The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-21

play Of the costumes worn IA HfAnce, b.
both men and women, ninco the time OF the
Goths; and each poriod u to have it, own
sale. which win b. Architecturally a. cor
rect as are the coetumeA This idea may
have been attempted before. bait never in
% big way The ouildins win b one Of
the most important Of those given to .
single. attraction. and win contain thirty
four rooms. each room reprsssnting diff
ferent period.
The deurss are iife-sise. ana. Ia regard
to naturalnean. they represent the last
word IN waxwork The designs for these
rooms show = deal OF dramatic feeling in
the prettiest ID : milliner's shop IN the
time Of the empire. with pretty salesgirls
Offering bonnets. dainty bellies trying them
on and exquisite beaux criticising the
whole. Outside the window crowd OF
men and women are passing. Some OF the
earlier rooms represent scenes from
French history In ! most dramatic man
ner.
The costuming Of all the figures Il a.
absolutely correct as modern knowledge
Of the different periods shown can guar
antee. NJ. Felix, the well-known coutu4
rier. has the whole building under his
charge. Indeed. II u reported that he II
quite responsible for It, for its expense
and for its success. Whatever the reclame
may be. It can hardly be commensurate
with its expense; he cannot even hope to
be decorated with the Legion OF Honor
ribbon for It, since he has already been
decorated. But Felix. Ii q rich man and
can afford to indulge in such . luxury a.
this ''Palais du Costume moreover, Il
dignifies his meter, that Of dress designer
g. 49, - - ur- H.
q good citizen, this M. Felix; he has built
and endowed = children's hospital in the
country near his own home. and he has
always an open purse for any public char
ity. Personally no man b further remov-
ed from the atmosphere Of the chiffon
counter; M. Felix has the air and bearing
Of cabinet minister.
from the time Of the Greeks to today will
be undoubtedly popular feature. This ID
supposed to be under the control Of . SYM
dicate Of music hall managers. Yet.
strange to say, few Of the proprietors OF
the music halls are making any special
features FOR exposition year.
1t II again the penny-wise policy that
the French can never seem to outlive:
They argue that Paris will be full Of
strangers: that these strangers must
spend their evenings somewhere, and that
any old attraction will be good enough for
them. Therefore, they refuse to pay
large sum for any novelty.
This same thing win be felt in the the
aters: with the exception OF Sarah Bern
hardrs none Of the play houses are prom
ising any special productions for next
summer, supposing, evidently, that strang-
ers and foreigners will be glad to see any
thing that Q French theater may produce.
Nine. Sarah Bernhardt does not like
America; but she pays our. country one
great compliment; It taught her how to
run theater. She made the 'Renais-
sancs" the most popular theater in Paris:
and when the crowd that came to re her
and to enjoy the conveniences Of the only
properly conducted theater in Paris proved
to be too big for that house she promptly
paid out an enormous sum for the lease
OF the Opera ComiQue. Rechristened the
Theater Sarah Bernhard and redecorated
by the best Of French artists, It IL the
most attractive and most disnified play
house In the city today, and that II will
be crowded during the hot months Of the
exposition there 10 no question. Nine.
Bernhardt claims to have several new
productions In view.
Paris has really been preparing for tho
exposition with q vengeance Tor the last
six months. The new underground rail-
road breaks out In spots mile or so
apart. which, while a source of pride az
their present state. Electric roads present
another excuse for torn-up condition OF
the streets, and all these signs Of future
rapid" transit are responsible for very
slow ransit at the moment. A street
marked "rue barree" Ii now quite as COM
mon In Paris az Ii q house marked '.al-
louer" For months 1t has been impossible
to reach favorite book shop except on
foot and by walking over torn-up cobbie
stones and through dust: and some of
the most important and best known Of the
Paris shops can only be approached by
circuitous route. The loss that such q
state of affairs has entailed upon them
must be considerable, but they arc cheer
full with the thought Of big prospects dur
ing the few months OF the exposition.
Some Of the stores. like the Bon Marche.
are adding big annexes to hold the crowd
that they are so sure will come: all Of
them are engaging English interpreters
and ordering signs of English spoken
with which to adorn their windows.
There is hardy hotel in Paris where
living is pleasant or more than possible
at the moment. The most important peo-
pie in these caravansaries are the car
penters that are dividing decent-sized
rooms into two or more very small closets.
These during the exposition are supposed
to be worth their space In silver. Decor
ators and painters, too, are busy, and there
are few buildings OF any sort that are not
INDUCING in a coat of paint. Hotels Of
the humber sort. that peculiarly Paris
ian sort Of compromise between board
ing house and hotel, so frequent In the
neighborhood Of the Champs Elysees, are
alarming their regular boarders by q
course of so-called Improvements" and
making their tenants very uncomfortable
by shutting up the salon while crew Of
carpenters run row Of cheap partitions
through 1t.
The American mothers with daughters
to educate, and the impoverished MEM
bers of the old French noblesse who throng
these places. are in state Of great indig-
nation, mixed with alarm. To them the
exposition Is frightful bugbear. At the
moment, by reason of the wet plaster re-
posing in hills in the salon, 1t compels
them to burn fire and candles In their own
room, and there is before them tho awful
possibility that the landlord Is intending
raising the price of pension for these old
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