The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-13
EXPOSITION LETTER.
written for the Citizen.)
33 Rue Caumartin, Paris,

L
great horse race at LOngchampS,
about four miles from the city.
| did not 90 to the Grand PriX. |
saw it twenty two years ago, with
the then President Of France.
Marshall McMahon. on the grand
stand with the Shah of Persia
and the eX King Of Spain, Amo-
deus, as guests of honor. Once
is often enough to see a Grand
PriX or to 90 stunning. 1t may
be necessary to know and under
stand some things but it is not
necessary to wallow in them. |
remember jus5 how it looked:
with its immense throng Of PEG
pie in carriages, drags, four in
hands and cabs: thousands on
foot; gamblers and demi mon
dies, the fast set from France,
England and America. The demi.
monde is always conspicuous in
fine carriages or on tally no
coaches, wearing for the first
time the Partisan gowns and hats
OF the season, which will in an
incredibly short time be initiated
III every nook of our country; yes,
much sooner than in any other
country on the planet. 1t is a
pity, but it is true. Renan was
perhaps right in his hatred Of ex,
positions and in blaming women
for them.
There are many kinds of expo
sitions. Yesterday, President
Loubet and his guest of honor
King Oscar (Bernadotte) Of Swe.
den, went to the races in Sepa.
rate drags. each drag drawn 10y
four horses and each left horse
ridden by Il Jockey or poStillion.
The drags were 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 conditions rooted in centur-
les. But France is no doubt
more prosperous and freer from
war and from the Catholic Church
than during the days Of the last
empire.
The exposition building during
the week. when there is an aver
age of $50, 600 visitors, are quite
well filled, and on Sundays, when
there are nearly half a million,
it is uncomfortably crowded.
But now 5000 cabmen have
struck, and thousands who de
pend on cabs will not be able to
reach the grounds, The omni.
buses, cabs, street cars and Seine
river boats were. even before the
strike, VIGOROUSLY inadequate.
After waiting for twenty minutes
on SeN eral occasions to get a cab
or seat in an omnibus, | have
changed my lodgings and now
nave a room within halfa square
of one Of the entrances, and am
independent of all kinds of trans
pOrtation.
In spite of military reverSes,
the South African Republic, day
before yesterday, inaugurated its
building in the Trocadero Gar
dcns. The exposition is com
posed Of three parts; the official
pavilion, the Boer House, and a
mining plant. The official pa
Vilion is Of the Dutch or Flemish
style of architecture, with col
umns in white and gold and
bright interior decorations. At
the entrance is seen a bust of
President Kruger, upon which a
large tri cOlOred bouquet has been
placed with a card bearing the
words: "lIomage Of a band of
patriotic Partisan workingmen."
The pavilion contains a number
of objects of sinister suggestion
and memory. One is a big clumsy
cannon, now very rusty, which a
Boer foundryman made III 1880
and which contributed to the
Boer victory at Majuba Hill.
Then there Is library with text
books, etc, showing the public
school system; plan of the Johan
nesburg mines, photographs of
the country and a model of the
old time Boer wagon. The house
is an exact reproduction of Il ma
tive buildings with its four rooms,
two bedrooms, a kitchen and a
kind of parlor or sitting room.
The floors are of earth and the
bedSteadS of iron. A bible and
an old organ are part of the simple
and scant furniture. In the min
ing section are shown complete
models Of the machinery used for
the reduction Of gold ore. There
is estimated to be 50, 800, 600, 600
unmined gold in the Transvall.
The guests, among whom were
the officers of the exposition,