The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-22
CHIC LETTER
FROM PARIS
IChina's Exhibit at the
Exposition.
AN IDEAL|zED SECTION
Beautiful Architecture, Lovely Gar
dens and Priceless Curios
In the Collection.

PARIS. July 25.-when a French orator
wants to apply the biggest words in his
vocabulary to the universal exposition he
styles it a festival of peace, uniting all
tho nations in the brotherhood Of labor"
To the casual visitor or to the person
who reads about the big show from afar
this may seem fanciful and exaggerated
phrase. but now and then as one wanders
through the grounds. he sees d spectacle
that realizes the precise sort Of interna-
ticnal fraternity to which the Frenchman
refers.
A striking instance Of this is visible at
the foot of the stairway leading from the
Trocadero into the exhibition grounds.
immediately on the left is an enormous
tu-reted castle. the imposing facade of
which runs about 200 feet along the thor
oughfare, and whose irregular sides,
stretch twice as far back and end in a
forest of detached buildings of most pic
turesque effect. There is no need to try
and figure out the nationality of the edi-
flee from the big inscription over the
main portal printed in letters of q strange
alphabet. The general architecture OF the
Eis structure tells plainly as words tha,
Ii is Russian, yet In the wide vestibule
you see sight that makes you doubt
the inference Seated there half a
dozen Chinese IN their flowing robes of
silk.
] The newspapers are fun OF startling
tales these days from Peking, and the
pivotal point of most cablegrams is the
intense hostility that exists between the
Chinese and the Russians. English news
papers persstently hint that Tartar mach
nations have brought about the Boxer
troubles, so that Russia might have a
pretext for grabbing territory. and the
same journals give the impression that the
fowery kingdom Is less nimical to Chris
items in general than to voracious Russia
in particular. The man from anywhere
who comes down these Trocadero steps
and tumbles upon six Cinnamon sitting
placidly in the Russian vestibule is likely
to think he is dreaming.
BROTHERLY FEELING.
Standing thereabouts he sees men. in
Russian uniforms, between whom and
the subjects of the son of heaven the best
OF good feeling obviously exists. Then
the visitor realizes that the French ora
: tor must be right and that the exhibition
|, really is a festival of peace and brother
hood.
! Following the example Of nature. which
made them a sort of geographical neigh
bcrs, the exposition authorities, with the
!, cordial concurrence of both nations. have
. allotted the Russians and tie Chinese ad-
joining strips of territory that isolate
/. them from the rest of mankind. and en-
!. able them to live in a harmony that Is
!. most picturesquely effective.
= The visitor has scarcely reached the foot
: Of the Trocadero stairway before he Is
confronted by a corner tower of the Rus
: so-Asiatic palace, over the door of which
: Is tho notice:
. TRANS-sIBERIAN RAILROAD.
Voyage from Moscow to Picking.
e There is a train inside that carries
f travellers over that long route in an hour.
o the trip being accelerated by imagination
e infamed by moving panorama. When
e the train runs into the sacred city, or
z the deluded traveller fancies 1t has, he de-
l. scends through the railway station, and
IT then out into the streets OF what surely
h locks like the loveliest corner of Chi
ness metropolis. The most stolid Euro
d pean or American is bound to be en-
Granted when he looks around and to for
get that he is really in Paris. On all sides
onA beholes captivating specimens OF
z Mongolian architectcre-houses that look
e like pictures cut from a Chinese screen
brilliant in colcr, odd and fancifuf In
s. shape, fascinating or weird In their dec.
;e orations, with dragons insects, flashing
= many-hued birds and effgies of the fun
e Ey-faced little men and women familiar
sr to our eyes since childhood, carved 81
W stained woods, projecting from every side
D. In doorways and window sills. on ba.es,
,e nles and in the gardens, there are how :;
n Everywhere; and the pagodas ara painted
n- lrocfs overhead blend with the thick
"a Ileayed branches of ts,c .-ees. leading lire
se isistibly to the thought. This is the LAM
H. 'ot the picturesque, the veritables flower,
Kingdom.
FEEL AT HOME IN PARIS.
eri Sitting on the porcfIes before the
lg houses or shops. or strolling nonchalant
g. lly through the gardens, are almond-eyes
ul celestials, precisely as they may be seel
is in their native land. This is China, ideal
s. lied, IL you will, but surely having littl
ty in common with the squalid. dirty sight
n that affront the visitor to the Chinatown
ey of many an American city. In all tn
til vista roundabout there is not singl
ne laundry. and no John Chinaman, with hi
er queue tucked up under his dilapidate
ct Mclean" cap, and in his slovenly blouse
ne squirting water at wriggling shirt. Her
IN the whole picture Is different. The yel
IL low men at the exposition are at thei
lie best they comport themselves with dig
as nifty, making 1t understood that the.
p iccme from classes in the vast empir
(Coptfn,fed ON Pare ~