The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-07-20
PARIS LETTER.
PARIS, FRANCE,
June 25th. 1900. /

the city. Why is it that in all cath
olic countries, Sunday is selected for
sports and amusements? In Spain,
hullfights in Italy. pic-nics and eX
cursions; in France, automobile, bicy-
Gle and horse races. | did not 90 to
the Grand Prix. | saw it twenty-five
years ago, with the then President Of
France, Marshall Mcmahon, on the
grand stand with the Shah of Parsia
and the ex-king Of Spain Amodeus as
guests of honor Once is often enough
to see Grand Prix or 60 Summing.
1t may be necessary to know and un-
derstand some things but it is not ne
cessary to know and understand some
things but it is not necessary to wal
low in them. | remember just how it
looked; with its immense throng Of
people in carriages, drags, four-in-
hands and cabs; thousands on foot !;
gamblers and demi-mondeines, the fast
set from France, England and Amer
lea. The demimonde is always con-
spicuous in fine carriages or on tally
ho-coaches, wearing for the first time
the Partisan gowns and hats of the sea-
son, which will in an Incredibly short
time be initiated in every nook of our
own country; yes, much sooner than
in any other country on the planet.
'Tis pity tits true. Renan was per-
haps right in his hatred Of expositions
and in blaming women for them.
There are many kinds of expositions.
Yesterday, President Loubet and his
guest Of honor King Oscar (Berna-
dotte) of Sweden went to the races in
separate drags, each drawn by four
horses and each left horse ridden by a
.iaclley or postillion. The drags were
accompanied by platoons Of dragons.
Republican simplicity has not pene-
trated 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 centuries. But France is no doubt
more prosperous and freer from war
and from the Catholic church than du-
ring the days Of the last empire.
The exposition buildings during the
week, when there is an average of
100000 visitors, are quite well filled,
and on Sundays, when there are near
ly half million, it is uncomfortably
crowded. But now 5000 cabmen
have struck, anil thousands who de-
pend on cabs will not he able to reach
the grounds. The ommibuses, cabs,
street cars and Seine river boats were,
even before the strike, notOriously in
adequate. After waiting for twenty
minutes on several occasions to get a
cab or seat in an omnibus, [ have
changed my lodgings and now have a
room within half a square of one of the
entrances, and am independent of all
kinds of transportation.
In spite of military reverses, the
South African Republic day before
yesterday inaugurated its building in
the Trocadlro Gardens. The exposi-
tion is composed of three parts; the
official pavilion. the Boer House, and
mining plant. The official pavilion
is of the Dutch or Flemish style of
architecture, with columns in white
and and bright interior decorations.
At the entrance is seen a bust of Pres
ident Kruger, upon which large tri-
color bouquet has been placed with a
card bcaring the words "Homage of a
band of patriotic Partisan working
men," The pavilion contains a num-
Der OF objects of sinister suggestion
and memory. One is big clumsy
cannon, now very rusty, with Boer
foundry man made in 1880 and which
contributed to the Boar victory at Ma
iuba Hill. Then there is q library
with text books. etc, showing the pub
lie school system; plan of the Johan-
nesburg mines, photograps ofthe coun-
try and model of the old-time Boer
wagon. The house is an exact repro
duc,ion of native buildings with its
four rooms two bedrooms, a kitchen
and kind of parlor or sitting ROOM
The floors are of earth, the bcdsteads
of iron. 4 bible and an old organ are
part of the scant and simple furniture.
In the mining section are shown COM
plete models of the machinery used for
the reduction OF gold ore. There
is estimated to be 00,o00,0OO un-
mined gold in the Transvaal. The
guests, among whom were the officers
of the exposition, the foreign commits
s;oncrs and the members of the press,
! were received by Mr. Pierson, the
Bocr commissioner-general.
From a register placed near the
door, where many signatures were
written, | qaote: THE Representa-
tiyes of the Russian Press assembled
at Paris entertained the most fervent
wishes for the ultimate triumph of the
South African Republic in her glorious
struggle for liberty and independence.