The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20

ZAE G4LLElgI DE QZAcZ

n AsES is gay. cosmopolitan ana rasci-
latiug TO degree. 1t Is whirlpool
OF maddenlng pleasure TO the Partisan.
but, 10 spite Of these many pleasures, II
has many difficulties for the stranger. Its
horizon Is SO vast. IT moves so fast and
its pleasures are Kaleidoscope.
Most Americans visiting Paris for the
first time have the same feeling that an
cid woman experiences when she goes
into a large city on first visit after
spending lifetime In small town.
The tourist Is made timid as soon as
the train pulls into the station. Every.
thing is alive, everyone is moving. The
station Is crowded with men and women
rushing here, there, everywhere. The
porters lounge about lelsurely, but they
do not offer their assistance; the stranger
must implore II he wants assistance
They are independent because they can
afford 10 be: they are In Paris. where
work Is plentiful, Since they are not al.
lowed to enter the compartment, the
stranger is forced to hoist his heavy grip
out OF the windows. He rushes after 1,
because he is afraid that somebody Will
ake his facteur, or the porter and the
gage go astray together. If the lug
is heavier than what the porter
"Ao-~ Ahe VIII TtluSr carry 1t unless
he Is assured that the remuneration will
be proportionase TO the work. The cab
driver Is a greater source of annoyance
than Is the porter. He Is always engaged
when one needs him most. They are plen.
tful, but they give the one excuse that
they are all engaged. The porter explains
that an open victoria Is the only thing
to be had, but the American does not
NCn INF t, Ill IT,.
chilly night. He calls cabman, porters
and policemen to his aid, and all in vain.
He finally learns from one driver that he
can get closed cab providing he has
some heavy trunks to hoist on top. The
tired traveller has had his hand-luggage
Inspected on the frontier and had In.
tended waiting until morning to claim
the trunks, but he does this to please
the cab driver.
The finding of trunks requires as much
ingenuity as 1t did to get a porter. The
trunks are not arranged alphabetically,
and the seeker has TO search In all parts
Of the hall until he finds them. After
lively scurry he finds everything but the
steamer trunk, but this must be found
before an official will give his time to in
spectng them. BY this time all the
trunks are found, n great line has
been formed, and one must abide his
tiine' The officers are seldom in great
hurry; they are hired to move slowly and
thoroughly. Their usual word OF expla-
nation Is: open up all your baggage"
II the stranger is a woman, the officer
stops with the top tray, but when he is
man the officer dives deep In search
Of cigars.
The stranger now breathes sigh of
Fe'lei' having discovered that the trials
" the foreign custom-house are fewer
thah ne over imagined. He tells the nor.
nr ~ Jarson, which resembles neither
Engllsh nor French, where he wants to
~ iney are almost ready to start, when
Tue porter stops them to quarrel about
his tip. He Is not satisfied with tha ono
franc ne is given. Ee explaina that ha
has spent much time in the custom. house
ana III hunting cabs; he wants two francs
or nothing. No other way out of II. the
helpless traveller Is forced to nav tho
price. The horse moves at n lively colt
until one of the trunks slides down. md
the CAB driver comes down from the box
to hoist 1t up The accident In soon
righted and the destination could SOON
be reached, but policeman cries half |
and tells the driver he must take another
course, for the street Is being repaired |
The destination Is reached finally. and
the stranger has the same trouble with
the driver he encountered with the nor.
ter y tip.of half a franc is not enough. i
the Journey was long, he wants franc
or nothing, j
This Is only an Introduction to the
many difficulties most strangers meet In !
Paris. Though hotels are plentiful, the
best are always crowded and have long
waiting list. and the managers can afford {