THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



287 



give a fair impression of how they 

 are to appear, and it is safe to pre- 

 dict that they will be equal, if not 

 superior to those of the Columbian 

 Exhibition in Chicago. Unfortu- 

 nately the space separating the 

 buildings is so limited that only a 

 relatively small number of people 

 can be on the grounds without 

 crowding. 



Visitors need have no fears that 

 Paris is not prepared to receive 

 them and their money. In fact the 

 cit j is ready and waiting with open 

 arms and empty coffers for the 

 opening of the exhibition on the 

 15th of April. All Paris has been 

 banking on the exhibition for sev- 

 eral years, and ic will be her fault 

 if the harvest is small. As early 

 as March 1st prices were advanced 

 on rents and provisions. Groceries 

 and meats were advanced in price 

 full 10 per cent, and the rents for 

 apartments were almost doubled. 

 By April 15th they will be doubled 

 again. The first class hotels are 

 now charging an average of ten 

 dollars a day, and ordinary board- 

 ing houses charge from two to five 

 dollars per day: and this does not 

 allow for the incalculable fees for 

 all sorts of services both real and 

 imaginary. There are but few 

 hotels being constructed, and those 

 now existing are sure to be filled at 

 their own price. But it is not 

 alone the price of rooms and table 

 board that will make a visit to the 

 Paris Exhibition a thing to be 

 shunned by all of moderate means 

 on every hand extortionate demands 

 are made. Seats in the opera are 

 almost wholly controlled by specu- 

 lators who make the price propor- 

 tionate to the demand. Even now 



seats are sold for double the price 

 of those in the far superior operas 

 of Berlin and Vienna. Then there 

 is a fee for checking your hat and 

 coat, another one for the program, 

 still another one for the usher; the 

 trifling luxury of a glass of water 

 costs twenty cents, and if you have 

 not the exact change a commission 

 is withheld for making the change. 



The French as a whole are not 

 lovers of classical music; they like 

 better the ballet and the popular 

 songs, with not a little of scandal 

 and villany interspersed. In the 

 boxes and loges the occupants are 

 there to display their finery, while 

 in the balconies men sit with their 

 hats on, and women and men keep 

 up a constant chattering. Eow dif- 

 ferent from an opera in Germany. 

 There the people go because they 

 love music not a sound is heard 

 from the audience during the per- 

 formance. 



During the exhibition in Paris 

 there will be no limit to entertain- 

 ments; there will be operas, thea- 

 tres, varieties, gaieties and extrav- 

 aganzas to please the most fastid- 

 ious. The French may be depended 

 upon to supply the demand for fake 

 games and dazzling displays. 



It is not an easy task to find one's 

 way about the city without some 

 knowledge of the French language. 

 The omnibus system is very con- 

 fusing, and is not to be depended 

 upon because of their limited num- 

 ber, and the rule of limiting the 

 number of occupants. The fare for 

 these busses is six cents, which is 

 double that of any other European 

 city. The only reliable and con- 

 venient way of getting about the 

 city is in carriages. These, while 



