OUR PARIS LETTER.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3964, 12 September 1881, Page 3

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(PBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Paris, June 16

The note of preparation for, the Grand Prix race was visible a week in advance. The shops were filled with fancy goods dedicated to sportsmen and w men, and whero a horse shoe, bit, and snafflu were worked up into a hundred curious designs and combinations; even chimney pien<> clocks and watches appeared with hippie ornamentations. A portion of the grand stand had been exclusively set apart for the ladies, and their different colored toilettes could not be surpassed by any horticultural exhibition. The tie between the first and second jockeys was considered as " Titanic." The French naturally felt sore their favorite was^ third ; but they had the consolation<that England was but second. An Enjilishtusm created some mirth by retorting FoNall's success was a revenge for the French excluding 'the importation of American pork aud hams, on the pretence'of being tnchined. However, every person who won by betting on the American horse cheered the stars and stripes. A wrinkle for future turf prophets, who were unanimous this year in not predicting the favorite at all, and explaining after the race their reasons why: for the last three Grand Prix the winning horse ranked number 13 on the " krict cards;" now, 13 up to the present has been regarded as an unlucky number—as big with consequences as getting married or jroirg to sea on a Friday, or having .13 guests to dinner. A very important fancy faic has been held in theTuileries gardens, and deserves notice, not in respect to its success, which was magnificent pecuniarily for the charitable institution . it, served, but as an illustration of bow kermesses, like nice courses, establish the equality of women. Under the second empire, the demimonde and actresses received during promenades and carriage drives the salutations of admirers ; later, virtue viewed these 'attractive pajriahs through field glasses. At present actresses take part in fancy fairs like lady patronesses, and the latter not unfrequently send their compliments to ascertain the address of a milliner or mantua maker of an actress. The opening of another casual ward in tins city has proved a great success. The forlorn are*not expected to pick oakum or break stones the next day to repay the cost of the night's lodging: only if any of the relieved come on their feet again in the world, they are expected to send donations of bread. Among the casuals figure men of every color, race, and region; misery bashadits representatives from the Sandwich Islands, Australia, and iFiji; every learned profession has contributed representatives; it would seem 'that acrobats, actors, and the members of that world in general, seek the casual as a matter of course ; the laborer or broken down citizen applies for aid with a feeling of shame; the second class of applicants noted as-being the most grateful: when a laborer refinds work, he never hesitates out of hi 9 first earned wages, to return with a few loaves for the institution. According to official statistics, the least criminal class in France are beggars, vagabonds in general, and idlers, while the tillers of the soil furnish the most of accused—the proportion being 1 and 35 per cent. ;'O Virgil! Ofortunaim nimium! For every 100,000 of the total population of France, '.there are 12 accused ; in the department of the Seine, of which Paris is tbe capital, the number of accused is 25, and the same for the Alpes Maritimes. of which Nice is the chief town. For every woman accused, there are seven men. Bachelors contribute to crime to the extent of 50 per cent.; married men but 28 : the agriculturalists commit the greatest number of crimes against persons; civilians against property. It is between twenty and forty years of age that 50 per cent, of the total crimes are committed, and between forty and sixty years, 23 per cent. Zola has created a storm by classifying Victor Hugo as very^much beneath, and not to be compared with such men as Littre and Darwin—the latter belong to the living present, and are the incarnation of the wants and certainties of science. Hugo is a colossal rhetorical maching ior manufacturing bis and empty word*: an old child'spoiled by flattery, and who lives in all the phantasmagoria of the middle ages; he has contributed but little to tbe truth of the age, he has merely sang for its joy. Zola advises the rising generation to avoid imitating Hugo but never to forget Littre and the Positivist or natural school. Zola, like tbe Greek philosopher, would banish poets from the Bepublic A photographer, while occupied in his dark chamber was surprised to hear a knock at his sanctum, with the terrible formal demand, " Open, in the name of the law ;" the artist at once did so, aud found himself in the presence of a man with two revolvers. " .Don't stir!" said he, and ,jn a' few seconds he found a poiiceman'who marched the lunatic to the asylum. A small picture has been stolen from the Louvre gallery. A visitor simply put it unoer his coat and disappeared. The project of founding lyceuras in ■ietiris forgirlsis being favorably taken up, a company promises to erect four, if the Government accord them a monopoly for 50 years.' . , The- Municipalty is very much put about respecting a new necropolis; preiudices exist against railway funerals, or distance out of town ; affection and piety will go as far as the outskirts to annually visit tost ones, but a mile or so further, not at all. It is proposed then to have four cemeteries, following the cardinal points, and on the outskirts of the city; the Positivist. q urge, that a portion of the Bain do Boulongo be converted into a <■ burial ground—a momenta wiori—for the gentlemen ladies of the lake. It has been remarked, that French

engineers, and the railway interest in general, displayed want of tact, in allowing the centenary of George Stephenson to pass unnoticed. Thiers maintained, in early life, that railways were good for Anglo-Saxons, but could never be more than an amusement for Parisians. Look how he has been punished; a railway I .tunnel passes under that portion of .the * -.emetery containing his tomb. We liavo had Dumas pore and Dumas -fils; Pumais, grand pere is announced in relation with the sale of the castle of Monte Crisio.