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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1907)
12 . i ; PARIS if ray. eoamopolit&h and faa clnatfnr to a drrea. It la A whirlpool of maddenlna; pleaaur to the PartfMn, trat in aplta of these ntanjr pleasure. It haa many difficulties for tha atrahirer. Ita horl , son la ao Tat, It movea ao fast and Ita plraaurca ar kaleldoacoplc , Mont Americana IslUnfr Paris for tha first time have tha same feeling; that an old womaa experiences whea she a;oes s Into a larse city on a first visit after Spending a lifetime In a amnll town. The tourist la made timid as soon as the train pulls -into tha station. Every ' thins; la alive, everyone la moving;. The station Is crowded with men and women rushing- here, there, everywhere. The porters lounge about leisurely, but they do not offer their assistance; the stran jrer must Implore If he wants assist ance. They are Independent - because , they can afford to be; they are In Paris where- work la plentiful.' - Since they are not allowed to enter tha compartment, tha stranger la forced to hoist hla heavy crrlp out of the windows. He rushes artefTT becausenets arralathaTsome body will take his faceteur, or tha por . ter and tha luggage go astray together. If tha luggage la heavier than what the ' porter-wishes, be will refuse to carry it unless ha is assured that the remunera. , tlon will be proportionate to the work. . Tha cabdrlver la a greater source of an noysnee than la the porter.' He la al ways engaged when one needs him most .. They are plentiful, but they give the one excuse that they are. all engaged. The , porter explains that an open victoria la the only thing to be bad, but the Ameri can doea not want to drive In an open , carriage- on chilly night. Ha calls - cabmen, porters and policemen to hla aid, and all In vain. He finally learns . . from one driver that ha can get a closed cab providing he has soma heavy trunks to hoist on top... The tired traveler has had his hand-luggage Inspected on the frontier and had Intended waiting until morning to claim the trunks, but he does this to please the cabdrlver. The finding of trunks requlrea as " much "Ingenuity- as; it did to- get por ' ter. The trunks are' not arranged al ': pbabetlcatly. and the ; seeker has to search In all parts of the hall until he 'finds them. After a .lively scurry he finds everything but the steamer trunk. . but this must be found before the of ficial will give Ms time to Inspecting ' them. By this time all the trunks are 1 found, a great line' has been formed, and . one must abide hla time. The officers are seldom In a great hurry; they are hired to move slowly and thoroughly. Their usual word of 'explanation Is: "Open up all youf baggage." If the stranger la a woman, the officer stops with the top tray, but when ha la a man . tha officer dives deep . In ' search of cigars. ' i Tha stranger now breathes a sigh of relief, having discovered that the trials ,of the foreign custom-house are fewer - than he ever - Imagined. He tells the ' porter In a jargon, which resembles . neither English nor French, where he wants to go. They are almost ready to .start, "when the porter stops them to , quarrel about his tip. He Is not satis fied with the one franc he Is given. He explains that tie has spent much time In the custom-house and In hunting oabs; ha wants two francs - or nothing. No .other way out of it, the helpless traveler Js forced to pay the price. The horse , moves at a lively gait unfil one of the trunks slides down, and the cabdrlver romes down from tha box to hoist it up. ' The accident Is soon righted, and the destination could soon be reached, but : policeman cries halt, and tells the driver he must take another course, for the street la being repaired. The des tination Is reached finally, and - the atranger has tha same trouble with the driver he encountered witi the porter. A tip of balf a franc Is not enough; -the Journey was long; ha wants a franc or nothing. -.... This la only an Introduction to tha many difficulties moat strangers meet In Tarls. Though hotels are plentiful, tha heat are always crowded and have a long watting list, and the managers can af- - rM to . be Independent Some explain that they only rent their rooms In suites; others that tha best rooms are taken and , tliev show one su'-h poor lodgings as to lemlnd one forcibly about the comforts of home. The rooms are, not exorbitant In prloe; a room and bath are to be bad f,r $.' a day. but table d'hote Is I francs, altout tl.tO in our moneTi with frsncs more fr breakfast and luncheon. Iet SMyAnif-rloan comf.laln about prices being 1 :h. he Is lokl he must pay twice as rmi h fir a similar room in New York, an J he