Evening star., 1902-01-25
HIS CHANGED HABITS
The Paris Boulevardier No Longer
Dallies Over Breakfast.
AMERICAN QUICK LUNCHEONS now
Passing of Old Time Customs Due
to United States Invasion.
PAST AND PRESENT FEASTS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PARIS, January 10, 1902
Thanks to American expansion, you can
now have quick lunches on the Paris boule-
ward. What English influence could not
effect in century of grumbling the spirit
of the age-which Is American-has brought
to pass since the late exposition.
The English always bewailed the unat-
tainabiiity of the simple chop or steak in
Faris When Bulwer-Lytton's Pelham
| dined with the exiled Mr.. Russelton the
latter mourned over the common expert
ence.
THE first time I ordered chop" he said
Il thought had explained every necessary
particulars certain portion of flesh and a
gr1diron. At o'clock up came a Dreaded
outlet! l swallowed the composition,
crowned as it was in a pernicious sauce,
and had fit Of indigestion for it. The next
day imagined no mistake could be made;
sauce was prohibited and all extra ingredi-
ents. And, 10! a breast of muttoni I weptP'
Ihackeray, when Paris correspondent,
was strong on steaks:
Passing by Very's one day, 1 saw ca
daVerouS cook with a Spatula thumping
poor beefsteak with all his might This is
not only cruelty, but error Moreover, they
soak the meat in oil. Beaf so beaten and
soaked loses it's natural spirit. These ar
tinces may make it soft and greasy, but
tender and juicy, neverr'
AS the beginning of the quick lunch is the
chop or steak, SO the beginning of the chop
OF STEAK ls-the American ice chest. This
American boon-often improvised-is now
doing it's work along the Paris boulevard.
once Americans found themselves
charmed with this wondrous street, because
IL was so different" Its spirit was all ar
t1stic. No one dreamed of gaining time
70 I ~ alo
dinner from to s O'clock Therefore the
aps1nthe hour began at 10 am. and m
Inc american, having an appointment with
boulevard business man. must not dis
turp MIN at his game of "manille' after
eating, wherefore he laughed despairingly,
Joined the game and wrote home that there
was no business to be done in Paris
The boulevard has changed At night
look at those fiaring signs on high From
Ambigu to the Madeleine they glow in
every color, changing their words as you
watch them: use Blanks Chocolate"
Try Try Dash,s Soap" They are American.
crowds are held spellbound by biograph
scenes interspersed with advertisements.
They are American. Half dozen Amer
can typewriter agencies have girls working
an day in the public view. How practical
they are, these Americans" You hear the
phrase on every hand. Time is money!
Twice in the same block below the opera
crowds stand listening to loud-saueaking
vocal music. 1t is from the great Ameri-
pAOAiOSi opii, llie great american RfaDh-
ophone. At every corner shabby men
thrust printed advertisements into your
hands. They are the announcements of
american dentists: Grown and bridge
work while you wait" Here are brilliantly
lighted American shoe stores. Here is a
palace of light, an agency of American imi-
tatlon 1eWelry, competing with the bouie-
naros most boasted specially. Here are
each! Guaranteed one year" Here are
American bicycles, dozen agencies. Here
are American tailors. And everywhere is
the American tourist and commercial trav-
methods.
An American insurance company has
pulled down the old Cafe Richie and built
up sumptuous office building, the great
est. the highest and most beautiful on the
boulevard. Another American insurance
company will begin next spring to tear
down the historic Pavilion de Hanovre for
the erection Of another, still greater and
higher. And now a third American insur-
ance company has bought the whole mag
nificent corner Of the Rue de la Paix and
the boulevard. to tear down and build up
In the same way. Surely the boulevard is
becoming Americanized.
Absinthe Hour Gone.
The boulevardier used to begin his lunch,
or breakfast with a fork" at IL am, af-
ter having spent an hour at absinthe- and
water, to get up the proper appetite Now
wanes along the boulevard. Parisiaps at
tribute the falling off in the consumption
OF distilled drinks to the late shifting of
taxes to them, by which wine and beer go
free: but as the retail prices of neither
were affected, it is hard to see where this
element comes in. Rather it is due to the
working of the spirit of the time-which is
the spirit of business.
After he had dreamed away an hour at
absinthe the old-style boulevarder betook
I, ,e,olf ,.iy fha IL
lunch. This justice must be done to him
lunching his associates and customers con-
tinually. Thus all kinds of fruitful COM
binations took form in the luxurious and
gourmandizing restaurants which Paris
business men have done so much to sus-
tain in all ages. Fine eating is one of the
expenses which the Paris business man has
never dreamed of cutting down. 1t comes
as his most obvious and natural perQuiste
as q successful man. When failure stares
him in the face. he simply eats-and makes
his friends eat-the more extravagantiy.
The old-style boulGyardier will go to the
end extravagantly-extra Of time,
extravagant of money-with his luncheon
When he gets to the table it is in one of
a half a dozen quiet rooms Of no great
size, holding half a dozen tables each. 1t
will always be a mystery to Americans
how these richer, smaller Paris restau-
rants on and off the boulevard exist Their
customers are never very numerous, and
At the present moment they show great