Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-17

and ll-Ioteu LOUIS, tnt cuAnlpef Ntitfe
the Council OF State first met and,
most curious Of all, the magnificent
audience room In which a Pzussian
prince who had entered Paris IN tri-
umph was crowned Emperor Of Ger
many ami from which he sent his
soldiers shortly aftnrward at the re-
quest Of the French government 10
Paris 10 save that city from being
sacked hy the Parisians themselves
To the eternal credit Of the yictorE
Gus Germans be It said the city which
they conquered suffered not at all at
their hands Its only damage was
from the mob OF Paris hoodlums.
From Versailles, enhancing In the
beauty ofa mildMay Afternoon down 10
the Column Vendome we saw the his
tory OF Paris spread out like a panora-
ma. Past the column which marks
the spot where once stood the terrible
Bastile, through the street along
which the mob pressed to seize the
king, beside the building where the
noble Collgny fell the first victim OF
the awful night OF st. Bartholomew,
winding 10 and out through narrow
ways aud again along broad streets We
come to the Place Vendome. In It's
center is a column 1i2 feet in height
in imitation Of Trajan's Column at
Rome. 1t is constructed OF masonry
encrusted with plates Of bronze.
Napoleon the First erected it to
Commemorate his victories against the
Russians and Austrians in the cam
paign Of 1906. The metal was OBJ
tanned by melting down twelve hum
bred captured cannon II originally
bore a statue ofNapoleon When he was
sent to st, Helena and the Royalists
regained power this statue raj taken
down and a Bourbon lily erected in
stead. In 1881 Louis PHILIPPE took
down the lily and put up a statue OF
Napoleon the First in a great coat and
three-ccrnered hat. Napoleon III
caused this TO be replaced by a statue
resembling the original one In 1871
the entire column was oyerthrown by
the Communard, but two years later
It was rebuilt from the original stones
and bronze and stands now again
crowned with the likeness Of the
mlghtsest man who eyer dwelt in
France. The column tells the pOliti-
cal changes Of the country as does no
other single object in Paris.
ALONG THE SEINE.
We confess to a weakness for water
--for transportation purposes. The
Seine has a special attractiyeness. 1t
Is not q great river ia any way. Flow
ing as it does through the very heart
Of Paris the steamboats, upon it afford
a glimpse OF the city which cannot be
otherwise obtained. Ii is a clean river,
The water is, strange as 1t may seem,
clear. No sewage goes into 1t. The
docks are swept until they are al
free from dirt as any kitchen floor
The French fondness for beauty ex'
tends even here. We saw flower
blooming on the faded decks OF an
Client canal boats.
Along the Seine are the queeresI
old book-stalls. The gulde-books viii
doubtless tell you just how many year
ago the first book-stall was PLACED
there. That really does not matter
They are there now and no lover OF Ok
books can go TO Paris without wan
dering for hours along the Seine
peering into the boxes which roof tn
stone walls and handling with tende
touch the volumes therein contained
To such an one not the least charm o
fascinating Paris are the old bool
markets on the river Seine.
A LAST GLIMPSE OF PARIS.
There is no space in this letter d
speak adequately Of any part Of tn
! great attractions which Paris holds
Just around the corner from the hote
where we are slowed away is Peti
les Camps, the greatest retail shop
ping street in the world. One ma,
scarcely make his way along thI
street in the afternoon for the crowd
OF fashionable women from all coun
tries shopping. Across the Seine, ia
! from the center of the town, is Boz
Marche, the largest retail store o.
the globe. The Sara Bernhardt thea
tire is here with the divine Sara her
5 self, her voice not betraying her sixty
three years. At the end of the ave
! nue. is the National Opera House, Z
1 which again the phrase the creates
5 10 the world, applies. Here we saS
: Faust, the best known Of operas
Though the opera house itself cover
more space than any other the audi
forum is comparatively small, scare
a third larger than that Of the Stat
University at Columbia. The JardII
des Plantes, with Its wonderful col
lection Of flowers, the LuxembourI
Palace, the Palace Of the President
the White House Of France th
Champs Elysees, the T~rocadero, th
Chamber. Of deputies aud, crownInI
glory Of Paris and Of France, th
Louvre, may have but this mere pass
ing mention.
There Is a picture in the Versatile
gallery which truly typifes the FreneI
national characteristics. Through
pelting raInstorm, across IN ice field,
French soldier is carryingi in one hant
the tricolor banner Of his country, tn
while be supports with the other arm
a wounded fellow-soldier. The twl
have their faces toward the foe and Il
the blackness Of the night are thu
maintaining the honor Of France
Love Of glory, generosity and al
Optimistic faith, whatever be tn
present conditions, are unfailins
marks Of the true F~renchman.
al naFmpo Avn rxu.