Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-08-05


Treasures Are Historieai-They
Were Buried Ages Ago by Few
and Their knowledge Persisted With
Them.
The surface ground of the "mys-
terry" has been cleared, at last, In MD
Paris. For 1000 years Parisians nave
been pointing to this plot of ground
with wise mods. But for the war, Its
story would have run throuHRissthe
world already. Doubtless. time Is
ripening for Isaacs long,held re
nider" TO be released. Why, the
pro!etariat around Notre Dame are
talking about ST. more than any!
asked a butcher, in the Parvis,
says Sterling Heilig in the Springfield
Republican. 1T is subterranean,' he
said. in the revolution. my GRANDPA
ther helped to seek it but 1t was too
well hid (waving his hand across the
split of the river). Now the ground Is
clear"
at is rooms filled with the jewels OF
kings" said an old dame selling or
auges. "Once there was a crow on
Notre Dame that looked toward IT,.
Victor Hugo knew all about the crow.
His Claude Prollo" spent hours.
"calcr,atins the angle at which the
ra>. looked from the west porch
of II cathedral. There is sad bird
s,l' oh up there among the gar
ro' s',. vast and sinister, draped In
h"'.''"" wings as in a mourning veil.
Mes. Mysterious objects Of Paris.
They are the chimeras of N0tre
Dame. regularly miscalled the gar
goyleS--the most mysterious objects
Of Paris. Climb the towers of the
cathedral. High up, you come to this
gallery of the roofs, whence, amid a
population of gigantic stone creatures,
you have Victor Hugo's bird's-eye
view of Paris Tourists are more
struck by the strange population of
carved monsters than by the shining
city.
There are gigantic bulls and bears.
II contemplative elephant on his hind
legs IL two-headed panther, owls and
vult,mes of the pit. In vain, for CEN
turtles. have visitors inquired the
meaning of the collection. In par
ticuar. the human-like figures arouse
wonder-genii. titans. demons, of
stern thought. evil dignity and bad.
unyelding purpose: meditating. star
ing into the far distance or peerlng
down. right close beside them. into
the city.
There is but one single figure Of
real man. He is Isaac Gall Parisians
know hIm), preternaturally young
looking old man with venerable
beard. We shall meet him again. He
peers down, more anxious than any.
hut benevolent and kindly, as If check
Ing Off those demons.
Calling them gargoyles explained
nothing. Every gothic cathedral has
its grotesque stone roof-spouts, to
spout off the rain water; and Notre
Dame has 100 real ones which pass
nnnoiced beside these vast upright
features. With their purpose I'M
known. their common attitude had
led folks, in all countries. to ask final
iy: "What are they looking at?' An'
the Paris populace answers: as 1t an
swered always: "They are looking Mt
the MYSTERY"
Men have carried theodolte up
there. TO measure exactly, If possible,
"what they are looking at" Natural
ly. the first thought is treasure. But
the ground of Paris, all around here,
has been dug up and rebuilt a dozen
times All but one area. 1t is the
very area they seem to watch.
Hotel Dieu Torn Down.
The old buildings of the Hotel Dieu
covered the watched area. Now, at
last. they are torn down. 1t Is a
queer event. The antique hospital of
Paris was founded by st. Landry,
bishop under Clovis H., about A. d.
G56. for the poor of the cathedral
chapter.
III" old buildings just demolished
tpatchcd decayed, remodeled, but al
ways covering the surface ground
heretofore) rose up in what remained
iwhen they were begun) OF the still
more antique gardens of the palace of
the city, extending to the Roman cit
abel or palace of the baths. AS late
as the year HOO it was still known
as the semi-royal territory of Laas,
always enclosed and protected, being
just outside the island. And when
Philip Augustus, about $780, built the
new wall of Paris, he took In just
this strip of the old gardens surface.
leaving outside, just beyond them, the
now most ancient little old church of
Paris-that of ST. -the-Poor.
From the foundation~in the gardens.
the old Hotel Dieu buildings, their
courtyards and dependencies, were al
ways on this spot--till yesterday.
They were enlarged. fell into decay.
and were restored; old wings fell In.
and new additions rose; but the area,
which Is now to be a public square,
was never parceled into private prop
erty-the crown, by unavowed tradi-
tiOnal policy, kept private owners at
distance from this strip of the an
tique gardens by the river They
we're cainoufiaged by a charity.
About this time (you see) there was
MAJ, who found "it," unless, indeed,
he were Its" originator, which is e.
trencly unlikely. He was the famous
Nicolas Flannel, reputed by the Paris
of his day to have accomplished ''the
nd IL t.,a kIsNas hnn
metals to gold.
Paris Lost Treasure.
Time passed, Nicolas Flannel out