cannot get aa fin a cuisine at :a---na 'u V' - ' ; s : " I r " .. -. :i jl 1 THE any price. In tha more fashionable ho-, tels ona has more servants at one a com mand than ona can possibly use, and they must all be fed. The room la cared for by a valet de chambre and a femme A rhamhre, Though monsieur and madame are usually husband and wife, they must bo payed. These people are harmless compared to the head waiter and waiters, who are a great source of aggravstion. Walters working In large hotela have served a long ap prenticeship, and they expect to be paid for their skilUThe stranger often won ders why these men are ao eager for their tips until he Is told that In many places tbey do not get wages, but have to pay so much a day for their places. Any feeling one may have at first against the business-like spirit shown by these waiters Is forgotten In the plessure of a French restaurant. The cooking Is a fine art In most of the best hotels and the food Is served with tha same cars aa It Is -prepared. . , ' . The tourist is taught to have most con sideration f or J the- oonclergerle: ha usually speaks English, finds one's cabs and la a bureau of information In a nut shell. : He knows the addresses of tailors, haberdashers and , jewelers, as well as how many stamps a letter will take sent to any part of the globe. These difficulties are faw compared with those encountered outside. There is - noise and confusion everywhere. Within there, are plenty of people to serve ona, but on the street It Is a case of Ood helping those who help them selves. Tha great open squares, suoh as tha raem de l'Ktoile. Place de la Con corde and Place Vendome are so large thev are aulte appalling. The rrigniened atrsnger stands close to the Arcbe de Triumphs and wonders how ha dare cross tha street. There are speemng macmnes, electric buses and carriages flying In every direction. Tha chauffeurs are out to make records, not to look after pedes trians. One must wait patiently ohl .n natientlv and lust as ona Is ready an automobile bus blocks the way. After one lives In Paris a while one learns to ra n&rs of the street at a time. Tha Parisian Is so adroit ha stands in the roadway dodging cabs and automobllee, There are olenty or puoiio conveyances, Including the underground steam trams. hii.es and electric buses, but It Is hard to know which one to take, as they go In different directions. Information Is hard to get, for the stranger Is expected lo know these things when he comes to Paris. ' After waiting long and patiently, he selects a yellow bus. The conductor savs that he cannot get In without a ticket; ao ha haa to cross over to a sta tion a few yards away.- He gets a num ber, after consulting the ticket agent, who recommends the electric tram. Ha gets on to the first one that comes along, pays his fare, end. after riding a short dlstancs, tha bus eomesNto tha and of tha Journey. He asks tha conductor what this halt means; he wishes to go as far as the Avenue de T Opera. When the conductor explains he has taken the wrong direction, be must pay another fare and go back all the way. Tha des tination is reached finally, but It has taken all morning and It Is now time for luncheon. .. - . It takes quits as long to get acquaint ed with the restaurants In Parts as It does to locate tha streets. ' The res taurants are endless In number; thty are 'of many prices soma are wonder fully reasonable; others are exceedingly high. vTha worst of it Is they all look pretty, much alike from, the outside. The unsophisticated traveler stops be fore an unpretentious-looking place and goes n and orders wrist he considers a plain luncheon. It goes without saying he is surprised when the waiter hsnds him a check for 14, though ha learns Ister had be gone to a restaurant half a, block up .the way ba could baVe had . . it " . ; ' V ..r' - ' v' -VH," J 1 Bl - - - ' OREGON DAILY JOURNAL. , " ' v a luncheon - for ona tenth the money. Simple as the first restaurant seemed. It Is one of tha highest-priced cafes. The farther up town one gats tha harder it is to locate the streets; they go out from the place de la Concorde like , so many spokes In a wheel. . Be sides the large streets, there are many cross streets. Tbey are all streets and boulevards,' with strange names but no numbers. Ons may walk a greet ways In the hope of finding the Avenue de ropers, Ready to give up. one stops a FYenchmnn and. asks for -the much needed Information, but Tie only shakes his head, to Indicate that he does noU -Understand. The Amenpcan tries to tail his disappointment philosophically, un til be meets a letter-man watching crowd. At his approach the letter-man flies past as thoua-h he had not a min ute to spare. . H ponders long what