The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-03
OLD HOME OF MASTER AUTHOR Is
FORMALLY PRESENTED
TO CITY
HOUSE WILL BE A MUSEUM
Fete Held on the Anniversary of the
BirtIeof the Poet and Labor Pays
Beautiful Tribute to Memory
of the Great Author
WHOLE CITY IS ILLUMINATED

PARIS, March 2-The fetes in com
memoration of the centenary of Victor
Hugo's birth terminated today with the
ceremony of handing over to the city of
Paris to serve as a Victor Hugo muse
UNI, the house in which he for some
lived, in the Place des Vosges.
The exercises, which took place with
in the picturesque setting of the historic
Place des Vosges, with its quaint ar
caoe, running beneath the red BRICK and
stone-fronted houses on each of its four
sides, was very happily conceived, and
a vast crowd gathered within the square
to witness the proceedings.
A plaster model of Victor Hugo taken
from the bas-relief, THE Dream of the
Poet" by the sculptor Barreau, stood on
a pedestal racing Victor Hugo's house,
situated at the corner of the square. 1t
represents the poet sitting on rock,
draped in antique fashion, ana a
Tyre at his feet.
Overlooking the monument and facing
the house We're erected tribunes for the
senator's, deputies and other distinguish
ed guests of the municipality, which or
ganized the fete and betrayed the ex-
penses, the municipal council having vot-
ed 3000 600 francs to carry out the centen-
ary festivities.
EuIOgies to Dead Poet.
The official procession formed at Hotel
de Willie shortly before o'clock, and pro-
ceeded to Place des Vosges. On the ar
rival of the procession the regimental
bands played ''Marseillaise," which was
followed by the rendering of victor HUI
COS hymn, "CeouX qui sont morris la
Patrte'-set to music by Berlios-by a
choir of 1920 voices and the band of
TIoo rlci-
dent of the municipality of Paris presid-
ed at the ceremonies, and read a eulogy
of Victor Hugo by NJ. Dousset, the presi-
dent of the municipal council, who was
absent on account of the death of his
father. A speech was also made by the
prefect of the Seine.
The house was handed over to the
city of Paris and officially accepted by
that body The concert was then re-
sNmed, number of pieces based on Vic
tor Hugo's works being heard, including
the hymn "Patrie," from LAS Chat-
ments" to simple but effective air,
composed by Beethoven.
The most striking feature in the ex-
ercises then took place Past the statue
of Victor Hugo marched 1920 school chill
dren, two by two, the little ones leading
and the elder pupils coming last. The
boys and girls marched past in alternat-
branches and the girls bearing 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
Labor Pays "a Tribute.
The cortege concluded with girls rep
resenting the muses. Of Paris. A young
Partisan working girl, chosen by her
companions as the muse of labor, de-
posted a simple bunch of flowers on the
pedestal of the statue, the bands mean
while playing THE March of the Crown
ing of tic Muse" composed by Char
pcntier, the author of the opera of LOU
sse''
It had by this time grown dark. With
The fail of night there was a sudden
fanfare of trumpets. This was the sig
nal for illumination of the square. Sew
eraI seal chlights were thrown on the
old house. bathing it in white light, while
IN the facade, by a combination of cleo
trio lamps, appeared mauVe colored
muse on a golden background, holding a
lvre At the same time scrolls bearing
the names OF the poets principal works
were lighted around the square, and the
railing around the Place des Vosges burst
into a multi-colored illumination, the
fairy lamps being so arranged along the
arches and outlines of the architecture as
to produce a part of the AInambra, thus
suggesting scenes from Hugo's Orient
ales.''
The ceremonies concluded with the sing
ing of a cantata specially composed for
the occasion by M Charpentier, and the
playing of "Marseillaise.
The Hotel de VILE the Place des Vos-
ges and the neighboring thoroughfares
are illuminated tonight and balls are
being held in the open air.