Evening star., 1919-05-11

the bolshevik killers passed.
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An American tablet on palace used
as prison and another one on a pris-
on become palace!
Col. James Swan. combatant of
Bunker Hill, companion of Washing
ton and Lafayette, financial benefac-
tor of the American revolution, came
to Paris. Here he got into a great
lawsuit and spent twenty years in the
debtors prison Of Ste Pelagie rather
than pay interest and costs. The prin-
cipal sum, which he was always ready
to liquidate. he kept, with ten times
more, In $50 gold pieces under his bed,
and he who would not compromise for
himself bought the liberty of a hun
dred poor debtors. The revolution of
1880 set him free and two days after
ward he died. The site of Ste.
Pelagie, now a palatial apartment
house, will bear Col Swans COM
memorative tablet.
Col. Swans story shows how the old
facts come out. In 1909, l told the
bare outline of them to J. j. Conway
(American newspaper man of Paris,
since deceased), then writing his book
Footsteps of Great Americans in
Paris" Making patient inquiry, he
located two of Col. Swans great
grandchildren (Mrs. Dickinson and f.
H. SargenD in New York and obtained
from them details of romantic life.
Col. Swan at one moment. had his
sloop Sally all ready to rescue Marie
Antoinette, who was rejoicing at the
prospect Of becoming the guest of
Capt. Claugh's wife at Wiscasset, Me.
Delay by the irresolute king alone
prevented.
James Monroe lived in the Rue de
Faubourg ST. Honore, at the corner Of
the short street, Rue d'Aguesseau. in
which the Y. M. c. A. has it's general
headquarters for the war. He came a
new man, without aristocratic connec-
tions. He tried to conciliate the ter
rorists. On presenting his credentials
he allowed himself to be kissed by the
committee, in the hall of the conven-
ton, for which he was severely repri-
manded by John Randolph, Secretary
Of State, but later he was sorey
tried by what went on around him,
being. like his predecessor, the only
foreign diplomat remaining through
terror and convention.
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Already there was an american
colony" At the solemn transfer of
Jean Jacques Rousseau's body to the
Pantheon all the male members fol-
lowed, Monroe's nephew and Capt.
Barney carrying the American flag.
Fifty years later Napoleon having
come and gomez they brought Old
Glory out in excellent republican COM
pany. 1t was in 1S4S. The colony pre-
sented two flags to the new born re-
public. Arago, the astronomer, clasped
wealthy DR.. Rush of Philadelphia and
the Ridgeway family which still ex-
lists in Pau and Paris). while Lamar
tine and Mr.. Goodrich led French and
American groups in the ceremony of
the Panoramas rotunda.
Here, editors and staff take off your
shoes again. Any doughboy in
seventy-two hour leave can find the
Passage des Panoramas, long glass
rooted arcade of shops. formerly the
most fashionable Of Paris, now de-
cayed. Why Is the passage holy
ground? Because here, the first great
panoramas seen in Paris-showing the
cities of Rome, Naples. Florence and
Jerusalem--were exhibited in two
rotundas, built by the American Rob
ert Fulton, to earn money to exploit
his submarine and steamboat models
Fulton actually painted many Of the
canvasses. assisted by the artist
Pierre Provost and his pupil, Daguerre
-Daguerre, inventor Of photography.
They will put Fulton's tablet on the
Concorde bridge. If you quit the hotel
Crillon, cross the place and look down
the river to the Trocadero, you will
see the stretch Of Fulton's trial trip.
steaming back and forth four hours,
on August 10, 1903. in the presence of
the elite Of the empire.
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Fulton came abroad as painter,
g tntopt of Ran ia m in West in Jopdpn