to do, and determines finally to ask an Intelligent-looking shopgirl who Is passing. Bhs snswers kindly: - "This Is the Rue da Capuclnes.owAfnnsleur must turn to tha loft and ha will' find himself In the Avenue de ropera." Com forted by the knowledge that ha Is In tha riaht street, he stops to enjoy the shop windows. - He- Is surprised to find trim, smalt shops Instead ef the great stores he has at home. - They all have a specialty; ana' sells -bats, another gloves and a third deals only In fana He Is somewhat disappointed ,ln the die. plsy. Ha has yes to lesrn that tha great shopping districts are In tha Rue de la Palx and ths Place Vendome. At tha point where the Itue de . la Palx crosses tha Avenue de 1'Opera tha car riages and automobiles are as thick as flies on a hot summer day. Ths line of carriages, omnibuses and automobiles la so broad one thinks twice before PORTLAND. SATURDAY, crossing once. X policeman stands In tha roadway swinging hla baton, hut ha Is much more Interested In tha ve hicles than in helping pedestrians. One waits patiently until all patlencs is worn to a shred. Making the attempt, one only escapes being run down by a hair's breadth. Tired of making these ventures one halls a cab and asks how much an hour. The cabdrlver answers: It is a taxemeter." "I don't want a taxemeter; I want a cab," the stranger explains. But he Is answered, 'Find one." Cab after cab Is called; they rail give the one an swer. Most of the public vehicles la Paris are hired according to the dis tance and not by the hour. One is soon taught that when .In Borai one must do as tha Romans, and yield to these words of explanation. He finds it a great relief to ba rid of the responsi bility of crossing the street, though the automobiles do gcaze tba sides of his carriage occasionally, Ths streets of Paris are always a task ta tha stranger, but this diffi culty 1s increased on Sundays and holi days. -Tha large boulevards on Sundays are black with ' automobiles and' car riages. The 'Sidewalks .sre lined with men and women, sauntering leisurely, sitting in ths open air sipping wine and enjoying the crowd. A wait of a halt hour for a bus la not long and- a taxe meter Is not to be had at any price. The climax to these difficulties Is reached when Paris Is In holiday array. Carriages and automobiles are hemmed In every , which way. The automobiles hiss and sputter as though they would defy the policemen and - their clubs. Gradually tha crowd la forced to yield and the republican guards draw up to either, side, draw their swords In read. .. . r i. i . . . EVENING, JANUARY 23. .- 4. . Iness for the lord mayor, who will soon drlvo by. . Tha crowd wait' patiently, tba policemen make' a final effort to clear the streets, for three or fonr chariots come slowly into view. It" is easy to distinguish the lord mayor by the gild ed standards seen In his carriage. Ha la cheered ail along the way by great crowds and acknowledges these greet ings by bowing to right and left This chariots go by and the crowd dispenses aa quickly a It gathered. , Not all tba streets srs cleared. On a warm day the shopping districts along ths Rue da la Palx and Place Vendome are lined with' carriages- and .automo biles. Hera the tourist la soon lost in ths splendor . of ths sight. -. Automo biles and carriages line hare 'abreast waiting for smart Parisian and Amer ican women to do their shopping. Some are going In to make their selection of hats.,. Two or three stand befere a show window admiring, the rich bou quets ' of lilacs, orchids and American beauties. They ara unconcerned about tba throng ef American women going In and -out of the dressmaker who has made hla- name and fortune chiefly through their patronage. - - These srs only a few of tha 'many difficulties encountered by most sight seers In Paris. Thars are so many things ts sea and so little time to sea them. There are galleries, museums, churches, . palaoea' and amusements of many kinds. The sightseer learns through sad experience that ha must be systematic if he would see Parle, and decides to begin with the Louvre museum. He Is pestered alt the way en route by men who offer their ser vices ss guldes He shakes his hsid "No," for bis guide book warns him to 1S07: ba on his guard against confidence men snd thieves. Ha finds himself In a a-reaft ennet'wlth mat . Htil1,4ta am all sides. He does not know where to be-l gin and selects, ons at random. .Ths hall a full of' casts and figures,' He does , not understand the sign written over the door,' written in ITrench, de voted to antiquities., Ua wanders about tba gallery aimlessly, certain that this is no art gallery. . He admires the large marble bowls placed at the two ends of the hall and at