Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-09-22
ARRIVING IN PARIS.
Editorial Correspondence.
Hutchinson News.)

Hutchinson News
Paris, August II
Paris is a good deal like a circus.
and three hinged one which strains
the rubber in your neck trying to see
all you can before the acts change.
Even the arrival is theatrical. As the
train pulled into the Care du Nond,
after making the last forty-fNe miles
in fifty-five minutes, | passed our
hand baggage out through the open
car window to porter and going out
the door myself, told him in a con-
fident tone "voiture,' which is the fool
ism French word for cab. He under
stood, pilObed us through the big sta
ton and called a little victoria with
a seat for two! The driver wears a
white celluloid plug hat and a red face.
He drives a horse which probably
fought with Napoleon. He mods as
sent to the name of the hotel as | mis-
pronounce it. takes our three grips on
his seat, and away We go down the
street, the Lord and the cabby only
knowing where. On the sidewalks are
busy people talking French, walking
French and gensturing French. The
stores and shops are attractive for the
French shopkeeper puts his best stuff
in the front window whether he is sell
ing hats or sauSages Big buses with
people on top as we'll as inside, motor
cars and motor buses with horns and
houks, loaded wagons drawn by heavy
Norman horses, street sweepers with
brooms, policemen in red and blue
uniforms, maids in cap and gown,
porterS with their work shirts outside
their trousers, restaurants and cafes
with tables and chairs on the side
walk and French men slipping absmthe
or cold coffee, buildings almost uni
formly six stories high built with
courts i'm the center which are often
seen through open doors and every
body talking, gesticulating and
screaming in a language you can not
Understandable is the confusion
through which we drove for two miles
and for which journey the cabman
takes off his hat when | pay him So
cents, which includes a. cent tip for
himself. The hotel porter, or chief
clerk, the head waiter, the pages, the
manager and several assistants meet
us at the hotel door, and in response
% inquiries assure us that there is a
bath room in the hotel and they have
a very nice room. AS an additional
and decisive argument why we should
stop there the chief clerk asserts
that they have ice water and
the entire company falls back in
an ecstatic gesture which evidently
means what do you think of that?
We examine the room, agree upon a
price, and then and not till then do
we dismiss the cabman and proceed
to get settled. We are in Paris, the
dirtiest and prettiest place in
the world.
Of course the first thing to do is to
ge gu and see the sights, but of
course it is not. The first ching is
TO get the mail and the next is
to clean up. After travelling eight
hours on a fast train through a com-
! try which has had no rain for two
months, one really does not care for
the wonderful things which the world
talks about. Then comes the French
dinner, which is something OF am af.
fair. A dinner IN France goes like
this: Soup, fish or eggs, veal, beef or
mutton and a vegetable and salad,
cakes or tarts, fruit or ice. No COTE
is served with the meal, but it is
usually taken later and Is an addition
a. charge. Any attempt to vary this
I'm of bare is regarded as insane.
tried my best to get string beans
served with my veal course but
couldn' It The waiter said "Oui, then
went and called the other walters an.
| could see them looking at the crazy
American. That made me persistent
and 1 sent for the head waiter and
told him wanted beans-and knew
they had them ready. The head wait
er said "oui,' and disappeared, and
soon the clerks from the office stroll
ed by and looked in. By this time
the veal was cold and I realized that
any further attempt might end in call
ing the police, 50 l gave it up. No
one refused to get my beans but each
time l was told "om, which means
YES and is pronounced I'VE, and
each time nothing happened except
the synpathizing and curious mob.
Once l travelled in Europe with a
friend named McEraonnr uho u,anted