Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-17
FALL OF BASTILE.
How France Celebrates its Great
National Holiday.
Journals Third Letter from, a Halowell
Teacher in Europe.

understand how important in the
| minds of the French people is the 14th
! OF July. Like our 4th of July it marks
the beginning of the French republic
OF which the Frenchman is justly
| proud. Our 4th of July celebration,
however, l believe is considerably sur
passed by their 14th celebration.
1helr celebration really began TWO
Gays before the 14th. Strings of small
eiectrlc lights and 3-color flags were
hung IN profusion about the streets on
the 18th and at various places small
platforms like bandstands were erect
ed. Towards evening they began put
ing up Japanese lanterns and strings
OF tumblers with little candles in them
ana when everything was lighted for
the evening the street resembled an i'm
mense ballroom, and indeed il was used
Tor one for at each of those stands an
orchestra or a band was stationed and
everybody came out into the streets
ana danced. Policemen stood at the
corners and teams were not allowed to
pass on the main streets where the
dancing was going on. The streets
here are very smooth, some of them
concreted and some laid with wooden
pavement solidly cemented and when
swept they make excellent floors for
dancing; but 1 noticed some, after they
had taken a little wine were dancing
on the ordinary stone pavement in the
alleyways.
Parisians do not go into anything
half-heartedly. When the band strikes
up everybody, old and young, gray
headed women, men with tall hats,
others with no hats, girls with silk
dresses and gaudy feathers, all join in
the dance. About midnight when they
have drank a little wine and get in the
right mood it is as good as q circus.
Every one thinks he must do some
thing funny; some prance about and
gesticulate, the women go through the
cakewalk, the dancing couples whirl
through the waltz at double-quick
time, and when one can think of
nothing else to do he stands and
halloos-anything to help along the
glorious 18th of July celebration.
Between the acts while the band
stops playing the fellows hug their
sWeethearts-some of them not too
sweet ! judge. Nobody takes any no.
tice of fellow kissing his partner in
the glaring light of the lanterns, and
if she chances to have another partner
the next time she is just as ready for
more kisses from the next partner
There is no foEmality. They go into
the street and the men take the first
girl they meet and begin dancing. What
Il grand good time everybody seems to
be having. and it is only when morn
ing begins to dawn and the candles
have burned out that the people dis
perse; some finding the street alto
gether too narrow for them
The same thing was repeated the
next night, and again the 14th, which
was the browning event of all. 1t was
then that the streets We're the most
beautifully illuminated. Some OF
them were vast avenues of light. Small
electric lights variously arranged and
val iously colored, decorated the build
ings giving wonderful effects. Every
where the letters r. +. in bold outline
proclaimed ia Republic Francois.
The fireworks Oh that evening We're
ma Snificent and all the streets We're
crowded with people to witness them
AT every corner the fakir With some
| hing to sell was getting in his time,
| Dne peculiar thing was this: no matter
what was going on and how great the
excitement, if some one came along
with some fake machine or stood on q
chair and tried to sell some little foolish
hing he could always set an audience.
| Shooting galleries and fortune wheels
out in good time. In places it seemed
| ike a New England fair.
nj md ant Nrt a ;niEU f.
is that we roamcd about those three
tights nearly all night. My friend even
wished tG Join in the dance but /
warned him of the bewtching charms
If the French maidens who are indeed
very pretty.
The 14th was q holiday. Early in tho
morning the president reviewed The
| troops drawn up on dress parade. anC
| lbout II o'clock, they marched through
| the city with the bands playing. 1t is .
| day when the tourist makes it his ain
| 10 be here and we saw people of all
aationalitics parading the streets. The
people from all the surrounding country
| came in to help things along. There is
| monument on one of the great ave
nues erected for the city of Strasbure
| before it was taken from the French By
the Germans. Annually on the 18th.
they decorate this with mourning
wreaths and this year the mass OF
| lowers and wceaths placed there was
enormous. All the different societies in
the city contributed wreaths some of
| them worth $50, l should say, and per-
haps moro.
During the afternoon there was moth
| ing of Importance going on but every
one seemed to be enjoying himself.
travelling about and looking around
In America we sit down and wait fo1
someone to entertain u.s. but in France
everyone joins in and helps make the
good time.
In the morning, when the band was
playing and the army marching by in
magnificent array, with their flashy re
and blue uniforms, with the tri-color
flag floating from every window: stand
ing beside that magnificent arch erected
by one of the greatest military geniuses
the world has known, hearing so many
reminders of wonderful military
achievement; on the ground over which
the victorious armies had so often
marched in such gaudy array; while
the spirit of patriotism was flowing at