Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-06

THE OTTUMWA
| the celebrated actress, was born and
that in which Napoleon breakfasted
when crossing the st. Gothard. The
town itself is a regular museum, in
which jewelers., watch makers, carvers
the musical box makers ply their
trades, and women in their Swiss cos
TUNES embroider dainty handkerchiefs.
Here is queer stable filled with
Swiss cattle where milching is going
on, each COW wearing on odd tink-
ling bell. We are transported as it
were, to corner of Switzerland, and
tho odd part of it is, that it is right
in the heart of Paris. We are loathe
to leave, and are only enticed away
| by the prospect of trying the moving
sidewalk. This gives us a fine view of
the whole surroundings and we think
| it great fun only we did not know then
that two legs and an arm had been
broken that very day on this danger
GUS machine. We alight near the won
derful Eiffel tower constructed entire
ly of iron, and not one of us can mus
ter courage to ascend, being quite con-
tent to watch others mount in the ele-
vators $50 feet. By this time we are
quite ready to lunch, but where?
We might go over to the
train-like restaurant in the Rus
sian village where a moving panorama
gives the Illusion of railroad trip
from st. Petersburg to Picking, or in
the foreign row which is always SO gay
with music. We decide on the latter,
and select the Spanish cafe where
we watch the Spanish dancing girls
in their native costumes accompanied
| by an orchestra of Spanish students.
Finally we leave all this and wonder
over to the Palais Du Costume where
| is represented women's dress thru the
ages; from Roman times to the pres
| emit.
The electric lights are softened, en-
HANGING the queer robes worn by the
manikins, which look so life like. On
wooden figures are pretty women deck
ed in dainty costumes dating from
| 100 to 1900. From powdered hair and
Powered brocades our eyes wander to
the baloon-like sleeves of few years
these monstrosities.
We turn from this and wander into
the great palace of manufactures.
Here we might entertain ourselves a
whole month. Entering the French
department first we find bewilderine
display of pottery-the famous sevres,
Limoges and other ware. The cele-
brated porcelain artist, Camille Mudot,
exhibits a series of tea cups, the least
of which is $500, including saucers. In
re Russian section we find magnifl-
cent display, among the features OF
which are the jeweled easter eggs,
made annually for the czarina. Here
is the wonderful map of France, exc
cuted in beautiful precious stones,
which the czar presented to France.
| In the American exhibit we notice
a tremendous crowd, mostly foreign
ers. We discover they are gazing
spellbound at huge octagonal re-
frigerator. In Europe the meat is
killed from day to day and it is al
most impossible to preserve butter
and eggs. Therefore, the great Amer
lean ice box excites great wonder. 1t
| is constructed of plate glass on all
sides and all kinds of foods are artls-
tically displayed. The whole refriger-
ator, altho as big as a house, revolves
/ on pivot so that it's contents are
completely shown to every bystander
every two minutes. While on the sub
jects of American exhibits none inter
ested the French more than our corn
kitchen, where the corn was, before
their eyes, made into numerous tempt
ing dishes for which the French fairly
fell over each other in their eagerness
to deyour. Corn is rare in France, in
fact one never meets with it in any
form either in France or Italy. This
famous corn kitchen became so popu.
lar that our state commissioner was
Obliged to ask at banquet that fam
GUS conundrum, What do we do with
all the corn in summer" Flying from
the substantial to the magnificent, we
find ourselves in the gorgeous French
silk exhibit, where rolls of this fabric
in most beautiful patterns are display.
i ed in large glass cases. But American
silks in the face of the great French
and Swiss displays, received one grand
prize and four gold medals, besides a
number of silver and bronze medals
Our cotton goods also received three
grand prizes and three gold medals
and American shoes made great
showing and drew four gold medals
and six silver ones. 1t is a funny fact
that you can't be six hours in Paris
hotel before you will find showed I'M
der your door a card bearing in large
letters the inscription, French shoes
do not fit American feet" and this is
fact which you will soon discover In
attempting to wear a French shoe
But to return to our wanderings. We
now pass thru rows and rows of cases
containing wraps, hats, shoes, slippers
and furs. Miles of it we think. Now
the crowd thickens, jostles us, bumps
us, and even swears at us, and fol
what? We soon discover large room
brilliantly lighted with electricity and
filled with hundreds of wax figures
each displaying beautiful evening
gown,the creations of Paquan Felix ant
even famous English makers. Many OF
these gowns are designed for court
dresses, and the sterner sex is the one
that does the most showing and push
|, ing, so interested they seem in this
!, gorgeous display of feminine apparel
We simply drag each other out of this
and make off for the two art na1aces