The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-28
QUEER PARIS CUSTOMS.
When 4 Gentleman Takes a Bath All
City Knows T.

City Knows L.
Paris. JuIv. Z7.-Wheu Partisan takes
I bath all Paris knows H. That IS, when
+ he takes q hot bath. The hot bath Of the
average Partisan is a function which is
( performed with ceremony
The Partisan has hard time keeping
clean That he succeeds so well is very
much TO his credit He labors under the
DISADVANTAGES Of having no adequate sup
ply Of water. There IS plenty Of water
in Paris, 70 BE- sure, ard an enormous
quantity Of II is used on the streets All
day long men with lines Of hose, which
are made in metallic sections with flexible
joints, each section mounted OF wheels.
go Up and down the principal streets and
boulevards distributing water with free
hand.
The difficulty Is not to get water o.
the street level. but to set it above that
level ana after that, the great difficulty
IS TO get It hot All but the very newest
Of modern houses IN Paris have wafer
only on the street level. This water is
carried to the upper foors OF houses IN
buskets IS needed. This IS true not alone
OF private houses. but Of hotels Of the
older type. These abound in Paris. and
the comforts they offer to the traveller
are almost confined 70 the table.
Moreover, though water may be drawn
in any quantity on the ground floor, there
are no facilities for heating water. a
hotel keeper nay PUT a kettle on the
range and send Up a quart OF hot water
to your room. but when II comes to fill
ing a tub he would admit that It was
beyond the capacity OF HIS establish
ment.
Many Psrsians use the big bath houses
along the Seine. n places these houses
occupy. q greater part % the river. But
Z a Partisan wants a hot bath at home,
he must turn to that dme-honored in
stitution the nerambulating bath tub
To the American who sees this fnsti-
tuition for the first time traversing the
principal street Of this great city. # is
very u1irth-provokius- and he VIII see
1t IN almost any part Of the city II be
stays here long enough and moves about
the streets. for the bath mans houses
are distributed al over Paris
From the bathing establishment the
bath men goes forth IN harness. This IS
nothing unusual in Paris. where well
dressed men are seen drawing small
wagons Of all kinds, The bath man has
two straps over his shoulders. and he
stands between the shafts of a two-wneel-
"a cart on this cart IS mounted tank
on the tank structure is balanced a sub
srantisl bath tub. which is provided with
casters. IN front Of the tank are two
large metal buckets and a yoke. The
bath usn draws this apparatus through
the streets 10 your house
When you want q hot tub you order
one for a particular hour Of particular
day. The bath man comes around with
his apparatus at the hour named. he
stops In front OF your house and lifting
the tub over the TOD Of the tank. he puts
e over his head ike a hood and carries
it upstairs 10 your room. Then he re-
turns To the street and draws or the hot
water from the tank into TIE buckets
These ne hargs az each end % the
woke which he carries across his shout
der. and II this fashion he conveys the
water n the tub When tho tub is full
he retlres and waits for q reasonable time
for you 70 remove the surface dirt. Then
he comes upstairs and ern0tias the t,b
hv means o. his buckets and carries the
-ub ard buckets away His passage
through the streets IS an everyday sight
% the Partisan ard ar0usas no comment
When i asked the bath man % let me
photograph him in one act Of fulfilling
his functions he shrugged his shoulders
and looked at me IS though he thought
was crew. Then he made remarks
about the Wild Americans and their
strange WAYS to the old woman who had
charge O. the office of the hath establish
ment- Paris g rot only 7ecorcEed % the
tub man but seems 20 prefer this method
u getting clean f7r even many n the
new buildings are not provided with che
comforts wh.ch sre considered essential
IN our plaInest apartment houses.