Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-15
VAST OUTLAY In
FRENCH CAPITAL
Paris to Spend Three Hundred Mil
lion Dollars in Extensive Munic-
ipal Improvements.
ECLIPsEs ALL OTHER SCHEMES
Wonderful Circle of Inner Boulevardi
is Proposed.
IDEA OF BARON H0USSMANN
Proceeds Of Municipal Loan Are to Be
Devoted to the Enterprise.
TAKES TEN YEARS FOR THE WORK
Romance In the Theatrical Marriage
OF the Governor of French West
AfrIca-A Fortune Teller
Puzzle,
Wonderful Circle of Inner Boulevard
is Proposed,
IDEA Of BARON HoUssMANN
Proceeds Of Municipal Loan Are to Be
Devoted to the Enterprise.
TAKES TEN YEARS FOR THE WORK
BY PAUL VILLIEKs.


PARIS Nav H-tSpecial Dispatch. to
The Bee.)-Not content with being the
gayest city in the world and the most
beautiful. in the minds of all true Paris
ians. Parts is preparing to spend some
ssOc .OOc, 600 in the Improvement and embel-
lishment OF the city.
1t is doubtful if any city in the world
has ever seriously undertaken so ambl-
tious scheme of betterment
The present plans for these improvements
Is simply to complete the scheme of Baron
Haussmann. This great "demolisher" con-
ceived Paris of which the two axis
would intersect at right angles-the Rue
de Rlvoli and Rue st. Antoine>and the
Boulevards de Sebastipol, du Palais and
St Michel. This Paris in his plan, would
contain a circle of inner boulevards, the
gr eat boulevards, popularity so-caHed, and
the Boulevard ST. German. Radiating
highways would bring the inner boulC-
wards into communication with the outer
and with the center. Finally a triple girdle
of highways was projected, to consist OF
the bouevards laid out under Louis XVI
the military boulevsrds and an almost I'M
interrupted series of wide streets con-
Meeting these two lines and forming
| curved highway, especially noticeable on
the left bank, where it bears in succession
the names of Rues de Tolbiac, dAlesia, de
voullie and de Ia Convention.
Onelhalf at least of the money! which is
| TO be raised by the new loan is to be de-
voted to the piercing of arteries of COM
| munication, to the improvement OF the old
streets and to the demolition OF some
scores of the ancient highways in quar-
ters which have remained untouched since
| the period of Henri w or of Louis XIII.
AS far back as last December bond is
sue Of $3.50, 100000 was authorized for this
work.
When the floods devasted the city 1t
was supposed that portion of the mu-
nicipal loan might be utilized for the re-
lief of the sufferers and for the repair OF
the damage caused In the capital and In
the suburbs State and private contribu-
items will suffice, however, to meet those
needs. Moreover, TO divert single farth-
ing of the loan from its original purpose
ali act of Parliament would be necessary.
No such step is contemplated. The Mu-
nicipal Council, indeed, not content with
the $3.50, 1900, is gradually voting some
$120OOOOOO more for further improvements.
1t will take something like ten years to
carry out this work. When it is finished
the world will approach the French cap
ital in symmetry and beauty.
elimination of Romance.
Paris is enjoying the elimination OF a
typical French romance in the marriage
of Mile. Juliette Thaldy a pretty young
actress, to NJ. Merland-Ponty, governor of
French West Africa.
! Engagement courtship and marriage
we're rapid and dramatic. 1t all began last
September, when a company of Partisan
stars, homeward bound from South Amer
lea, put into Dakar to fulfill a promise
made by cable from Rio de Janeiro that
they would give performance at the local
theater.
The boat was delayed by terrible weather
apd instead Of in the evening did not ar
rive until past midnight. AS the manager
of the company had promised they should
perform, he determined to give a the
r atrlcal representation at all hazards He
rallied his sleepy company and they were
: rowed ashore by the native boatmen In
the dead of night and hurried to the the
ateT At o'clock the performance was
ready to begin.
BY in the morning the audience began
to assemble In the theater. M. Merland-
Ponty. rubbing his eyes, went forward.
with many apologies, to express his per-
sonal regret to the company. His rank car
: rled him behiQd the scenes and there he
came face to face with Mile. Thaldy, quite
one OF the minor actresses. 1t was love at
first sight, at any rate on the governor
I part. lie never took his eyes off her dur
ing the performance and at the subsequent
5 supper, or breakfast-it was given at his
. house towards in the morning-pad the
pretty lady marked attention. At the en-
tire company went abroad and the gov,
crnor saw the object Of his sudden passion
sail at sunrise on a storm-toss ocean
As soon as he could M Merland- Ponty
q obtained leave, Travelled to Paris, married
the lady, who had accepted him by letter
q already, and took his fair bride back to
Dakar.
FOrtuBe4TeIIer QuestiOn.
= A curious case which has arisen in Paris
suggests the query does the fortune teller
warrant the fulfillment of all his predic-
. tons, or at least OF those which are favor
aCle An astrologer who had customers by
the score until quite lately gave genera
satisfaction Some OF his customers were
: however, disappointed The pleasant thingI
foretold were not realized, with the result
that these Disconnected people lodged
formal complaint with a magistrate. A po'
lice officer was appointed TO inquire into
e the case and the first discovery which ht
made wSS that the fortune teller had
g vast ''practicc" He had as many as 1890
&c customers In all ranks OF society. Wher
e applied TO he would readily, and without
e exscting a fee, cast the horoscope OF the
e applicant. II more was wanted the price
o was $40 for complete fortune" s. fol
J. one less complete $3.50 for period OF m