The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-11
IS PARADISE
FOR DEAD HEADS"
Drear Days of Dull New Year
Arouse Little Interest
for Gay.
CAFES ARE DESERTED
Satire on Modern Press
Tickles Palate of Partisan
Theatergoers.
CAFES ARE DESERTED
By GEORGES DUFRESNE.

| Special Cable TO The Tribune.
PARIS, Jan. 1O.-Paris during the
first of January is not a very gay
place, summed as it is by everybody
who can afford TO get away from IT.
The cafes are deserted, the English
and German excursionists have re-
turned to their native countries, the
stores are practically empty and the
few customers who drop in arc not
long finding out that their presence IS
not wanted until stock-taking is over
and the big sales commence. The
weather is cold and unpleasant, and
the few habitues who insist on taking
their aperitifs outside the boulevard
cafes are huddled together around tho
big red, hot stoves under the shelter
ing awnings. Even the camelots have
disappeared, for nobody cares to buy
their papers,
Satire Pleases Public.
The only people in Paris who are
having q good time are the dead
heads; tickets for all the theaters arc
theirs for the asking,
The most amusing play of the mo-
ment one TO which the most prudish
cannot object, is Tristan Bernard s
"Les deux Canards," biting satire
| on the insincerity OF the modern press,
for it deals with an editor, LIE Gallo
| who writes with equal facility and
conviction in two papers OF diametri-
| cally opposed views, task which
good many Paris newspaper men lind
themselves doing The press naturally
has not taken kindly to the play, but
the public is wild over it, especially
because 1T recognizes several we'll
| in the cast Tristan Bernard, by the
way, might appropriately be called
chief purveyor of plays to the city OF
Paris, FOR Mt present no less than four
OF his plays are being gwen at various
theaters here, q fact which lends new
strength to the runor that not all the
plavs that bear his name are products
of his pen. 1t is whispered as mat
ter of fact that ne takes his plots
where he finds them and outlines them
to a number of young writers employed
by him. who do all the hard work.
The maestro is satisfied TO add the
final touches to them before he sub
mits them to the theatrical managers.
Ideal Golf Course.
If the weather improves I am going
Gps to 5E Ro g0t course sa s%hch be
opened near ST. Cloud In a few days.
which will be the chief rendezvous or
most wonderfully situated in the naidst
OF beautiful forest which shelters IL
from tle wind on all sides The gLouno
undulati from beginning to end. with
several sharp dips. while close by are
two excellent polo fields and a number o,
and Will satisfy tho. most fastidious
American. Carpentier. by tho way, mas
become a member OF the new cluo Snd
expects 10 so In for polo as nauoh as his
time will permit him.
1t is hattering for France 70 be con-
sidered the banker Of the world, but 70
drawbacks when gold is continually
withdrawn and there are no smaller bills
in existence than flfty francs. Just nov
The banks are boarding gold more than
ever since the stirring events In A!saee,
and every country on TINS siae o. tne
g gether % amount S to $500. 100000, and this
n s'ef that ws 4oo eaxS IN gold
has gone out Of the country IN secret
Checks Are Needed.
Even hfty-r franc bills are now compare
tiveIy scarce. and your mammon Ger,
on you In tho shape OF silver cartwheels
and big copper sou and two-sou pieces:
What makes conditions even worse fs
that we have never got accustomed
10 the use OF checks as In America, but
have to pay for everything In leGal ten
de France shall issue twenty franc or
perhaps even ten-franc bills. But our
medical authorities are against such very
,on nd n
dollar and two-dollar bills we sometimes
see exhibited In the windows OF money
changers as dreadful warnings.
"Gem" of Red Tape.
To my former stories of official red
tape here let me add just one more, which
seems too good not to be told
retired ''fonctlonnaire.' who is in
sesses small private income. and he.
therefore, let his pension. which is nor
mally payable In quarterly installments.
accumulate for three years, in order that
at the end OF the time he might touch
a good round sum. A few days ago he
presented himself at the ''Depots ct Con-
sary documents TO draw his pension.
Among the papers to be presented on
such an occasion is a certificate attest
ing that the pensioner was alive on a
given date. This certificate was made
out two days before he applied for the
pension. An official took the documents,
exa amlned them. found they were all In
good order, and eventually returned with
the amount due for the past quarter. $50
far as concerns the payment for the other
eleven three monthly periods" he said.
II cannot hand over the money until you
produce eleven certificates attesting that
you were alive at the end OF each OF tho
eleven quarters. 1t Is by neglecting such
precautions that the door Is opened to
fra I'D and irregularities.