Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-27

| railway companies; but the combination
did not suit the municipal council, which
INSISTED on remaining master in spite of a
subvention offered by tae government. The
1877, refused to Ake IN he matter up again
IN 1857. In lse1,a however, it prepared a
| convention with, the Credit Foncier by
which per cent Interest was to be guar
anteed upon capital of $50, 100000 francs,
which could easily have been subscribed;
put TINS time the chambers refused to rat
l1y the proposition of the minister of pub
nc nc works IS, At the moment of the exposi-
uoh OF 1889 they spoke again a great deal
about the Metropolitan. Yves Guyot then
minister of publiei works, took it seriously
IN hahd, and thenthe ministry fell Since
mat tllhe the question, never has ceased to
De matter of dispute between the NUM-
Gipa4lIy OF Paris'i and tthe government of
france. Inc PROUD municipality would not
give IN. So one" day, to the surprise of
everybody, France threw up the struggle
anu agreed 10 ratify whatever plan the city
fathers should agree upon among them
selves.
Mistaken Zeal.
one of the conditions of success of the
metropolitan always seemed to be its COM
olnatlon with the various great railway
iihes mat center in the capital. Such a
junction would permit travellers to cross
farls without changing stations; and, much
more important to Parisians, it would per-
rect from any convenient station of the
metropolitan in town. The argument pro-
duced exactly the contrary effect on the
municipal council. The motto of that body
IS everything for Paris For years 1t
mas worked against cheap workingme s
tfaihs to the suburbs. 1t decided cruelty
mat the Workngmen must stay in Paris.
for the general travelling public it desired
INC great Runway stations to be far apart.
linus every one would have to stop In
Farls few hours, most often over night.
fer the Parlsians in general the Metropoli-
| tan must not give them an excuse to cheat
the octrol. or the municipal customs duties,
| py villa life outside the walls. 1t also
feared that the great railway companies
would some day take too decisive voice in
the management of the Metropolitan. After
having at first insisted on narrow gauge
or "a feet-which would have put an end
10 that danger forever-it has now agreed
upon the normal gauge, but on condition
that the rolling stock shall be smaller and
isnter than that of the railway companies,
ana that the decoration of the underground
snail pc such as to prevent the entrance of
the ordinary railway cars. In this way the
municipality hoped always to be mistress
WITHIN her walls. 1t seems now to have been
VAIN nope. In its concession the state gov
eminent reserved the right to permit the
railway companies to unite in Paris. The
company of the east is already extending it's
ilhes 10 Vncennes and the lines of the Or
leans and Western companies are meeting
In great central depot in the heart of
f&rls. In this way, instead of having one
metropolitan, the Parisians run a fair
chance of protiting by two
Forty Miles Long
Nine different lines compose the complete
project of the Paris Metropolitan, of which
only SIX have been approved o. The east
ana west transversal, now already bored,
between the Bots de Boulogne and Vincen-
mes. CO A circular line, which will follow
the exterior bouievards. A considerable
part of this line will be above the ground
on viaducts. 81 Menilmontant to the Morte
Malllot 1t win cut through the northern
center Of Paris. a. Porte d Orleans to the
Forte de Clignancourt. This is the north
and south transversal. % Boulevard de
Strasbourg to the Austerlitz bridge, a mere
connecting line 90 And from the Boulevard
de Fincennes to the Place de TItaie Ali
these lines, with the three others, really
Unite themselves into two systems, trans
Versals and circulars, with functions to
Unite them. The total length of the six
lines is forty miles. Of this twenty-five
miles are to be completely underground
with seven miles OF cuttings and eight miles
OF F1aducts. The present omnibus and street
car system throws the traveller into DESPAIR
ana causes him to take a cab Except for
the straight transversal lines he will be in
the same position with respect to the Metro
politan. For Parisians the boon will be in
estimable. Still, while 1t will do great harm
to the surface lines which have so long
abused their privileges, it will not. Of
course, cause them to disappear completely
Omnbuses will remain, for short trips Ev-
erything now indicates that they will be
electric automobiles. When that day comes
the tender hearts of Anglo-Saxons will be
pafned no longer by the sight of oyerbur-
dened and ill-treated horses
STERLING HELLO.