The Washington herald., 1912-10-29
GOSSIP GATHERED IN
COUNTRIES ACROSS THE SEA

! COUNTRIES
tceslnA ~ - cuus g. annuA,
The lannon's oA 1GAAeleme-Dastil1e'
Iomnihu1 d farb y no meees Buropeaz
Ipapess ~ fun of obituary notices of ~
passing Of this faIeuo convsyance
Many Q public chayoctsP has had leel
notice and few perhaps haye besn mors
mourned. in parts Of PAs1A at Isast !,
mot exaStly lost IN antiquity. the oriolE
Of ths omnibus datss back long past th<
memory Of the '.grandfathsrs Of ths old.
est inhsbitanta"
The invsntion Of this honest old public
servant was due to Pascal who lived II
ths second half Of the ssvsntssnth csa-
tury. The "carossss . sinQ sols'' intre'
duced BY him were inauguratsd with nc
little pomp In March. 1eez The routes
| were dxed by the King, and along them
majeetically rolled seven splendid coachel
between the Porte 81. Antoine and the
Luxembourg Palace. the Place Royals
to the Rue st. Honore. and the Luxsm-
bourg to the Points st. Eustacha Thesa
ancestors OF the modern omnibusss only
not adequate to the demand. They en-
joyed . brief popularity for some fifteen
years and then disappeared. their loss not
being much mournsd.
1t was not until fifty ysars later that Q
NJ Baudry. who had made experiments
It Nantes and Bordeaux. Obtained per
mission from the Paris prefecture to
start q general omnibus company in
Paris. Tho. name alone u q "chsi
d'oeuvrs" It 10 easy to remember. ID
striking BY its quixotic origin. and con-
tsrpriss began With . hundred vehicles.
each with fourteen seats II took ten
years to secure the concession. and the
enterprise was not IN immediate SUCCESS.
Gradually. however. the convenience OF
the service. when other means OF loco
motion were not at the disposal Of the
public. took hold Of tho Parisians. and.
Of course, this led to demands for the es-
tablishment Of other lines by rival COM
panies. Every one had . different type
with fantastic names. There were the
"swallows." with yellow bodies and black
bodies: tho ''gazelles," the "Constan-
tines" the DANES Bianches," the green
'Parisiennes.'' the up-to-date excel
lentss." the striped ''ecosssises." and
many others. The boulevards were serv-
ed by the Danes Blanches." the prede-
cessors OF the dear old brown Made
leine- e-Bastille." now moribund. and they
worked the line in two sections.
All these omnibuses were made to carry
fifteen or sixteen persona until the ''im-
periale." or roof seat. made its appear
ance much later 0n 1850. This elevated
position had many advantages, and soon
became popular. although II required
considerable agility to reach II BY the
perpendicular steprails. It was exposed
to thu sky. and In rainy weather the
seats became miniature ponds. For
nearly thirteen years the company turn
ed q deaf ear to the demand for . roof
to the 'imper1als' and . ladder that the
fair sex could negotiate with the gra-
cious permission OF the police. who up
till then had forbidden the delights to
womankind).
From that time onward the type chang
ed very little. and the sheltered and &C.
cessible '1mperiale" became a sort OF
osopher and student. who at his ease
could view the panorama Of Paris slowly
unfurled as he sat in comfort above II
all. The ''Madeline-B Ba stille' always was
the favorite line for true Parisians and
intelligent visitors. and its thirty-odd
coaches. drawn along the most crowded
and busy thoroughfares. scarcely ever
were out Of sight for more than . few
minutes
The new motor omnibuses are much
cleaner. better lighted. and more hy-
sfeuic. without doubt: but nobody can
help . feeling Of sentimental regret at
the disappearance Of the old vehiclea
They were such peaceable. homely. tame
creatures. reminding one Of the circus
elephants on whose backs We delighted
TO ride as children. 1t Is one pleasure
less for certain Parisians. but We must
with the age Of progress. The
''autobus' Is product Of this time. and
We must keep pace. ''The carrosse a
clinQ soils" Of Pascal was good enough
for the sleepy burghers Of three CEN |
turtles ago. but nowadays mankind II in |
4 hurry. and, having the motor ornni- |
buses. Paris gives a sigh tc the old |
Madeleine -Bastille'' and is thankful for |
the fifty-odd "1uggernauts'' II is to re-
ceive in exchange.
The Princess Theater. in Oxford. Lon
lon. has been handed over to the house
wreckerI' at last.
The younger generation OF theater-
yoers will not miss It, They know 1t only
- an ugly pile Of dust and decay in the
inc of bright shops. But older playgoers
will recall the classic nights Of
'Claudian." when Wilson Barrett. in
yilded. high-hselsd boots. lifted his SUD-
erraneous voice to his responsive pa
rons in the steep gallery. or they will
compare memories of his wIlfred Dem
THE Silver King" who. un-
Ter the impression that he had murdered
Hatton-Garden diamond merchant.
TIRED his audience with what was then
considered the tremendous line, 20 God.
'ut back Thy universe and give me yes
erday."
And these playsoers will remember
low Charles Warner terrified them with
10 delirium tremens act in Charles
ssade's Drink revelling also in their
Of the washhouse scene,
wherein the heroine. Gervaise. worried
nto doing something desperate by the
aunts Of a red-robed adventures who
moked cigarettes. to show that she real
Y was one, snatched up . real pail
{ real water, and really threw 1t
ver tho sinful gown Of her black-eyed
ormentor, to tho frantic delight Of ev-
rybody in the theater. II
Such. mainly. are tho memories OF the !
sss young and rscollections Of George I
/ Sims Lights O. London" Of Mrs. ,
,angtry's season In Antony and Geo.
atra." Of Hall Caine's adaptations Of I
10 now famous books. Of Miss Haw-
horne. In "A Royal Divorce" Of Sims 1
nd shirlsy's Two Little Vagabonds," !
nd Of Frank Dc Jongh's Popular
rice" season with Charles Warner, :
9th Of whom died . TOW years after