Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-12-25
Letter From Paris.


Paris, France, Nov. 27th, 1890.
Friend Haines:
Dear Sir.-In my letter OF the 10th 1
think said would write again before
leaving Paris, and although the weather
has been cold aud rainy since the fair
closed, wife and have gone forth every
day doing the endless chain of things
wonderful to be seen.
Versailles and Fontninebleau are the
two principal points of historical. intere
we have visited outside OF theS@itv so
far. We gave one day to each. but az the
former is SO much the larger place of the
two, it would require two full days to see
the enormous buildings, theircontents and
the almost endless grounds, and the
matchless lakes, fountains and beautiful
walks thereabout. On our return from
the Orient want to spend one more full
day there. The accounts handed down
to US regarding the erection OF thus mar
velIous Palace and the laying out of the
grounds. almost border on the fabulous.
An attempt to sum up the cost of the
work done there, extending over aperiod
of 275 years, would simply overwheln
one with figures. At one time there were
10000 men and Coco horses employed
there in forming the terraces. leveling
the park and constructing roads and
walks. It is said to have cost the treas
ury, in Louis NIy's time alone, the vast
sum Of 900, 600, 600 francso or 500, 600, 600
in oui money. The fountains there have
no equal in the world. To supply them
with ample water an aqueduct was con
structed from Maintenon. a di2tanee of
81 miles, and that found to be in
adequate, others were made from time to
time.
Louis XIII was its founder. Be
tween 1924 and 1928 he had built a hunt
ing seat which has been preserved amid
the more imposing buildings of Louis
XIV. The main building of the Palace
and the two great wings must be fully a
third Of mile long. The beautiful
chapel connected with it was built early
in the 18th century. 1t is embeIlished all
over with superb sculptures.
There are many hundred oil paintings
on the walls of the entire Palace, many
Of which are very noted. Some are
enormous in size one noticed in par
ticular is 694 # long by rsft wide Many Of
NapoIeon's great battles, which lifted him
tothe zenith of power. are portrayed there;
also the awful retreat from Moscow. the
beginning of his downfall, as the world
knows. He spent some of his fewleisure
months there, though he seemed to pre-
fer T ontainebleau aud Malmaisou.
The stables at Versailles are on cor
responding scale with the Palace aud can
accommodate ?, 900 horses. The old car
riages used by all the crowned heads are
still to be seen there. Its said that during
the reign Of Louis XIV, which was the
most dazzling, superb and sumptuous in
the history of the world. there were about
10. 600 people in that vast structure at one
time, in which were embraced the Royal
Court, their attendants, invited guests
and an almost endless rentinue of ser
wants. engaged in wild and senseless
round of the most lavish and expensive
entertainments. entaiiing upon the people
an outlay which was extremely burden
some. The wonder is, not that they fin
ally rebelled against such want6n luxury
and tyranny, but that they endured it as
long as they did. when there was, at the
same time, so much misery and actual
want among the masses.
Almost every school boy IS versed in
the general history of Versailles. but
tI,e,-., -. -,f,,--.-- ,;,<,- : - ..st- q.
great work which histories, as a rule. do
not record. These little facts would in
terest almost every reader.
The gram d Trianon. handsome villa
OF one story-in form Of a horse shoe
erected by LouisXIVfor Madame deMain-
tenon in I6s7-is located only J of mile
from Palace of Versailles. Itcontains sew
eral very richly furnished apartments.
and fine paintings by Mignard, LeBrun.
Boucher, Nan Loo. zcoypel and others
and many. other rare works Of art
! The Petit Trianon. near By, erected By
Louis XIV was fayorite resort OF poor
Marie Autoinette. a bust of her IN
Sevres China. shattered durihg the revo-
luton and restored, IS to be seen there
and one OF her beautiful jewel cases
many rare paintings. vases, &c
Fontainebieau. no less beautiful thar
fact that it IS much smaller and more
versailles, seems more home'ike, from the
compact. The walls every room IN tn
Palace are. covered with rare old paint
ings. Gobehn aud Beauvais tapestries
All the ceilings are painted and frescoe