Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
n arrest.
Barbaric Kings Loyalty.

the great loyalty to France of Bohanzin,
the last barbaric king and ruler of Da-
honey, who died in exile recently in AL
geria. He has left by his last will and
testament his crown and royal mantle-the
last emblemS of his extinct sovereignty-tO
the French republic. The crown, which
consists of Slver-plated metal, resembles
a fireman's helmet and the mantle is Of
red velvet ornamented with braids such as
We're used for window curtains half CEN
fury ago. The crown. however, retains a
certain historic and ethnographical inter-
est, as 1t is the work of the best goldsmiths
of Dahomey. The two regal relics" have
been sent to the Colonial Museum at the
Palais Royal
Two simple minded villagers, an uncle
and his nephew. have had most unpleas-
ant experience of railway travel at Cha
teauroux 1t was the first time in their
lives that they had ever taken a train, and
as the uncle thought it a waste of money
to buy two tickets. one for himself another
for his nephew, he bought only one and cut
1t in two. The uncle is fifty-five years of
age and the nephew twenty-three. Neither
the one nor the other had any clear notion
as to what train was like, as there had
been no railway line through their COM
mune. A branch line, however, from Cha
teauroux was recently built and the uncle
and nephew wanted to take the first op-
portunity of trying the new system of trav-
cling. At Chateauroux they were stopped
and went through severe ordeal. No an
noyance was spared them. The half of
ticket which each of them showed was
taken as an evidence an offense and
they were handed over 10 the authorities
Arrest, prison and criminal proceedings
were inflicted on the unhappy villagers, and
1t was not until In the course Of the police
trial that matters were finally cleared up
and 1t was shown that the uncle had acted
without malice in the matter. He was let
off with a fine and benefit of the first Of
tenders act and his nephew went scot Free
Clemenceau's Medal Well Earned.
NJ. Clemeneeau has well earned the medal
which the Cafe Concert Singers Union pro-
poses to bestow on him. Already in sixty
five departments Of France his circular
abolshing the collection system In music
halls has been carried into effect Every
one who has spent a sad evening at the
concert of a French country town has come
away plying the sentimental ballad singer
in her faded ball dress, the patriotic con-
: tralto. the lamentable smart lady or the
melancholy comic girl. They are frequently
paid not more than so cents per day and
, must make up more or less living wage
by handing the plate round among the
customers drinking
The assembly is not one to which ono
would go in search Of refinement but the
| girls must take the rebuffs, insults and
worse. smiling. or they are sacked at once
Ihese country town cafe concerts are full
thetic experience Of all is to watch and hear
an artiste's" grateful amazement when
any one in the cafe behaves like a gentle-
man toward her. The system is regarded
simply as a milder form of the white slave
trade. Henceforth cafe concert proprietors
| will be strictly forbidden ever to let their
| singers go among the audience under any
pretext Between stage and auditorium
| there is to be no communication whatever
Moreover the premises must be closed i'm
mediately after the performance, and the
common practice Of running supper rooms
| in connection with the called music halls
| is to be stopped.
! "one dances no more" sadly says M.
Desrats. dean of the Paris Academy of
GEOGRAPHY. who, though getting on to
| seventy seven, still, like young Sir Will
ioughby Patterne, has a Leg" and one of
which many Junior might be justifiably
proud. Dancing, which he has practfced
and taught for fifty-seven years, has kept
! his limbs 1.-THE, his cheeks rosy and his mind
! fresh. His enthusiasm for his art is as
warm as 1t was when he was twenty. and
/ when. after liberal education he gave UP
thoughts of the legal and medical profess
| sion and preferred to consecrate himself to
| the cult of Terpischore.