PARIS 



1498 



PARIS 



works of living <n 



These collections are the property of the si 

 and the finest works are transferred to the 

 Louvre ten years after the death of the artists. 

 The Cluny Museum, occupying the ancient man- 

 sion of the abbots of Cluny, the Carna valet Mu- 

 seum, the Petit Palais drs Beaux Arts and the 

 Trocadero Palace are other important homes 

 of art collections. The chief educational insti- 

 tution, the University of Paris (see PARIS. 

 UNIVERSITY OF), is one of the oldest and larg- 

 :!d. with an annual enrolment of 

 over 17,500 in peace times. The celebrated 

 Mtion. the Sorbonne (which see), occupies 

 one of the finest college buildings in the world. 

 Other well-known institutions are the Col- 

 lege of France, the Polytechnic School, the 

 School of Law, the School of Medicine, the 

 Observatory and the Botanical Garden (Jardin 

 des Plantes). All of these educational institu- 

 tions are located in what is known as the Latin 

 Quarter. Of the various libraries, the Biblio- 

 theque Nationale (which see) is the largest and 

 most famous. 



Transportation and Industry. Local trans- 

 portation is taken care of by means of electric 

 tramways and horse and motor cabs. In effi- 

 ciency the cab system of Paris is unsurpassed. 

 The Seine, which is from 300 to 500 feet wide 

 along its course within the city, is spanned by 

 over thirty bridges, many of which are adorned 

 with parkways, statuary and historic relics. All 

 are directly connected with quays which line 

 river banks; these quays, like the boule- 

 vards, are made attractive by trees, and con- 

 tribute materially to the charm of the city. The 

 -ix railway systems entering Paris have termi- 

 nal buildings of massive proportions and pala- 

 beauty. 



The French capital has a unique and well- 

 ; reputation for the high grade of its 

 articles of luxury, such as perfumes, gloves, ar- 

 tificial flowers and jewelry. These are made in 

 small industrial establishments which utilize the 

 iim-t skill available, The Gobelin tapestries, 

 made in th- southern part of the city, have 

 been famous for centuries. In recent years 

 there has been an increase in the number of 

 larger establishments, and the output of these 

 factories is becoming more and more impor- 

 tant. Their products include automobiles, ma- 

 chinery, railroad supplies, chemical products. 

 -naps, dyes, leather and other commodities. 

 Distinctive among the features of industrial 

 Paris are the great city markets, the slaughtt r- 

 , houses and the fine large department stores, \- 



nter of trade the French metropolis out- 

 ranks all other cities of the republic. In nor- 

 mal years the annual output of its industrial 

 establishments (most of which is exported) is 

 valued at more than three billion francs (about 

 600.000,000). 



Government. Paris is divided for governing 

 purposes into twenty ttfrondissements, or dis- 

 tricts. The head of the municipal government, 

 called prefect of the Seine, is appointed by the 

 national government. Kadi arrondissemen! 

 sends four elected members to a municipal 

 council, and each has its own mayor. This of- 

 ficial and his three assistants are appointed by 

 the President. An arrondissemcnt takes care 

 of the a<>essment and collection of taxes within 

 its own limits, and is a local center for educa- 

 tional and charitable work. The Paris plan of 

 city government is one of the most admirable 

 in the world in its practical effects, and there is 

 in operation a satisfactory plan of civil service 

 appointments. The sewage, water supply and 

 street-cleaning systems are managed with the 

 highest degree of efficiency, as are matters of 

 health and sanitation, charity and education. 



History. Julius Caesar, in his Comment a r it ,->, 

 describes a small collection of huts called Lule- 

 tia, on the banks of the Seine. This obscure 

 village, the chief settlement of the Paris-ii, a 

 Gallic tribe, occupied the site of the magnifi- 

 cent city of to-day. As a Roman colony the 

 settlement spread out on both sides of the river, 

 and the present name began to be applied in 

 the fourth century. Clovis (which see), founder 

 of the Frankish monarchy, made Paris his capi- 

 tal, and in the tenth century it became the 

 headquarters of Hugh Capet (see CAPETIAN 

 DYNASTY) and the seat of government of the 

 French kingdom. During the Middle Ages the 

 city grew steadily, and the kings up to the 

 time of the French Revolution did much to 

 enlarge and beautify it. After the Revolution 

 Napoleon ordered the construction of new build- 

 ings, public gardens, arches, bridges and other 

 improvements, and he spent millions of dollars 

 in the restoration and arrangement of art and 

 scientific collections. Napoleon III continued 

 the work of beautifying the city, and to him 

 more than anyone else Paris owes its magnifi- 

 cent system of boulevards. During the period 

 of the Commune (see COMMUNE OF PARIS) 

 many fine buildings were destroyed, but the 

 city wa.s restored to its former splendor within 

 two years. In 1878, 1889 and 1900 Paris was 

 the home of great international exhibitions, 

 that of 1900 attracting 51,000,000 visitors. The 