a- rich bas-relief of roses - until . ha meets' a gulds who' Is supposed to be there to offer Informa tion. The guide only shakes his head to explain' that ho does not understand English;-but -an American student Is sitting-there copying a cast. He under stands and says that the gajlery Is on a-riea a, isasasff a-1 SI frfcaasaaa i 4 ssassaasisl Laa aa taHai TTSJ rlirui i-rv v v. n Ul I U m ' e IVIIfl flight of ssalrs hs sees so many rooms with walls so thickly covered that tha pictures srs almost bewildering. . There irr w jnsny it would be quite Impos sible . to find their titles in the cat alogue. He seos great, walls of old Dutch, French and Italian masters. When-ho comes upon -the portraits of Mma. LeBrun." painted . by herself, he finds these exceedingly refreshing. Ha goes ' away . eat I a fled . to . renfember ' the graceful statue of Winged Victory and the .handsome face of Venus de MUo. He reads In his weekly program that there isan exhibition of pictures at the Salon, and remembers not to forget the pictures at the Luxembourg. He gees to the Salon, and Is somewhat disap pointed. . There are plenty of portraits of men and women, though the band some women are-In the minority. He Is certain that many of hsa portraits would not be on inhibition wtre it not for- the handsome toilettes . worn by those women - and - the reputation of ths artists. He la more pleased with the Luxembourg. The ' marbles are wonderfully beautiful and ths -paint-Ings . Include masterpieces by Renoir, Raffael and Monet. .. .. . There are as many churches snd mu seums to be visited as there are gal leries. Reaching .the- Madeline, the sightseer finds it draped in heavy black, and Is refused ..admission - because a funeral of an Important public official Is taking placer He goes to tha Chapelle Explatore, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are burled . and finds the place worthy of visit. The chapel is small. and' built In tba form of a eross. It is decorated with two hand some groups In white marble by fioalo; on the, right Is Louis XVI ascending into heaven. The angel that supports him recalls these1, beautiful .words: "File de Saint Louis, - tnnntes an del" (Son of St. Louis, asoend to heaven). To ths left Is the queen, sustained by religion. Notre Dame Is another of the churches ho-visits with interest He finds l Imposing , and g ran oV be cause of the pointed arches upheld by 21 pillars. Its chief features of beauty are the three great rose windows and II other - stained-glass windows. The most attractive of these Is . the Pan theon, . whloh was dedicated by Louis XV to St. Genevieve, but was converted Into a pantheon .or memorial temple fay the convention in 171. The mural paintings are-a special feature. To the right is a beautiful likeness . of St Genevieve- In childhood, by Purvis de Chavannea; to the left Is tha-Martyrdom of St. Denis, by Bonnat. In the left transept are tha handsomest of mural paintings... On. tha right-hand side stands Joan of Are before Orleans, at Rennes In prison, at ths lower end su perb Oobelin tapestries, worth 120,090 a plecs. . ' ' ! - Tti old palaces In tha environs of Paris, where French rulers' ones 'lived, are plentiful, but It : takea tlms and much patience to see' them all. One may visit Versailles In a brake.' hut the train la the eaaiest method of accesa Tha visitor's first Impression is usually ana -of great disappointment when he alights from ths omnibus, crosses the court and sees a large equestrian statue of Louis XIV, ths stables of the palace and the chapels. But soon the broad Vista of gardens, greensward and foun tains unfolds ss a panorama of great beauty.- There are lanes everywhere, made by-overarching of trees, and In very nook Is a fountain or a stone bench. The fountains sre especially attractive, for' It Is Sunday, and they are all flaying. V The hlgheet, that of AdoIIo aa a aun cod riding In A Ens throws its water - high, mwair. ins : horses and the lesser delttes that- eur- . . round him all send forth great Jets of wster. There,-are - many - other small basins: the most beautiful of. these-is . the one wtlh the glided frogs. Beyond : ' is Heard tha falling waters of eaacadee. These are ao natural-looking It la hard to believe they were made under- tha dictatorship of Louis XVI.