Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-23
WHEN A PARTISAN eAIhEs.
The Difficulties Ee Encounters In
Taking Hot Dip.

A
| Taking Hot Dip.
When Partisan taxes \ bah. All
Paris knows it-thai ~ y h,.a be- tales
a hot bath. The ;.eis.;,i. has a hard
time keeping c'eal si.at np succeeds
so well is vcsy lAnca to bis credit. He
iabors under the si,sa.ivan,as,, OF BAY
ing Go adequate sag,,;y o: water. There
Is plenty of water IN Paris. TO be sure.
aud an enormous quantity OF II is used
on the streets. All day long men with
lines OF hose which are made In metal
1 lie sections with flexible Joints. each
section mounted on wheels, 20 up and
down the principal streets and boule-
wards distributing water with a free
hand. The difficulty Is not to get wa.
ter on the street level, but TO Get II
above that level. and after that the
great difficulty is 10 get II hot All but
the very newest OF modern houses in
Paris have water only on the street
level. This water Is carried to the
upper floors of houses In buckets as
needed. This is true not alone Of pri
waite houses. but Of hotels Of the older
type. These abound in Paris, and the
comforts they offer to the traveller are
almost confined to the table.
Moreover. though water may he
drawn in any quantity on the ground
hoor. there are no facilities for heating
water y hotel keeper may put ket-
tie on the range and send I'D n QUART
of hot water TO your room. but when II
comes 10 filling n tub he would admit
that it was beyond the capacity Of his
establishment. Many Parislans use rho
big lighthouses along the Seine. In
places these houses occupy a greater
part of the river. but If n Partisan
wants hot bath at home he must turn
to that time honored French instltu.
ton. the perambulating hathtub.
To the American who sees this insti.
tuition for the first time traversinr tbe
principal streets of the great city /, Is
very mirth provoking. And he win see
1t In almost any part OF the city IL he
stays there long enough and moves
ABOUT the streets, for the hathman's
houses are distributed all over Paris.
From the bathing establishments the
ba;hman goes forth I'm harness. This Is
nothing unusual in Paris. where well
''~N'N" "foA Nie SUI ttiNiDS small
wagons of all kinds. The hathn,an has
two straps over his shoulders. aud he
stands between the shafts of two
wheeled cart. On this cart Is mounted
tank. On the tank structure Is bal
anced n substantial bathtub which IS
provided with casters. In front OF the
tank are two large metal buckets aud
yoke. The bathman draws this apparn.
tus through the streets TO your house.
When you want hot tub, you order
one for particular hour or partjcu
lar day. The ta:h,nan comes around
with his apparatus at the hour named.
He stops In front OF your house. and.
lifting the tub from the top OF the tank.
he puts Il over hiss head .ike n hood and
carries IL III STAIRS TO yat.r room. Then
ne Returns - ilir street and draws OIL
the hot water finn liir tank INFO thr
buckets These hr iia'.ps NJ each end
OK the yoke which tie carries across his
shoulders. and in this fashion he can
vcys the waiter 20 tho tub When the
tub is full. lac rctircs aud waits for \
reasonable time FOR you Then he
comes up stairs and cmpt.rs the rub by
means OF his buckets and carries the
tub and burtc,s away Ills passage
through the streets * IN everyday
sight 10 the Partisan aud arnasrs no
comment. but TO the stranger il is
subject of great anuscmvnL