The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-15
AT THE ELYSEE.
Its Tragedies and Its Romances of the
Past Recalled.

Fast Recalled.
During the last twenty-five years
six presidents of the French republic
have made the Elysee Palace their
temporary home, and of these NJ. Fe-
lix Faure. the son of humble working
upholsterers. and in every sense of the
word self-made man, has proved
himself to be not only the most suit
able for the post. but also the most
popular personality of them all.
In theory, IL not in fact NJ. and
Madame Faure are entirely kept" by
the state-that is to say, they are
their own the produce Of the splendid
kitchen gardens and Conservatives
kept up at Versailles and Fontaine-
bleau. The president has the right Of
shooting and hunting in the state for
ests and woods. and from them the
Elysee Is also supplied with wood and
charcoal. The lighting Of the palace.
whether by oil. gas. or electricity, is
also provided. and laundry Is kept
up and managed quite Independently
Of the presidents official income for
the use of the Elysee.
But the kitchens. which are In some
ways the most important department
of the palace, are entirely maintained
by Monsieur or rather Madame Faure.
There Is a chef and under him four
head cooks. and when a ball or BAN
quet Is about to be given from thirty
to forty extra scullions make their
appearance. Madame Faure only pat
roniZes the best Paris or rather
French firms. Fortunately for the
president however, the Paris season
for receptions and general entertain
of each year.
The president finds it impossible to
restrict himself to fewer than twelve
horses, although the keep of only
three is allowed by the state. The
Partisan public are very good judges
of outward show and state. and on
certain occasions, notably the day of
the Grand Prix. NJ. Faure's equipage
and horses have to run the gauntlet
of thousands of critical sightseers.
There Is room and to spare at the
Elysee. and each president has. to a
certain extent. altered the arrange
ments made by his predecessor. NJ.
Faure, being n practical man of busl-
ness. has made his study ON the
ground floor, close to the splendid re-
ception rooms where Madame Ia
Presidente receives on official occa-
sions. The presidents study is n
large, pleasant room, furnished with
a view to work rather than play, but
1t has the beautiful ceiling and stately
furniture to be found in most old
French chateaux. When comforting
with his ministers. and those other
persons whose business procures them
an audience with the president in his
study, NJ. Faure sits at the big writing
table at which he does all his official
writing.
The official residence of the French
president is situated in one of the
pleasantest quarters of Paris. and the
beautiful old house. for 1t can only be
called n palace by courtesy. fills up
n considerable space between the Eau
bourg st. Honore and the Champs
Elysees. History has been made and
unmade in the Elysee. 1t was there
that Napoleon | signed his abdication
in favor of the King of Rome after
Waterloo, and a few weeks later the
emperor's study became the business
room of the Duke of Wellington.
When the allies left Paris the Elysee
Bourbon. as 1t was then called. was re-
stored to the crown and was occupied
by the heir of Louis XVIII. 1t was
occupied first by one and then by an
other royal parsonage till the year
1S4S, when the new government as
signed it as the official residence Of
the then president of the French re-
public, General Cavaignac. and by q
strange irony of fate. in the very room
where Napoleon I signed his abdica-
ton, Louis Napoleon. then prince pres
ident, waited with his feet on the fen
der to hear the result Of the coup detat
which made him emperor.
During the third empire. the Elysee
Napoleon, as 1t had then become. was
lent to the many sovereisns who WIS.,
tied Napoleon III, and the Empress
Eugene. Although filled with works
of art and furnished with some of the
finest eighteenth century furniture In
existence, the Elysee happily escaped
the notice Of the Communards. and so
was neither sacked nor burnt.
When there was n question as to
where NJ. and Madame Thiers should
take up their official residence, the
Elysee was found to be the only habi-
table state property in Paris.