The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-03
PARIS HONORS HUGO
crxTENARY CELEBRATION OF THE
AUTHORS BIRTH.
WITH MANY BRILLIANT FETEs.
CITY ACCEPTS FORMER RESI-
DENCE AS A MUSEUM.

with Picturesque Setting the Con-
Guiding Exercises Were Held in
the Place des VOsges-ChiIdren
placed Flowers at Foot of His
Monument and a Grand Choir of
ZOO Voices Sang Victor HugO's
Great Hymn-The Examinations
BeautifuI and Appropriate.
Paris. March 2.-The fetes in COM
memoration of the centenary of Victor
Hugo's birth terminated to-day with
the ceremony of handing over to the
CITY of Paris, to serve as a Victor Hugo
Museum, the house in which he for
some time lived in the Place des Vos-
ges. The weather was superb.
The exercises, which took place with
in the picturesque setting of the his
toric Place des Vosges, with it's quaint
arcade running beneath the red brick
and stone fronted houses on each of
its four sides, was very happily con-
cefved. and a vast crowd gathered
within the square to witness the pro-
coedings. A plaster model of Victor
Hugo. taken from the bas-relief THE
Dream of the Poet" by the sculptor
Barreau, stood on a pedestal facing
Victor Hugo's house, situated in the
corner of the square, 1t represents
the poet sitting on a rock, draped in
antique fashion, and with a
Tyre at his feet. Overlooking
were erected tribunes for the senators,
deputies and other distinguished guests
of the municipality, which organized
the fete and betrayed the expenses, the
municipal council having voted an APP
preparation of 100000 francs to carry
out the centenary festivities.
The official procession formed at the
Hotel de Vile shortly before O'Clock
and proceeded to the Place des Vos-
ges. On the arrival of the procession
the regimental bands played the Mar
seillaise," which was followed by the
rendering of Victor Hugos hymn.
"Coux Qui Sont Morris Pour la Pa
trio" set to music by Berlios, by
choir of 1,200 voices and the band of
the Republican Guard. The vice pres
ident of the municipality of Paris pre-
sided at the ceremonies and read
eulogy of Victor Hugo by M. Dousset
the president of the municipal council,
who was absent on account of the
death Of his father. A speech was also
made by the project of the Seine.
The house was handed over to the
city of Paris, and officially accepted
by that body. The concert was then
resumed, number of pieces based on
Victor HugO's works being heard, in
GLIDING the hymn. "Patrie,' from
Las Chatiments," to simple but eff
fective air composed by Beethoven.
4 Pretty Ceremony.
The prettiest item in the exercise
thsn~took placein the defiling past the
statue of Victor Hugo of 1,200 school
children, two by two, the little ones
leading. and the elder pupils coming
last. The boys and girls marched past
in alternating couples, the boys carry
ing palm branches and the girls bear
ing flowers which they threw at the
foot of the monument. soon forming a
mass Of bloom, out of the center of
which rose the statue of the poet.
The cortege concluded with girls
representing the Muses. of Paris. A
young Partisan working girl, chosen by
her comrades as the Muse of Labor,
deposited a simple bunch of flowers
on the pedestal of the statue, the
bands meanwhile playing the March
Of the Growing of the Muse COM
posed by Charpentier. the author of
the opera of Louise"
Brilliant IIluminatiOns
1t had by this time grown dark.
with the fall of night there was a
sudden fanfare of trumpets This was
tne signal fer the illumination of the
square Several searchlights were
thrown on the old house, bathing it
Up white light, while on the facade, by
combination of electric lamps, APP
peared mauve colored muse on a
solden background, holding a Tyre At
me same time scrolls bearing the
names of the poets principal works
We're lighted around the square, and
lhe railing around the Place des Vos-
yes burst into a multi-colored iIlum-
nation, the fairy lamps being so ar
ranged along the arches and outlines
Vi the architecture as to reproduce
part OF the Alhambra. thus suggesting
scenes from Hugo's "Orientales."
ne ceremonies concluded at D. M,
win the singing of a specially COM
posed cantata by NJ. Charpentier, and
'ug playing of the 'Marseillaise
=, ne Hotel de Vile. the Place des
.oSses and the neighboring thor