan taste and an appro-
priation of millions Of francs to do the
work. you can perhaps imagine the result.
But 1 really believe it was not in the power
of any Of the French writer's. brilliant as
they are, to describe Paris accurately as 1t
looked that day. nor the most vivid i'm
agtnation to conceive Its beauty magnifl-
cence and grandeur. Every street house
was decorated every street, avenue and
boulevard ornamented with most prodigal
1avishness and beauty, ingenuity and varie-
ty truly wonderful.
ut was all finished the Sunday previous,
and the streets rendered impossible by the
great throngs Of visitors. For several days
preceding I had watched it's progress, and
as it grew day by day 1t seemed If fairy
fingers had been at work. so beautiful, SO
delicate and SO lovely was the tout ensem
BILE. No two avenues or boulevards were
alike, each was distinct and separate in
style and variety, wonderful in the ex-
IRENE.
ION both sides of the Champs Elysees.
from the Arc de Triomphe to the Tuileries
gardens electric wires had been strung, the
white globe-covered lamps as close together
as they could be placed. Along the side
walks We're erected all sorts of handsomely
painted and gilded ornamental devices.
frNw, hs<l~
the French and Russian colors. Many of
the elegant mansions along the route were
almost covered in crimson velvet. fringed
with gold. together with the flags Of both
nations.
An Elaborate Display.
THE big place around the Arc de Tri-
omphe. from which the twelve avenues ra-
date, was gay. The Place de la Concorde,
which to me at night always seems like
scene in fairyland. had hundreds Of addI-
tional lamps, as well as various sorts of
ornamental devices 1t was one of the spe-
cially brilliant spots. Where the trees
along the route had lost their leaves the
branches were covered with flowers. white.
pink, red and violet. Across the west end
of the Tuileries gardens, overlooking the
Place Concorde, great ornamental frames
had been erected, covered with flowers and
flags. There were floral columns on all the
principal street corners. with ornamcn-a
posts for the flags of both countries. The
Place Concorde bridge was gay, as were all
the bridges crossing the Seine, and so along
the Boulevard ST. German to the street
leading to the Russian embassy, which, l
think was the finest of all.. 'in-''"D ''r
ACROSS the grand boulevard for three
miles and more electric wires had been
strung at intervals of twenty-five or thirty
feet and at height OF twenty-five feet or
more. from which We're suspended close
together celluloid globes. pink, yellow ana
green. making most effective decoration
by day and a scene brilliant beyond de-
scrption when the electric lights were
turned on at night. MI the houses were
gay with garlan1s of fowers, velvet dra-
perry. flags. etc. land SO was almost every
street throughout the city with the same
lavish display. aiAi were afraid that the
the 9th and spoil it an. But fortunately
the day was absolutely perfect. with
bright warm sun. not "a single cloud and
Just enough bresze Ito, keep the millions
Of flags and streasmers sayly fiuttering.
'-'. The Royal Guests.
Our party had an elevated position In
one of the prettiest. spots in the Bots de
Boulogne, from which we had a splendid
view Of their imperial majesties 1 was
so close to the cZarna that l could almost
have touched her. I was more interested
In her naturally than the ear. but not
much interested in either of them as in
the decoration and illuminat ton of the city
The czarina was all in white dress. cape
and toque, and appeared charming. gra-
cious and radiant. l have heard .it said
,lbut npt by Parisians) that she is more
beautiful than clever, but the latter Is a
not required so much in
queens and expresses.
THE ParIsians were wildly enthusiastic
on their appearance, and cries of "Vive Ia
Russie" "Vive lie Tar" "EiveF la TZarina"
were continuous At the same time I
could not help thinking how pleasant it is
to be born In free country like our own
with men at the head of the government
without prestige and rank rather than a
car and master,
"Of the illumination at night I can find
no words o describe it,. But wonderful as
ings at the worlds fair, Chicago, sit fades
into the merest insgnificance compared
with Paris on the nights of the 9Th and
It'll. Having seen what the Parisians can
do am afraid that in the exposition of
1900 they will surpass our great fair. 1
sincerely hope they will not, but they take
1t as matter Of course that they will.
The Great Throngs Of Visitors.
There were two or three millions of Wis
itors here those days and windows where
the procession could be seen rented for 5000
and 800 each. Rooms in hotels sixth and
seventh floors. in back streets. were $40
day.
Now. at the first hint of winter, Ameri-
cans are hurrying home as fast as they
fuu OF them yet, particularly the shops
where you see the ladies walking about
The Paris dressmakers are beginning to
have far-away. reminiscent look in their
eyes. Next season is 4 long way Off and
they seem TO think the pleasures of men,
ory are superior to the pleasures of hope
The annual visit of the United States to
Europe is costly experience. l am told
this year that my country men and women
have left no less than 500, 900, 900 in Shin
ing gold in the old world
Il heard some startling statistics from a
Chicagoan the other day. He had been
all over Europe, had visited every capital
and all the famous spas, but he declared
he had seen nothing in all Europe to equal
Chicago. In that great city they had ho-
tells larger than the Musee du Louvre and
higher than the Eiffel tower. and that
merchant princes had private art galleries
richer than the Luxembourg and homes
that cost more than the Palace of Yer
sailles 1t is the foolish talk of such
Americans that makes the Parisians and
other foreigners think it their bounded duty
to rob them" IL
The star'sr ELS ction News.
The Evening Stars election news will
completely cover Hteryfpoint of interest in
the country. In 1aadit Il to the facilities
afforded by there wide-reaching arrange