The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-08-10
Correspondence From France
PARIS, FRANCE, !
July %, 1900. !

PARIS, FRANCE,
July %, 1900.
The Bourbon party reached Paris yes
terday morning, after a nights ride
from London, crossing the English
Channel from New Haven to Dieppe
The Channel, which has the reputation
of being the toughest body of water on
the globe, was very calm and not a soul
ON board was seasick. The rural scenery
from Dieppe to Paris is very beautiful
The French railways are similar to the
English roads, and while they are not so
convenient as the American cars, they
have the advantage of privacy in the
compartments. For instance, on every
American train there are always two or
three fellows who have taken several
drinks from a bottle and persist in
walking through the cars and disturbing
the passengers. This is impossible in
English and French cars. When the
French train is ready to start the station
master rings dinner bell, the guards
close the car doors and the train leaves
the station, At Paris every foreign
passenger hunts up his luggage, which
is inspected by custom house officials,
looking for liquor, cigars and tobacco.
@@#
Paris fully realizes the most extrava-
giant expectations of almost every Wis
itor. 1t is a wonderfully beautiful city,
with wide, clean avenues and boulevards,
and stately buildings of white stone and
marble. There are countless miles of
attractive shops, splendid hotels and
clubs and magnificent palaces. The
passenger tr fife is transported by cabs.
buses, two-story electric cars and two
story buses like those in London
There are also several lines of steam
cars through the city, and scores of
electric launches ply on the Seine. The
American visitor often has quite
time in making the cab drivers under
stand where he wants to go. Two
Chicago friends who are stopping with
the Bourbon party at the Exposition
Hotel, which is within the shadow of
the Eiffel Tower, had costly experience
tonight in getting back to the hotel
after being separated from their party
in returning from Versailles The
tourist finds Paris puzzle when it
comes to finding his way, owing to the
avenues centering at the many statues
and columns.
~
Sightseers get an unequalled
view of the city from the Eiffel Tower,
which dwarfs into insignifcence every
spire in Paris. The tower is 9S5 feet in
height and affords a view of France for
fifty miles around. 1t is assembled by
six elevators and three changes are nee
essary to reach the top. From its dizzy
height the moving crowds below seem
no larger than mere specks, a man look
ing no larger than fly. The Seine is
seen extending like a silver ribbon for
more than forty miles. The Eiffel
Tower is built of steel and is a most re-
markable piece of engineering, which
cost millions to complete its construc-
ton. 1t and the Trocadero are the only
reminders of the Exposition of 1889.
There are several cafes, barber shop,
various other shops, promenades, etc,
ON the tower. The fare for the ascen-
sion is four francs eighty cents on
week days and two frances on Sundays
and fete days. The Bourbon party
made the trip to-day and was very high
up in the world for couple of hours.
Other high attractions at the EXPOSE
ton are two captive balloons which take
passengers up thousand feet for five
francs.
~
This afternoon we went to Versailles
to visit the palace and witness the
famous fountains play. The center of
the palace is the original chateau of
Louis XIII, and the various wings were
added by succeeding Kings, being fin
ished in 1900. The palace, which con-
tains probably two thousand rooms, is
in a splendid state of preservation,
though hundreds of glass are broken in
the front windows. 1t is uninhabited
except by the care-takers Of the grounds.
The palace presents a splendid appear
ance and one can easily imagine the
grandeur of court life maintained by the
Kings and understand the revolt against
their extravaganza. The grounds of the
palace, which contain eight hundred
acres are a dream of heautv Tharo