St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-11

vance the cabin de luxe" the in
variable charge for two tickets in
Guiding above comforts 44O francs.
Two days before sailing we sent for
our tickets and they came with bill
from the Transatlantique Company
of $50 francs, nearly $50 extra.
Had | been informed when l engaged
the rooms of this extortionate
charge, could have had time to re-
arrange my plans, aud crossing the
channel to Syracuse l could have
taken the land route to Paris through
Italy and our the St. Gothard or
the Gents routes. 1t was too late
to change our itinerary and | paid
the $50 francs, at the same time
sending my bankers a copy of a let
ter in triplicate, which would be sent
the hour the steamer sailed to the
London Times, the Paris New York
Herald, and the Malta Chronicle.
The letter was short, but written in
as vigorous Saxon as | could com.
mand under such mstances-in
fact letter which never would be
published by the company among
their testimonials. Just two hours
before the steamer Moses, sailed
from Malta the 240 francs were sent
to my house. The pen is at times a
better peacemaker than the sword.
| was told it was clerical error"
but as / have since learned that a
friend of ours the week previous paid
the amount which l recovered, l am
inclined to credit to the strength of
vinegar il which l dipped my pen
when | wrote my views on the new
tariff, that sharpness of eyesight
which led the company to detect the
slight difference between 440 and
$50 francs. | congratulate the
French company on discovering even
at the eleventh hour that clerical
error" but it deprived the press and
my friends from knowing how calm
and sweet a style could adopt
when my conscience was aroused.
This fable teaches" all my friends
who are coming to France to audit
their accounts carefully and spend
no money in this country this year
except the amount required to criti-
cally study the Exposition. Do your
shopping at home or somewhere out
side Paris, seek other pleasure
grounds, and when Paris is seeking
for guests and the whole world is
not seeking Paris, as will be the case
in November-then look for the days
and the people you recall when this
exceptional excitement had not up
set the normal conditions.
At such time as this it is of great
Importance to be in good locality
and have pleasant rooms. This
hotel | watched when it was being
built, over 20 years ago, and then
felt it had an unrivalled location.
And today, though scores of hotels
have since then been opened, this one
on the Rue de Rivoli, in position is
as fortunate as ever. Our rooms are
the same we occupied four years ago,
when France and Russia had their
Glove feast" aud the Gar and his
spouse were present to witness the
Inauguration ceremonies of the Ex-
position of 1900, the laying the cor
ner stone of the Bridge Alexander III.
1t is pleasant memory, that brilliant
ceremony in Paris on a bright Octo-
Der day, when the whole nation was
almost mad with joy over that
alliance with Russia which had
stirred the whole, diplomatic world.
Till then this republic had felt a
little lonely among the monarchies
of Europe, but Russia had forgotten
the days of Napoleon l and this dual
alliance between the most conserva-
tive of all the European nations and
the most liberal, while it seemed like
farce, was a reality which was to
play an important part in continen'
tai politics. Paris was packed then
as now-the streets and boulevards
were decorated by day and illumin
ated by night. The escort Of the
Car and of Faure, the president
was imposing and brilliant anc
carried one back to the days OF the
"Second Empire" where there were
fetes on the Seine such as Paris haC
never seen before. The Gar looked
thoughtful, the president jubilant
and France felt certain that her Qua
alliance had as many elements 0