The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-12-20

YV dE DOulSfdIuS VI ais, WIN"
extend for length of four kll0-
meters and q half from the
Madeleine to the Bastille In
Semi-circumference, are the rendezvous
of the world; picturesque crowd,
composed of the most heterogeneous
types of humanity, promenades cease
lessly the wide sidewalks, where the
terraces of innumerable cafes lend an
air of good-humored if rather vulgar
familiarity to the whole scene.
The Paris boulevards may be said
to have originated in the deep muddy
trenches which were hastily dug
around the city in 1886, to repulse
the much-dreaded attacks Of the Eng
lish who, having devastated Picardy,
were now threatening the capital, says
the Christian Science Monitor. The
first trees were planted in 1888, and
have been continually replaced since
then, although they have not ceased 70
struggle bravely to live and thrive IN
spite of the scarcity of light, air, and
sun.
Entrance to the BouIevards.
The starting point of the boule'
wards can be located at the Bastille;
before the eighteenth century they be-
gan at the entrance Of the Rue St
Antoine, so that the attention OF the
stranger who entered Paris by the
Porte st. Antoine was at once at
tracted by the looming mass of the
state prison, and by the beautiful resi-
dence of Beaumarchais, which played
a part In the Revolutionary drama.
One soon reaches the Boulevard DIT
Temple, today so calm, and essential
ly commercial with its numerou!
baker, butcher, and grocer shops
Once upon time, however, and not 81
very long ago, it was called ''the beau
tiful boulevard" for it was then thu
favorite meeting place of courtier'
and rich bourgeois of the 'TOut Paris.
which even then was docile in obey
ing the dictates of fashion. Innumer
able theaters and shows lined boil
sides of the roadway, giving the boule
ward the appearance Of q perpetua
fair In which gay, laughing crow
paused to listen to the songs Of Coll
and Piron--sung by the lovely Fan
chon Ia Veilleuse-and amused itsel
with the antics of Nicolet's extraor
binary monkey.
After the Place de la Republiqu
has been safely crossed, one ss1nter
up the Boulevard st. Martin, the road
way of which is encased between hig
sidewalks reached by mounting sey
eral steps. 1t extends to the Port
st, Martin, erected in 1874 by tn
municipal corps of Paris to the glor
Of Louis XIV. At nightfall the Boult
ward st. Martin acquires certain an
nation when the public presse
around the doors of the Ambfg
. Comiuue, the Renaissance and tn
Porte st. Martin theaters. The Port
St. Martin was built in 80 days by Il
, moline, at the end Of the reign
Louis XVI, to serve as temporar
opera house.
,, But the sidewalks suddenly ceas
to be terraced and slope gently dow
ward until they reach their norm;
height, and the noisy Boulevard s
Denis extends between the two mon,
mental gateways, the beautiful ba
reliefs of which remind the passert
of the taking of Limburg and the d
feat of the Germans, as well as of IL
passing of the Rhine and the takir
of the provinces by Louis NlV-e
Q ploits of which the "Sun King" WI
/. Justly proud. 1t must be remark'
!, that the escutcheons of the Porte $
p Denis with its fleur-de-lys is the on
!. royal emblem which was respect'
!, by the Revolution of 1913.
Landmarks Along the Way.
The Boulevard Bonnie Nouvelle h
preserved a number of old-fashion
bouses presenting a strong contra