The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-11


curtains soiled. In a moment they
brought complete change of clean
things. The Bastille has library
in which are many of the current
and ancient works which are worth
ones time. The governor kindly
sent me catalog in case desired
to chose reading matter. thanked
him, and my servant chose for him.
self some of Provost novels. which
they brought him. - For it ap-
pears that all those who wished
were permitted to take their SER
wants in with them. and such were
also maintained at the expense of
the state. If the prisoner preferred
it, the governor himself would sup
ply him with capable and well
trained servitor. whose salary would
be also paid by the government.
Moreover, the prisoner who re-
quested it was allowed to have his
family with him. On September
7th. 1898, it is attested by the re-
cords that lady by the name of
La Fontaine entered as a prisoner.
and the lieutenant of the police who
conducted her to the place gave au-
thority that her husband should be
with her, designating at the same
time a servant to wait upon him.
There was also an accomplished
barber provided who performed the
tonsorial necessities of the inmates,
with the same care and assiduity
demanded of his craft on the out
side, and free Of cost. An uphol-
sterer, who carried complete stock
of chairs. sofas. carpets, rugs, pic
lures, ETC., was always ready to con-
vert the cell of prisoner into a
petit salon at his bidding; a tailor
and cutter was at hand, and, if the
finances of the prisoner prevented
him from wearing clothes of proper
material and style, he furnished
them to whomsoever requested them
at the expense of the government.
But. do not think that by this is
meant that the prisoner was compell-
ed to accept set style, or uniform.
No, he was allowed to chose his
material from generous and varied
supply of samples, and in the mat
ter of cut and fit. the tailor followed
the wishes of the prisoner. Quoting
from the records: Monsieur Latude,
committed for financial exploiting
twenty dozen silk shirts at 100
francs each. etc. and there follows
this item: linen handkerchiefs of
the most delicate textures; smoking
and lounging jackets lined with
.furs, dress coats, silk gloves, etc.,
etc. Not even satisfied with this
regal outfit, the same Latude insists
on dressing gown to be made from
a cloth of fantastic aud bizarre de-
sign evolved from his imagination.
The obliging tailor not having any
thing like it in his generous stock,
endeavors to obtain it in the city,
but after ransacking the clothiers'
shops of Paris high and low, is un-
successful, and so-'the governor
with many apologies notified the
prisoner that it was unfortunate,
but impossible to obtain the pecu-
liar colors which Monsieur insisted
upon. - Another prisoner
Hugonet- writes to the governor:
The shirts which they brought me
yesterday are not as I wanted them.
/ remember having ordered-of fine
linen with laced cuffs, and these are
of an inferior quality of bad
cloth and with the cuffs so small
that they are only tit for the jailor.'
Castronomic Pleasures
And the food? All, there was
no danger of those happy inmates
suffering upon this score. Each
person was allowed an expenditure
of two pounds (ten dollars) per day
to defray the cost of his victuals.
but, should he be newspaper man or
dedicated 10 literature, his table al
lowance climbed to ten pounds;
were he Judge or landed propri-
etor. a still more generous daily al
lowance of fifteen pounds was made;
this latter amount also applied to
marshals. generals. and other
high officials of the army. The first
day spent by Marmontel in the Bas-
tile, the jailer served him a puree,
dish of green vegetables, another
of cod fish, confectioned in man.
ner that would have delighted the
most exigent gourmet. and wine.
Marmontel expressed his only re-
gret at the absence of desert, but
confessed that he had dined well.
Hardly had be delivered himself of
this observation when there entered
two warders bearing a pyramid Of