Evening journal., 1908-04-18
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
sEvENTY.sEcoND ARTICLE.
By Washington Hastings


surroundings, did not impress me as being place ol
much Importance
ngs showing less evidence of decay from tbs
OF time and which, while at time they may
OF greatness in period and had long since
departed leaving the general impression Of the place thai
sure. but stii a deserted village While there was hers
and there, sign Of modern improvement and progress
was comparatively little; and could not get rid Of the
impression that II earthquake other calamity,
to destroy the palace and is appertainances might
little Certainly not enough make it worth whils
for the visitor to forego the beauties and wonders Of Paris
even ior one day TO go out there to see it.
The Palace OF Versailles" however, now no longer
royal residence but gigantic museum Of art and arch
aioogy maintained by the government for the amusement
ana instruction OF the people with its park its gardens
It's satuary its fountains Its artificial lakes its orange
gardens its superb drives and beautiful paths leading into
nnumerabe shady little groves and nooks and corners
together with the majestic building and its contents
must be to be- approximately, appreciated
cannot pe described But when we rememberas the re-
cords there inform ustha the length of the main build
ng alone Is quarter Of mile, that It contains
hundred ana seventy-three apartments and rooms OF
various Sizes which, II placed in a row. would measure
two miles thai they contain five thousand hundred
ana ninety-esht pictures which If laid In row on the
ground would measure five miles, and the fact that
in the time Of Louis XIV the inhabitants palace
10 uepenueneles numbered ten thousand ana that of
these consisting Of princes prnceses msresses dukes
lords officers great and petty Wallets and ackeys and
servants or az kinds the immediate household or the
King embraced hve thousand of them idea Of the
mmensity end also Of the rottenness Of the place
pc formed ana some reason found FOR the appearance
Of the starving Paris mob at the doors in 1889 and the
barrels of blood flowing in the Of Paris afterwards
Sundry "commissionares" and guides were, as usual
plentiful and profuse in offering coach party their
absolutely and Invaluable services (as they in
sistea9 IN showing us the place; but Campbell told us
that he could dc it just well without any charge and
save the expense, and would gladly do If
agreed OF course were entirely Of opinion the
subject and closed that contract instantly
ing at one end walked for six hourssave half hour
for luncheonthrough Of what is said to be
the greatest art gallery I'm the world long and
wearisome Journey, and Of the to drop
out Of ne but it paid, and Campbell though non-pro-
n
others that had in Paris-and had several-because
of them could speak very good English and from
their general stupidity things did not believe
they could speak much French Indeed the opinion that
formed of these high titled waxed Partisan
hrst-cass humbugs whose principal
to steer their patron shops and bazaars and try To
induce him to purchase something other that every
American gentleman always buys to take home a
Like my visit to the Louvre the time was far too limit
ed TO do much more than simply walk along and look
stopping only at objects of great renovn and historic
interest and listen obging chaperone of the mas
culine sender while he told all about them.
great halls and galleries of nictres and stst,a,
all Of which have been fully-and think in the main
truthfuy-described in Mr. Clemens's fascinating book
the private apartments of Iouis XIV and w ana % ti.
wives and families together with those Of the real mis-
tesses OF the household and Also the POM
paaour ana the Mainenon the apartments Of the we'll
meaning hut weak and vaollating Louis XVI and his
iathu and unhappy queen Marie Antonette secret
stairs down which she fed from the fury Of the Paris
mob which, after killing the last the faithful
Swiss Guards" had penetrated the palace asoended
the grand stairway to her bed-chamber and plunged
ther daggers and bayonets into her empty the fam
Gus balcony upon which she stood beside Fayette with
the infant Dauphn in waving the tri-coor toward
the nfurated mob below before they her and her
husband and little prince back with them to Paris and
to their impending fate the apartment and portrait of
mate friend or the queen, who afterwards was stabbed
10 death by the Jacobins in the Paris after
blood ~ -"'''si
These. and hundred other things including the
Great 1ranor" the Little Trianon the stables Of the
kings with the trappings and charots of state one NJ
hen said TO be seven hundred years old saw at YER
ses ana only wished that could have more but
Returning to Paris by way OF "vironay," "chaville
Serres-he town where the celebrated Sevres porce-
ih WolNs are located Bilanourt" and the inn where
the armisce between the and the French was
signed reachec my hotel at nine o'clock in the beau
ready for supper and bed.
remained in Paris three days longer and found no ar
heuiy IN FULLY oc 'upyng every mnuteof the time Riding
top OF omnib good way TO see large cit, if
you take care to introduce yourself the driver or guard
i topoI manner ana ala much OF t. thus visited
Pere Ia Chase," the ancient cemetery well on the out
skirts Of the city where lie buried for Of years
vUsnes or the ctzens OF Parisnobity" first famil-
les and Just common people" While MANY Of tho
mausoleums and monuments large and imposing
i i-oIe are pam. unpretentous rectangular tombs,
placed so closely side by side that could hardly pass
between them; ond sti greater number simply head
auu toyl Stones and many only mound OF earth to
mars their last resting place It through this vast
and silent city Of the dead" that the German troops
charged on Paris after carrying the fortihcaons and
boreades Of the communists just beyond but there is ma
record that any Of the inhabitants disturbed by this
turmoil and terror going on just above them.
An excursion on Of the little steamboats, on the
seine under the multitude OF beautiful bridges
hanked by the pendd city either side is panorama
oi ltsfh Wen worth trip across the Alantc to see
saw IT, and also saw in close proximity to the river the
sofkuel Within its mournfu confines, thronged daily
y bruised and broken hearts seeking their lost ones
saw, seated In half-reclinng posture on a marble
san covered except their faces with clean white linen
sheets' small spray Of water trcking over their
gsuy races eleven men who had given up the fight and
ne struggle for existence" and been hshed out Of the
river the night heforel In adjoining apartment pre
eisey similarly placed two figures which had once
Deeh women who had, doubtless. at one time from
peasant SURROUNDINGS and circumstances looked ont on
S beautiful world with good prospects and as bigb
hopes ana expectations as Of The one old and
NrinNled with snow-white hair nicely combed and
e apparently trying 70 play upon her lips as though
~ vas wen contented 70 be Of the conflict The
ouner, beautiful young girl with long black tresses
- eyes ana an unspeakably peaceful expression on
ner iaee she looked zone unfortunate weary Of
peah quietly sleeping with head upon her mothers