The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-02-27


. cigars who kept up an iDcessant jab
g boring In French loud enough to raise
e the roof. AS the train pulled out
became aware that the conductor was
: tapping me on the shoulder In an ef'
: fort to get my ticket; l passed II
over with the remark" Excuse me
old man; / couldn't hear you for the
racket here's" instantly the jabber
ing ceased and / realized, With some
embarrassment. that my fellow pas
sengers understood English. They
, remained quiet for couple OF min
, utes but, gradually the vivacious
French nature asserted itself and
|, they warmed up again.
The part Of Belgium and France
that we were running through was
an unbroken stretch of green farms
and pasture lands with just enough
bills and trees to add beauty to the
scene; 1t being bright day In June,
we saw the country at its best, and
the seven hours run from Brussels to
Paris was one beautiful panorama.
Arriving finally at the big station in
the French capitol, l stepped into a
cab, showed the driver the addresses
OF two or three boarding houses and
he started of without a word on a
drive through the streets Of Paris.
The first things noticeable was the
absence OF sky-scrapers for the build.
ings along the main streets did not
rise more than four or five stories;
the sky -scraper seems to be strictly
an American product for the people
in the old country want some sun.
light in their streets. The streets
are alive with carriages, automobiles
and double-decked trolly cars with
seats on top, but the nervous haste
of New York and Chicago was most
11-pNussstiy~Rhsent; it seems that the
Parisians took ting ro-eHiys Asfsssss<!
Half 40 hours drive landed us at a
good boarding house just of the
Champs Ulysses and right near Ma
poleons' Arch Of Triumph; for all its
fine location, the rates we're only sew
en- francs or 81. 40 day. 1t was now
late In the afternoon but there was
still time for q stroll down the
Champs Ulysses as far as the Bridge
of Alexander over the Seine; one look
around these beautiful surroundings
at sunset made me thankful that ]
had come to Paris for it IS certainly
one OF the hneSt cities In the world.
Next morning l started out for the
Eael Tower first Of all, knowing
that from the top of it l could get
better idea of the city than from any
other point. The tower is a wonder
of itself, covering as it does four
acres Of ground at the base and tow
'ering majestically above Paris to
twice the height of our Washington
monument. 1t is visible from all
over the city and in addition to being
the loftiest structure ever reared by
human hands, its graceful proper
lions make 1t thing OF beauty But
lofty as it appears from the city be-
low, one cannot appreciate the dizzy
height until he makes the ascent.
This costs three francs but no one
ever complains of not getting bis
moneys worth. Stepping into an
elevator or ''lift" we start up and
keep on going up and up until we
feel our hair rising and wonder II
the cable ever breaks. Finally the
elevator stops at floor covered with
cafes and restaurants and from here
on 1t Is case of climb. 1t Is a long
winded climb too but at last we
emerge out onto a small platform
and, leaning over railing, beheld
Paris 1000 feet below US.
1t was clear day and the view
showed Paris to be city almost cir
cular In shape and still surrounded
by its thirty miles of wall; the
streets were we'll lined with trees,
the Seine wound along like silver
thread through the city. while Just
but side the wall lay the beautiful
park known as the Bots de Boulogne.
From this dizzy height horses look
ed like rats, people we're mere specks,
while the trolley cars, autos and rail-
way trains gave the place every ap.
pearance of a toy city.
Up here l CHANGED to fall in with
an Englishmau who was also a
stranger in the city, but who seemed
to know all about the Eiffel Tower.
According to him 1t was a white ele.
phant on the hands of the city for
the expense Of keeping the miles OF
steel painted was greater than the
Income derived from visitors; then.
he said, IL IL was not kept well
painted, the bloomin' thing would
rust and fall on the city; also the
expense OF taking It down would be
more than the material in it was
worth and he wound up by SAYING
hat the people OF Paris were Jolly
we'll puzzled to know Just what to
10 with it. l don't know how trueI
ais remarks were.
We finally made the descent To.
.ether and | must admit breatb,n,