Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-04-09
REX THOMPSON
DOING PARIS
DecOrah Boy, Son of Mr.. and Mrs.
f. l.. Thompson, Gives Very In
tersetfng Description of
Recent Visit to Paris
FOUND 1T COSMOPOLITAN
AS HE IMAGINED
Visited the Palace of Justice and
Eiffel Tower and All the Other
Worth While Points of In
terest i'm the Metropolis
st. Dezier, France
Feb. 81, 1919

Feb. 81, 1919
Dear Folks:I am Giving your
last letters in gc time now and
certainly am glad that the service is
improving. Have already received
two letters dated Feb. l and Feb. 10,
respectively, and that is certainly
good time. l returned to st. Dizer
on the 21st, after spending a few
days at Paris and thought l would
write to you about the trip, as it was
wonderfully interesting to me. We
arrived in Paris, my chum and /, in
the morning, checked in, got us a
room at a hotel, got dinner and
then started out sightseeing, and We
certainly kept it up during our en-
tire three days in Paris About the
first place we went to was Notre
Dame Cathedral. From the exterior
the cathedral, which is a splendid
example Of gothic architecture, pre-
sents a wonderfully impressive ap-
pearance, but the interior is still
more wonderful. Though outside the
day was bright, and city traffic was
rambling by, inside everything was
hushed and quiet. The light filtered
in softly through the lofty, wonder
full stained windows. High upon the
walls the shadows blended with the
carved decorations. Here and there,
off from the central aisle ianked by
its columns of pillars, We're various
smaller nitches, shrines or little
chapels, each dedicated to some par
ticular thing. For example, one little
niche contained a group of clustered
flags on little altar lighted by can
dies, and this niche was dedicated
to the unknown dead who have fall
the cathedral, suspended high up in
the vault of the roof were hung the
hats of former Cardinals of France.
Our next visit was to the Palace of
Justice, where court sessions are
held. This building and the hall of
iurists adjoining it, is comparatively
modern, but part of the group dates
back to the days Of the French reyo-
luton, and contains the famous
. prison where Marie Antoinette and
so many other famous characters OF
the days of the revolution awaited
their death, the concierage. We went
also to the little chapel where
Napoleon I lies in state in a huge
marble sarcophagus, which rests in
deep circular we'll of marble. All
around the interior of this well are
various carvings, the figures being
symbolic of some OF the little gener-
ais famous victories. The we'll also
contains a group of faded tattered
battle flags, trophies of Napoleon's
career. The entrance to it is guarded
by a huge door, the key OF which
is of gold. On either side of the
chapel wall, close to this door, lies
the bodies of two of Napoleon's great
generals. This little chapel contains
two OF the most wonderful windows
in the world. They are composed OF
segments of yellow glass, so arrang-
ed and constructed that, even on
gloomy days, when there is not a
ray of sunlight, the light is so diff
fused and reflected that it falls on
the interior in a golden blaze like
sunlight. Between these two windows
is an altar which was constructed
for the ceremonies attendant to
Napoleon's interment there, and has
never been used since. 1t contains
much gilt work, and in the light
from these windows blaZes out in
veritable study in gold. We did not
fail to see the Louvre, which houses
one of the most wonderful collec-
tions of art in the world and which
is wonderful building in itself.
We drove out to the gardens of the
Tuileries (spelling not guaranteed)
full of wonderful statues and cary
ings, and famous for its associat-
ion with the days of the French
revolution. We were down to the
Champs Elysees, the famous boule-
ward of Paris. Just now it is lined
on both sides and along its entire
length with war trophies in the
shape of captured German artillery
pieces of every size and every model.
From there we went out through
the Bois de Boulogne, an ancient
and beautiful park. We also drove
along the Seine, crossing it on the
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