The national holiday on July 14 was celebrated in Paris by On the Sunday preceding day, which fell on Tuesday, the entire staff of the company which works the passenger steamers on the Seine sudden-of the public, with whom the steamboats ly stopped work to the great annoyance
are very popular on Sundays and holidays. The traffic is especially heavy on Jaly 14, as the boats provide a cheap and agreeable way of going to and from the review at Longchaimps, and it is estimated that on the Sunday and Tuesday the company lost between four and five thousand pounds. In so doing the men no doubt hoped to teach the company a severe lesson, bat their calculations have failed entirely, and, jadge ing by present appearances, they have merely performed the operation known as cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. The men's chief demand was for a reduction of working hours to twelve per day, but the managing director of the Company, which has never succeeded in paying more than a very modest dividend, asserts that it will be impossible to earn any interest on the capital if the request is granted, and that the company will be wound up rather than work at a loss. There is no way of increasing the compan receipts, because if the fares in were put up to three half-pence instead of a panay, thus making them equal in price to those outside a tramcar or omnibus, the steamboats would immediately lose an appreciable part of their traffic, as their week-day patrons now consist largely of workmen and people of very moderate means, to whom the extra halfpenny per journey makes a considerable difference. No doubt the end of it will be that the Municipal Council will be persuaded to take over the fleet and run the long-suffering ratepayer being on hand to settle the balance when it turns out to be on the wrong side. press mitt £17,400.
Asan echo of Social season and case in which a realty Italian, the its attendant ties, T_ may mention pos Chevalier Vincent Floria, was the defendant in an action brought by a Paris dressmaking firm to recover £17,400. The account was for dresses supplied during a period of three years to a divorced Russian princess of great beauty, who had undertaken to help the Chevalier to spend his income. Ae admitted his liability in principle, but rather thought the bill was somewhat too big. Neither did he understand how the lady could possibly have worn all the dresses alleged to been supplied to her. In this he showed a certain amount of innocence, surprising in a gentleman of his position, it being perfectly well-known that the posses-
1 princess of great ordering additional which some one else would have to pay. In fact such things have been Known to happen in less exalted circles. Some of the items in the bill were interesting. Ball-dresses figured at various sums between £100 and £200. There were several dozen nightgowns at £26 each and six dozen pairs of knickers trimmed *with lace at £22; one pair of silk stockings was put down at £5-5 and another at £7-10. For a pair of lace mittens £40 was charged, and £50 apiece for two antique buttons supplied with a dress. The Court found that some of the prices charged were exorbitant, and cut down the account by £3.600, thus reducing it to a mere £13,800. As to whether the Russian prin ess really received or
A coolness hi ison between her wore the ce we in the dark, and the Chevalier Garten the bill had something to do with it) she was not called as a witness, which certainly seers 9 pity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.