Saint Mary's beacon., 1900-07-19
Saint 1arg's S Beacon.
EXPOSITION lETTER.
[From Our Regular Csvrespoadens.l
Paris. June a5, 'oe.

Paris. June 25, 'O0.
Yesterday was Sunday, aud the
day Of the Grand Prix or the great
horse race as Longchamps. about
four miles from the city. did not 20
to the Grand Prix. ] saw it twenty
two years ago, with the then Presi-
deEt of France, Marshall Mcmahon,
on the grand stand with che Shah Of
Persia and ex-King Of Spain Amo-
deus as guests Of honor. Once 10
often enough to see o grand Prix
or TO 20 summing. IL may be me-
cessary to know and understand
some things, but it 10 not necessary
to wallow in them. / remember
just how it looked ; With its i'm
mense throng Of people in carriages,
drags, four-in-hands and cabs; thou
sands on foot; gamblers and demi-
mondeines, the fast set from France.
England and America. The demi-
monde is always conspicuous in fine
carriages or on tally-ho-coach
wearing for the first time the Par
isian gowns and hats Of the season,
which will in On incredibly short
time be initiated in every nook Of
of our own country /; yes, much
sooner than in any other country
on the planet. s1is pity 'tis true.
Renan was perhaps right in his ha-
tired Of expositions and in blaming
women for them.
There are many kinds Of exposi-
tions. Yesterday, President Lou
bet and his guest of honor King
Oscar (Bernadotte) Of Sweden went
to the races in separate drags. each
drawn by four horses and each left
horse ridden by jockey or postill-
ion. The drags we're accompanied
by platoons Of dragons. Republi-
can simplicity has not penetrated
France. The manners. the forms,
the state etiquette are all of the
empire or previous monarchy, which
has passed only in name. Names
are more easily changed than con-
ditions rooted in centuries. But
France is no doubt more prosper
ous and freer from war than during
the days Of the last empire.
The exposition buildings daring
the week, when there is an average
Of $50, 900 visitors. are quite well
filled, and on Sundays, when there
are nearly half million, it 10 un-
comfortably crowded. But now
5000 cabmen have struck, and
thousands who depend on cabs will
not be able to reach the grounds.
The omnibuses, cabs, street cars
and Seine river boats were, even be-
fore the strike, notoriously made
quate. After waiting for twenty
minutes on several occasions to get
q cab or a seat in an omnibus, /
have changed my lodgings and now
have q room within half a square
OF one of the entrances, and am in-
dependent OF oil kinds Of transpor-
tation.
In spite Of military reverses, the
South African Republic day before
yesterday inaugurated its building
in the Trocadero Gardens. The
exposition is composed of three
parts ; the official pavilion, the Boer
House and the mining plant. The
official pavilion 10 of the Dutch or
Flemish style Of architecture, with
columns in white and gold and
bright interior decorations. At the
entrance is seen . bust of President
Kruger, upon which large tsi-col.
or bouquet has been placed with q
card bearing the words "Homage
of band Of patrio.ic Partisan work.
ingmen." The pavilion contains q
number of objects Of sinister sug-
gestion and memory. One is q big
clumsy cannon. now very rusty,
which Boer foundry man made in
1880 and which contributed to the
Boer victory at Msiuba Hill. Then
there is library with text books,
ETC., showing the public school sys-
TEN plan of the johannesburg
mines. photographs Of the country
and q model Of the old-time Boer
wagon. The house is an exact re-
production OF native buildings with
its four rooms ; two bedrooms, q
kitchen and a kind of parlor or sit
ting room. The floors are of earth,
the bedsteads Of iron. A bible and
an old organ are part of the scant
and simple furniture. In the min
ing section are shown complete
models of the machinery used for