The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-21
Soclal and
Personal

Including virginians. love Paris. The fol-
lowing letter. written from Paris by a
Richmond girl, who Is now ENJOYING II,
IN axiom
Paris. July 9. 1905.
Not one word OF praise that has been
said OF Paris is too much Its beauty is
simply beyond description. Such bou-
levards, parks and drives are not to be
found in any other city and the delight
fpl part OF it is, even the very poorest
people enjoy them to the fullest extent.
AS In London. SO in Paris very good
way to see the city is from the tops of
an omnibus.
was built by Napoleon l.: In honor OF
himself. From the top Of this. an OK
cellent birds eye view Of the city, can be
obtained Leaving the arch. which heads
the most beautiful and popular boulevard
OF Paris 1t Is very wide with parks on
either side and fountains playing all the
time and leads to the Place de la Con-
ticent square. In the centre Is one Of
Cleopatra's needles Around this place
are eight stone statues representing the
chief cities of France, Lille. Strassburg.
Bordeaux, Nantes. Rouen, Brest. MAI
Belles and Lyons.
strassburg is usually hung with crane
and mourning sarlandS IN reference 70
Of many horrible events In the history OF
Paris. Two thousand eight hundred per-
sons perished here by the gullotine. Pass
Ing through the Rue Roya ale, lined ,ho on
Spoken" we come to the. Place de Ia
Madeline, where is the Church OF 81.
Mary Magdalen, built in the style or
late Roman adoption of Crock. Temple:
This building, which is destitute OF
windows, is constructed exclusively OF
s,one. The bronze doors are adorned s Win ~
illustrations Of the ten commandments
The church Is famed for its sacred music.
S7rom the Place de la Madeaine on thc
Ieft is boulevard Montmatre; TO the rlsht
Boulevards des 1tanens ta ann o" leads into
tha Place de lOpera, where Is the most
gorgeous and largest opera mouse m .ne
world, covering an erea OF nearly thIee
acres It hss te OVER t two thousand
persons TIE site for this building mad
10 be e1cavated to a depth OF my reet
below the level OF the first surface &C wa,er
and stream was struck which neces-
Stated the employment OF eight steam
pumps. night and day. for seven months.
I'm the building very little, wood mas been
used. but there is hardly variety OF
marble or costly stone, which Is not TO
be found here. Passing through the,
glded gates one sees opposite the grand
stair case, The steps are OF white mar
bic, the balustrade or rosso autico. with
n Ia na-rail formed OF Algerion onyx. The
opera being a government affair on the
evening Of performances. soldiers are sta
tioned outside and on the steps of the en-
france IT is a grand sight and on one
FIRST visit one is awed by the brilliancy OF
II all.
Turning to the right on leaving the
Opera, House one soon comes into Rue
DE- Rivoli street which reminds one OF
St Mares Plaza in Venice. the Colorado:
under which are any number OF small
shops, selling gloves. jewel.y and pic
lures Is very tempting. Opposite 10
this Colorado are the gardens of the
Tnillerlos. at the end of which is the
Louvre.
Returning TO the Champs Elysees and
coming in the direction of the Arc de
Triumph, one may reach Arc Nicholas
III. on one side Of which is the salon
or Grand Palais des Bolau1e Arts, In the
salon one finds works of the living art
lists In sculpture and paintings. When
omen, the salon Is quite the rendezvous
for the fashionable and the pleasure low
Ing. Following this avenue one may
cross the Punt Alexander Ill, one OF the
seven bridges over the Seine and one
OF the most beautiful in decoration, and
latter the court to Hotel des 1nvalides,,
This building. with its conspicuous GID
I'd dome. covering about thirty acres
was founded in the seventeenth century
by Louis SIV. railing separates the
place from the outer court OF the lnva-