The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-10


4 tractive. Here there was some difficulty
In making ourselves understood, al
though the appearance of French menus
| at American hotels had prepared US TO
some extent. but most of our desires
were communicated to the waiter girls
| by pointing to the lines. instead of en-
| deavoring to read them aloud. This
also had its drawbacks. My daughter
wished some ginger bread and was sup
| Piled with preserved ginger, but our diff
ncultles at the cafes were only on the
! lew occasions when our guide was not
| with US, for we had a guide most of the
time and he was invaluable.
We had been at the hotel but few
minutes when 1 received word that a
caller was in waiting. Naturally SWELL
ing with some Importance that our pres
ence was so early known in Paris, l
| went to the office and found Frank
| F'aVa, Partisan. who lived in Atchison
Tor three years, but had been back in
Paris again for some time. My friend.
e. w. Howe, of the Globe had written
Fava that we were coming and told him
! to look out for us. He was to know us
| by the Don't Worry Club" buttons we
wore. AS we had the sign in our but
| tonhole and on our faces, he knew we
We're not impostors. but the people for
whom he was looking
| FaVa is not professional guide His
trade IS that of a decorator in summer
and tinSmith in winter but he is al
pilot Americans over Paris He is in
telllgent, courteous and Well-informed
ana saved US much time and money. He
| made the arrangements with the cab
| men, for our meals through the day.
| Keeping US out of trouble, generally and
! into the best channels for sightseeing
his address is No. 12, Leon Passage,
Paris. L paid him twelve francs, that is.
! $40 per day, also, of course, for his
luncheons, cab fares, admission fees,
| etc. He would come in the evening when
we wished him to do so.
/ A foreigner must be impressed with
the large number of cabs in Paris and
| the cheapness of the fares. When there
were three of US we always paid but
one franc and fifty confines, that is,
thirty cents, to go anywhere in the city,
except into the remote parts. To this
was added tip of twenty-five CEN
times, or five cents, which was always
expected, but received with thanks and
tip of the cap. The price by the hour
was two francs and a half, that is, fifty
cents. Some of the cabs were rubber
tired; their shape and style that of
low Victoria. Whenever there were
four of US going from place to place, we
generally paid two francs. unless the
/ trip was a short one. There are said to
be $4,000 cabs in Paris. AT any rate,
they are so numerous that one is at
hand almost any moment.
| The same ride, which costs thirty or
| L
$3.50 in Topeka. 1t costs more to take
! a hack in this city than it does in Law
renee or New York. Our town. In this
respect, seems to be either too large, or
too small, for a popular price. do not
understand the hack and carriage bust
ness, but it has always seemed to me
/ that a one horse coupe, or cab service,
would pay well here.
The streets are smooth and clean and
riding over them a great pleasure, as
/ xxraI1
wide well-shaded boulevards extend In
all directions; even the business thor
oughfares are lined with trees. At the
edge of the sidewalks, at frequent in
! teryaIs, as little booths, known as
/ sskiosuues" From these little stands
newspapers, magazines and postal cards
are sold. The trade in souvenir postal
cards in foreign cities must aggregate
very large sum. for tourists are con-
tinually buying them to mail to friends
at home Many of these are attractive.
printed in colors. and a certain klhd
sold in Paris has an added interest,"
made by a sprinkling of diamond dust.
The New York Herald bureau IS one
of great convenience for acqua1ntlng
+ Americans with the presence or one an
other in the city. 1t is the recognized
and seems to be the proper. thing for
/ Americans in Paris to register tneIn-
selves at the Herald office several
pages of a large record book are filled
odcn
and Paris address of each visitor. The
I Herald, each morning, prints these
/ lists.
/ The New York Herald. Paris edition,
appears every morning printed In Eng
glish; copies of course, are eagerly
/ bought by Americans, but the news
given is meager and unsat isfactory
There is, of course. something from
Washington and New York, including
the stock quotations and principal mar
kets, but the main space is given 10 the
movements of the swell society peo-
pie AS much as 4 column, daily, IS de-
voted to each of the principal watering
places of Europe and covering the DO
ings of this one class. The got ana
tennis scores and even details or sucn
games played at Newport ma nperal
space. The paper sells for fifteen francs,
or three cents and seems to be on sale
everywhere in Europe.
Whether it is deserved. or not, GER
tain French newspapers have reputa-
ton for being purchasable; that Is,
Parisians seem to take. with consider
able allowance. the news they print A
short time before our visit there was d
dreadful accident on the underground
railway, the papers printing the state
ment that eighty people lost their. lives,
smothered and burned to death In the
tunnel and entrance. | was told that
the number of lives lost was fully Two
hundred, but that the papers had been
persuaded to cut the number down TO
eighty. Whether the Partisan papers
deal in facts, or not. it is noticeable that
great prominence is given on the first
page each day to a piece of fiction a
miscellaneous story.
The sidewalks on the avenues are
broad and at many places were lined.
next to the buildings, with chairs and
tables. at which were seated ladies and
gentlemen. eating and talking These
outdoor cafes were lively places. Those
at the tables were taking things
easy" and the French have these TAX
ing ways They were, evidently. many
of them, business people, but were
either working on short hours, or
transactine affairs while they ate and
drank at their leisure, for the seats
were occupied before the afternoon was
over as well as thorough the evening and
night.