The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-08
PARIS As AN ART CENTER.
Its Treasures In the Louvre and Its
Gems of Architecture.


In population Paris ranks third
among the cities Of the earth, with
more people than Washington. MeXi-
CO City, Rio. Buenos Aires and Santi-
ago together 1t is the WH.1's capt.
tai in many respects. It's art treas
ures surpasS those of any other city;
its fashions dominate the civilized
world and even influence the uncivi-
lized: its language is the court tongue
of the earth; its history is il panorama
of the story of civilization from the
days of the Goth and the Vandal
down to the present.
In the heart of the city stands one
Of the worlds most noted of build
ings-the palace Of the Louvre. 1t is
the priceless art museum Of France,
and there are contained within its
three departments sculpture, paint
ings and antiquities-eXamples of the
highest expression Of human genius.
The collections of the Louvre, were
they offered for sale, would bring a
total price so stupendous as to be un-
believable. For example, in the gal
lery of Apollo, among other treasures,
rest the diamond hilted sword Of
Bonaparte, valued at 100000; the ia
nous Regent diamond, valued at 3d.
100000; the gems Of many a beaute-
Gus queen of France, and the swords
and spurs of Charlemagne.
A life might be spent in study here,
and libraries might be written upon
the treasure which the Louvre houses.
In the hall Of sculpture stands the
peerless Venus of Melos, thing more
ravishing than any other vision ever
hewn from a stone. In this hall there
are many pieces of antiquity and Of
more modern times, the loss Of any
one of which would be irreparable.
Yet the strange people Of this city,
fired with enthusiasm for commu-
nistic theory, once mined the Louvre,
poured petroleum over it and prepared
to destroy with gunpowder what it
had taken the world more than $500
years to produce.
Paris is overrich in the possession
of the beautiful. the impressive and
the magnificent. It's famous buildings
make an almost unending list. Richest
among the worlds theaters is the Par
is home Of opera-without, an architec-
tural delight; within, fascinating in
spiration in snow white marble. onyx,
jasper. malachite and bronze. Its
famed grand stairway is fitting pre-
lude to the highest moods that can be
produced by the music on its stage.
And there is not wanting a strong
element of grewsome and terrifying re-
miniscence in this glorious city. The
traveller stands amid the wide sweep
of the Place de Ia Concorde (Place of
Peace, and he thinks that here before
an assembled beStial mob the razor
blade Of the guillotine rose and fell un-
tiring while head after head, mid bitter
Jest and song. rolled from the CORY ma
chine into the great common basket
and the quivering trunks were corded
at its side Age and youth and lowell
ness were sacrificed to british passion
on this now serene square in way
that only Rome had equaled.
Every contrast is found in Paris and
all varieties of excellence. Here is the
worlds highest structure, the EiffeI
tower. This huge shaft of steel is one
Of the most overpowering things with
in the city. Forty craftsmen worked
two years on the $4,000 different de-
signs necessary for its $4,000 sections.
Restaurants, shops and theater are
housed upon its steps and within its
corridors. Ten thousand people can
gather here at one time.