The record-union., 1898-08-22

ample. Here is a pavilion Of the usual
size. with a stationary stand in the
middle aon which is a steam engine with
as much polished work as you cam de-
sire. a smoke stack running UP through
the roof. a steam whistle, and ship s
bell. And the things that go around
in the outer circle are not parodies upon
wild animals, but real ships boats, or
excellent limitations of them, lap streak
boats, with all the polished brass work
of man-of-wars gig, the seats.
thwarts, rowlocks and everything else
complete. There are ten or twelve Of
these boats in the circle, each mounted
upon an axle under the center, and all
under the charge of several young men
in complete sailor costume. And for
each boat there is a gangway of five
or six steps, as neat and bright as u
yachts, the steps of dark wood we'll
oiled. theh ratings of solid polished
brass. The whole thing has a truly
nautical effect, even to the names
across the stern each boat bearing the
name of some French naval vessel. My
young naval officer can hardly keep his
| feet from the ground. He feels himself
on the quarterback, and dynamite gums
are flashing in his bright eyes.
do you care to make a voyage or
two in this squadron?" I ask.
"Ah, Monsieur"
He is just in time. The ships bell
strikes twice, and as he springs UP the
nearest companionway- the whistle
blows He seats himself in the stern
and the machinery starts-slowly at
first, but gaining in speed every mo-
ment till the boats are fairly flying
around. And not on smooth keels,
either. BY some hidden mechanism
they are tossed up and down, this way
and that, till their ,masts and sails seem
about to carry away, and the passen"
gers hold on for their lives. In a min
ute or two some of the little girls on
board look pale and their heads hang
down. They are getting a real taste
of seasickness for 2 ~~.ls. But wnen
the bell rings again and the machin-
cry stops they come out clapping their
hands with delight.
Another of these affairs is equally
complete, but the whole circular floor,
in revolving, goes up and down steep
hills, so that the passengers at one mo-
ment are looking in second story win
dows and the next are on the ground
level. And a third has a collection Of
animals, all saddled and bridled, that
do not stand still like craven i'm
ages, but move their legs and tails and
heads when the machinery starts.
They are all much more elaborate, on
the whole, than our merry go-rounds
at home. And they have regular routes
of travel, Like the races and the circus
Ino mic q fhlv
are in Paris, on others in Lyons, in
summer at Trouville or some other wa
tering place, at Christmas in Marseilles
because here it is jocularly said to be
warm The best of them ali am told,
is not here now. OF course that would
be the case, as the best thing leaves
| a place just before you reach it or ar
| rives just after you have gone. This
king among merry go rounds is said TO
have cost 100000 francs (S6O,0O0),
| which is a bigger lump of money in
France than in some other countries
1 know Of. 1t comes to Marseilles once
year, on some Saints day, that is a
long way off.
| HOME FOR CHRISTMAS TURKEY.
| Leaving the Noel fair we returned
| by way of Rue Paradis Ito see the
Christmas sights in the shop windows.
| The Cadeau de Noel, or Christmas box.
| in Marseilles, is rather a serious matter
| for the purchaser, being made UP gen.
| orally of whole candied fruits, pine
apples, pomegranates, oranges, lemons.
bananas and many more contained in
basket work locomotives, steam ships,
| trunks, coaches or even basket houses,
gaudily decorated with ribbons. Such
packages, costing from so to 100 francs,
go oftener to the sweetheart than to
the nursery. OF, the cheap little Christ
| mas candies that every youngster at
home can afford to make himself sick
with, have seen none here.
In five or six hours more my young
Marseillais, like all the, rest Of us in
Provence, was eating his reveillon de
Noel, or Christmas eve supper. That
is very late meal that comes only af-
ter the conclusion of Christmas eve
services in the churches; and such a
late meal is almost necessary under the
circumstances, for we Provencals do
not eat our turkey till o'clock on
Christmas night, the usual Marseilles
dinner hour. The Provencal turkey is
a very fine bird, even under the disad-
vantage of being spelled dande and pro-
nounced dand. He is fat and rich and
tender. They baste him with the fresh
olive oil of the country, and that is the
only gravy that goes with him, all the
interior works, such as lfvers and giz-
yards making part Of the stuffing. OF
course there are no cranberries; we
are too far from New Jersey and Cape
Cod for that. But there is excellent
celery and there are many other good
things that grow in the rich soil Of
this south Of France. cor
respondent New York Times