Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-07
TOPROTECT MUSEUMS
Paris Officials Respond to
Agitation About Fire.
ART HOMES IN JEOPARDY
National Treasure Houses to Be Pro-
tected in Future.
BILLIARDS ARE DYING OUT
Love for Game Losing Hold With
Parisians-Linguists to Study
French Dialects.
Special Cablecram 10 The Star.

suddenly daWneu on tne oliitid' ihii"
that public museum like the Louvre,
or an historical chateau like that OF Yer
sailes. might be liable to burn down as
well as an ordinary citizens residence.
The fact that it is a public monument
does not make it fireproof hint 10
this effect was given to those who are
in charge of these national treasure
houses of art by incpient fire at YER
sailes a few weeks ago. and stronger
hint was given Immediately afterward
by the burning down of the telephone
building.
The fire which broke out in the Chateau
of Versailles WAS, luckily enough. I'M
mediately put out by the guards. VINO
happened to have noticed IT In time; pui
then the question arose, what would nave
happened If the fire had acquired some
Roadway" People were shocked To learn
that the beautiful chateau. with its I'M
menSe treasures of art. would ne cont
pletely at the mercy of the flames. The
water in the reservoir was suffclent Tor
the fountains and the amusement of the
Sunday crowds, but the pressure was
not enough to carry IL higher than the
first floor of the building. \ scare was
raised, and the authorities have now let
it be known that protective measures
are to be taken.
The under secretary for me afts mas
had a talk with all keepers OF the pup
lie museums ana asked tiieli az hdiiu ~
a report as to the requirements OF their
institutions TO protect them against flre
Funds which are allowed for repairs are
to be used first OF all in making All nee
eSSary arrangements to protect the buiIu-
ings against fire. The Louvre 1tselt Is
in serious danger, and orders have been
given to take out all the furnaces used
for central heating from the basement.
and they are TO be placed away from
the main building under the gardens; ne
baI
but the burning down of the Louvre would
have been national disaster
st. Bernard Dogs Suicide.
Grief at the death of his mistress seems
to have driven d big st. Bernard dog TO
suicide He appeared i'm the midst or the
Place St Sulpice, where traffic was heaF-
lest, and got in the way of nearly every
vehicle, as it were on purpose, To the
great annoyance of the drivers, VINO
shouted at him and used strong language;
The dog looked the picture of misery ana
seemed to be longing for something 10
run over him. A motor bus, which came
along with tremendous rHsh' naue
straight for him. The driver did not see
him i'm time and the dog did not move.
He let the wheels go over him, and was
crushed to death.
4 policeman picked up the collar and
read the name and address of the dog
owner: She was u lady living In the Ruo
u IL
man learned that the lady had died OF
apopleXy only an hour before. The dog
was so affected that he left the house
bowling, and apparently in state OF de-
spair.
1t appears that the love for the noble
game of billiards is dying out in France.
In 1894 there were $1,000 billiard tables
here which paid their tax. In 1895 there
We're only $1,000. And when the ofiicial
figures were compiled for last year they
show only $1,000, or 10000 billiard tables
fewer than there were thirteen years be-
fore. The explanation given by the Off
Gals is a curious one. Cards: they say,
have to a great extent replaced billiards
in France, and the bicycle and the taxi
cab have done the billiard table even
more harm. 1t is little difficult to see
the connection. but the officials are GER
tain that the modern Frenchman prefers
to exercise out of doors instead of round
the green cloth.
A society has been founded BY num-
Der of learned linguistS of the Sorbonne
for the study and preservation Of french
and foreign dialects or patolS. In the
circular of the new society an interesting
scheme is set down for the study of the
different French dialects, or rather Latin
dialects, for the society means To push
it's studies further than the frontier. Tile
countries in which Roman dialects are
spoken are to be divided up into thirteen
districts: Northern France, southern
France, Spain and America. where The
CaSClliHn uldlectS are SpphtH, iu-dA
and Portuguese countries Canada. Bel
GUM. French and Italian-speaking SwftZ-
erland the Encadine, Italy and the LATIN
speaking countries of Dalmatia. Albania
and Rumania. An editor VIII be placed
in charge of each district with powers
to collect documents and folklore. and
eventually the society hopes To publish
monumental work upon the patois Oh the
Latin-Speaking world.
All visitors to Paris know the little
ord hnN WI
boulevards and the terrasses of the
Montmartre cafes at night selling ther
statuettes They are sharp little lads,
and known to be quite u:scrupuious III
the prices they ask for their wares. The
other evening one of them offered IL
plaster statuette for 81. The customer
suggested cents. Give ME 10 cents Tor
it and it's yours" said the boy. III give
Won eight cents" said the customer. NO,
10 cents" said the lad again. But at that
moment the statuette fell out of the pur-
chaser's hands and smashed Itself TO
pieces. We'll, now | suppose | must pay
you" and the man put Ia cents down
..Ah, no. the boy said, 30 cents Is nay
price But minute ago you said You
would take 10 cents for it Il know L
did," said the Savoyard, but a minute
ago you might have refused tn buy. and
now that you have broken ii you've got
to pay for it,. He got the - cents.
Jealous of Their Reputation.
1t is popularity of the French that
they are extremely jealous of their repu-
tation for invention. No matter what is
the thing in question, whether II be a NY
ing machine the use OF tobacco. the
French press will invariably claim that
F'renchman had the first idea OF il.
few days ago il was mentioned In one OF
the papers that a German was the first
to think of the picture postcard. The
French press have now unearthed book
seller, named Bernardeau, who claims TO
have invented the picture postcard dur
ing the Franco-German war, and says
that they were the first ever used. Ber-
nardeau'S cards, which he sold to the
soldiers of the Army of the Sarthe in
camp, were decorated with little picture
Of the camp and the inscription. Sou
venir of the National Defense Beneath
this were the words Family, Honor.
Fatherland, Liberty. The cards were
mostly used by the Breton soldiers. who
by means of them kept. their friends at
home informed as to their whereabouts.
The theater season has begun. Russian
grand dukes and French dukes, great
ladies', charming actresses, bouleVardiers
and critics-that is to say, in two words.
the Tout Paris"-listen ID the other night
to NJ Guitry in new play by NJ. Paul
Bourget at the Renaissance. There is
only one truly smart theafer. The Ranais-
sance: one completely smart actor, NJ.
Guitrv and one essentially smart author
in the fashionable sense. NJ. Paul BCurgat.
NJ Paul Boursat in his fiction and his
drama lives exclusively in the upper,
rather the topnost. circles. His noble
MARQUIS de Ciavi ars de GraDdchamps,
..remigro' of his novel. now dramatiZed.
is Al Guitry. What more could the Tout
Paris want? In his first play, written in
a Ntz-nr no