Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-09-27
paintings are of enormous size and

primarily c0ioreu.
The States General room, Fete room
and "Room Of Glass; are interesting,
From the window OF the real of the
latter, one gets the first view Of the
immense grounds, covering hundreds
OF acres. Here we see the Grand
Canal, with lite great arms and central
tSurtzin; 4 system Of water works
thai Lo1ts XIV intended extending on
TO the Sem On the left from this
view We see the "Little Venicep and
ne vasa forests beyond. On the
nght l. the basin Of Neptune and the
basin Of the Dragon; two Of the finest
f~ountains.on the grouId, and which
are called the Plains OF Antoine. Tue
most wonderful display Of fountains
in the world is to be seen here. Al
q rule the water ia turned on In these
fountains only once or twice q month,
owing to the immense expense.
Fortunate is the man who can strike
Versailles on those days.
In the days of Louis XIV the great
canal and tina Little Venice were filled
with beautifully colored gondolas. The
immense forests in the rear OF the
palace r still kept as hunting
grounds for the aristocracy; and I am
told that James Gordon Bennett pays
$4,000 for the privilege of hunting on
these grounds, which are filed with
a variety Of game. There are beauti-
full walks in all directions through these
forests and the branches OF the trees
on the sides form arches over ones
head everywhere.
We were admitted to the Salon de
Ia Paix, which was the card room in
which Madame de Montespan is said
to have lost In one night 400, 600
pistoies (yalue sixteen shillings each.)
From this roo we went into the
queens bedchamber which was occu-
pied by the three queens-Marie
Therese, Marie Leczlnska snd Marie
Antoinette. On the morning Of the
aixth OF October, I7ss, the queen being
asleep In this chamber, was aroused
by the cries Of the guard that her life
was in danger. Escaping from the
room she fastened to the King, and
with their children they appeared
upon the balcony OF the Kings bed
chamber from which he addressed the
'anfuriated mob, which crowded the
court below. My readers know the
rect Of the story. In honor Of the
memory of this lovely character, Marie
A~ntoinette, l have esteemed II . priv
ilege to visit 90 many spots associated
with her beautiful life and tragic
death. I was even romantic and SEN
timental enough to steal g visit to the
"Love Temple, prohibited to visitors,
and was the only one Of our company
to enjoy the privilege. 1 forgot to
state above that il was in the nGreat
GIass'' room of the palace where
William III was crowned Emperor
Of Germany at time Of the late war,
when the Germans were besisging
Paris,
Going to and from Versailles We
passed st. Olud, a place Of many In
teresting incidents in the history of
Paris and France. II Is especially
noted for the great palace built here
to 1879 and purchased and rebuilt By
Louis XIV and presented to bis
brother, the Duke Of Orleans. In I7s2
1t was bought BY Louis XVI for Marie
Autoinette, In this palace the Coun-
ell Of the Five Hundred once held their
meetings; and In this same building
on Nov. 10, 1899, Boneparte, with bis
grenadiers dispersed the assembly and
three days later caused himself to be
proclaimed First Consul. Napoleon
III made his chief summer residence
here. The town and palace were oc-
eupied By the Germans In the siege Of
Paris in 1870 and ct this time the PAL
ace was destroyed.