- Beyond Us open vista -are dense woods decorated -with handsome statues of Greek gods -.. snd goddesses- These woods - are now hemmed- In. but they were - used as private hunting grounds In the days of Louis.. The stranger whose tlms Is limited cannot tarry too long -In 'tba gardens with their" flowers," statues , and foun tains, for there is the, palace, with its hundred Of rooms still to ba sesn,. He goes through great galleries filled with casta and atatuea of French kings ana ' queens. , Beyond 1 are the galleries decorated with - large paintings and frescoes representing the War of the Crusades, the wara with Africa, Crimea and Italy. A broad .'flight of stairs leads Into galleries,' bedrooms and ban- . , quoting hills still beautiful, f hough ths . sounds of - music and revelry are no longer heard., - Everywhere ara - hand some paintings on ceilings; ths windows are cffrtslned with tapaatrlea em broidered In stiver and golj. The cell- ,-. Ings are -the work of great masters. who spent their talent glorifying the l' names of ths Louise's. Here ts one thit represents 1 Louis XIV, triumphant In war. - There hs sits In the midst of a . great council: beyond he is seen riding -In a chariot ss a sungod. The- grandest of these halls Is, the great Gallery da Glace. On either side Is a row-of mlr- . -.. rors broken by nitchee adorned with . atatuea,,,: This Is . pnly a part of Its beauty., The walla are stuccoed with " gold, trimmed In marbles of different colors. The parquet floor 1s so beauti ful one is afraid to cross It. ' . . - The traveler throws himself on ons , Of ths tabourets snd lcens.hls head against a wall; ha closes his tired aye . bewildered by ths glory of the past . rulers. He Is tempted to go,' but re- ' members tha apartments of Marls Ai- , tolnetta are still to be seen. ' These small... attractive .rooms are certainly refreshing after ths great bewildering ' . balls. . There Is the room with tha ' kstrangs mirrors. In which Marie An- ' toinette gtsncea to yina-nereeif neaaieea - when she first entered theea apart raents. - There Is. ths yellow reception- - room, with Its yellow paper, furniture and a handsome bust of Marie Antoin ette. Most Interesting Is the little court wiere the Dauphin was kept a prisoner. and where hla mother oould look at hi: with tears and alghs, as she thought o' the great, dark future. This la enough for a day., but It la not all. . One must coma back another day to sea the Grand Trianon, built as la idle fancy by Louis XIV, with mora great - halls, rich frescoes and heavy furniture. One must not forget tha apartments beautified by Napoleon, with Its heavy jade and handsome busts of Josephine and himself. There is ths little Trianon, which, less grand. Is far more attractive. A handsome staircase leads Into the study of Louis XVI. where is seen tha curious map of tha world, made by the king; Ths dainty li brary and mueio rooms are wonderfully " dainty, and recall some nappy days among many sad ones known to Marie Antoinette. Most attractive-la the dairy farm, though the merry sounds of laughter and bells are now not heard. The homes of ths dairymaids, the plaoa where the butter was churned and tha mill- are closed and welt covered . with Ivy. All Is still ss death, except for the occasional -call af a bird building a nest In a high bough or tba "harsher sounds of human voices. The windmill Is still, for ths miliars no longer grind their corn. Ths eye wanders from walls covered with Ivy to the babbllrlg- brook beyond that speak of days gone by, when walks and gardens were bright with courtiers and dairymaids, Days o bright with exaggerated pleasures that, portended future sorrows! ; - Tha visitor might dream on' forever were it not fof-, the sun that sets -behind ths trees that tells him It Is time to go back to Paris Parts so gay and beautiful iwr uiw raruisni, mil. wnicn oners- y plenty of pleasure .and difficulties J! tha stranger. . r ; ' L i a - ,. . 1 Left No Time. i , ; Fertile must be the, Imagination the eltlxea who successfully evades do ing his duty on-the jury. A man on ona occasion appeared before the judge sad exclaimed pleadingly: - ; - . 'Sir, if you can excuse me, pray do. t don't know which will die first my .. wife or my daughter!" . "Dear me, that's sad," said the Judge. "Certainly, you are excused." t- The next day the mart was met by ona of ths jurors, who in a sympathstlo voiced asked: - "How's your wife!" " " . "She's all right; Why do you askf '"And your daughter f "She's all right, too. Why da you aakf' - ,. "Why,- yesterday you told tha Judge that yqjt did not know which would dia first." - . "Nor do I. That Is a question tlms alone can answer.' . . Sounds Like Bankers' Convention. The next gubernatorial primary In Louisiana, which will take nlace AyaW henna, nromlaaa tn ba nna nf tha most exciting In tha history of the stats. Among thoss who are' regarded as car tain starters In the race are Lieutenant Governor J. T, Sanders, Theodore Wil kinson, a former "congressman and wealthy -sugar painter; General Leon Jaatremskl, a Baton Rouge editor, and George W. Bolton, a banker of Rapides parish. . ,'..; k ... ; '..I 7 ' A.::
