A FRENCH DINNER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 26 November 1889, Page 2

A FRENCH DINNER.

— : -+-r -r / . .: ..» » The greatest hanquet ever known was that to which the Mayor of France sat down in Paris on ugust 8, in the Palais do I' lndustrie, as one of lie features of the celebrai tion of the events of 1789. The whole of the ground floor of the Palnisde Industrie was, crowded with tables In ,the centre was a high p atf Tin adorned with choice flowers, on which stood a large table, reserved ti M. Oarnofc. the 'Ministers, the Prefect jo| the §Q\U«> the Presi 1 nt of the Paris Muriicipial Council and others, including the Mayor of Lybn3 arid 'thY -Mayor of. the snmllest) commune. Tables , were also placed in every available* corner. Every variety of chair has' bedh pressed inte the service from the crimson and jarilt fauteuil provided for the President of the Renublio to bamboo and garden ohairs. It, was the snme with the pi tes and 'glasses', which had a like descending sfale of their own. Almost at the e'eVonth Tinix-. there was.q'iite an a arm. Six thousand coffee cups bad been forgotten ; but as many Kivnchmen n.ro in tho habit of; imb'.bing. their Mo^ha out o£ tumblers it w:«s h pel that their. -worships, would forgive t>>is versight. OF coin-be, no cater rjn » is senses would have undertaken to supply so vast o company will meats all hot and smokiug. -Movt of. the fish was cooked tho night befo o. and rrom an early hour in the morning the Mnitrcs d'hotel were busi y Engaged in carving the viands and preparing the enormous silads. Per a few of the tables mor« amhltloui «ftofto

had been lnacUi,: but the poss "bio exceptiottof t^e soup it was *' cold collation. *' J iov great mi joritybf the kalte. 13;000, who wt^d ; :% their promt #!&<£, were f uj- j- ; eqtial to the occj A j?faa« Avgry^ast^Piiiinenu, alorne With the arnj^of Bwis, fur<i« embellished ixritt a portraint ' of 3M Caruot, Tyas ' to 6«ch c ■thegueßte» : -v;j ; ;\'' *,"'• 1; --'. '. ' The dinr^r;^ the. ta'k of Pari eventhe. ; da^.^Jfore it to*)k place Prices, '^T|y^i(i in the neigh bouvto^^^-Patws de. I 'lndus the mvanaole explanation be 'jag that it was all owing, to thi Hayor's banquet. Every arailabh concierge in the quarter who bnev something about waiting at tabl< ihad boen pressed into the' sem^e It had even been reported that s tind of rehearsal had beeu helcl ■<with a view to ascertaining whether th.9 arrangements already made would sufflee ; but how could one re* 'hearse. gigflaitze meal o£ which 13,000 sturdy, fpijQ^caiaries w re to partake and ba satisfied.^ Enough to say that 80,000 plates iiad to be provided, •with 52.Q00 g'lnsses'pf divevs ' shape* ard si^ei,' and knives, forks, and spoooa iin- prop rtion ; and tkat 75 -cooks were recruited for txic m»al; with an additional pevsonuol of 1800 rwaiteaai senllious, e.ellavmen and helps of various shorts and 'd^eei'-". Twenty-seven thousand bo'tl s of wine had been for the fe.ist, not to? r speak Qf.iniue'bl and oilier waters,. wnD 4 e soup, fish, meat and poultry l).p.d been accumulated by t c aog?iie^ aitathe ton for this "army co^s" of giiests. -Thfrty fchomans I'oola conMtu^ed another feature of ihe commissariat. The setting of table began tlie day before. Every possible precautiau had been taken tliat not one of the Mayors should -"be sent away fevfen half empty. ' Jt was not to be , a scrambling meal. , Everything was (o be done metho- - dicalfy... It -.bad been, settled thai the Mayors, with a few exceptions, should be seatop according to their respective dep »rfctnents. some of i which had sent 300.400, and even 500 men, some barely a score. One Mayor represented a commune containing only eighteen inhabitants. k- The procession began to ent°r the the dining hall at about half-past £ye, ais;had all entpred by seven.; At haif ? pjisjb six o'clock the Clumps! EJysees were sthl so crowded tlmt { it was a. matter of considerable I difficalty to? wend one.s way through ;the thrdpgc ' There were many scenes •of coafnsioD, and the crowd an t mos was inclined to be noisy- At night hundreds of spectators were stil throrgiiig the' Chimps Elysees and >~; admirincj the iUum nations ou the , Pala's df t li'lndnßt»ie. ■■:• Most wonbsrfal to relate, the dinner was served with such adTOiyhblp quickue?s that the toasts wertyWfi'to beg^n in J es than two • hours from ihe opening of the fe-\st, or about nine o'clock. Of course th°re wa^ p |peeoh-inaking after the big dinnfti?"; The "> Marseillaise" announced the President, and the <enthu.-<iasm evoked by his rising was ye y great. „. . President Car not spoVe with great spirit, and. in concluc'ng p-c-opos^d a *oast to the Republic^ one and in- . •divieiblei to liberty, and the grandeur of Fratuffy.? ... , .';*'•