FROM A PARIS WINDOW

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 206, 28 August 1920, Page 17

FROM A PARIS WINDOW

(Special to "Star.-) PAWS. June. MOXTMARTRE MIX-IT. There is a fly in the ointment at Montmartre—a itired fly- While the pleasure parties and proprietors are pleased at the return to late hours, tne garcons are gloomy. They have imbibed at the Syndicalist eight-hour fountain, and they don't want to stay out late any more. Pourboires have increased since the old days, and apparently the waiters make enough in the shorter day, to enable them to turn up their noses at overtime. Anyhow, they have presented th"! unwelcome suggestion to the otherwise broad-smiling restaurateurs, that if they want garcons to remain on duty till one a.m., they will have to think about having two "shifts'* Probably, if need? must be, it will come to that, for the owners are so pleased with the results of the few nights of extended hours, tha*. they desire to put the closing time back a little further. Instead of one a.m., they wish for two a.m. This would put an end to the clandestine all-night cafes and restaurants which 'have been getting round the restrictions by calling themselves clubs. You paid very stiffly for being elected a member for six months, and were under the necessity of renewing your membership fee almost everytime you crossed the d'mly-lighteil threshold. In addition, you had the privilege of paying three tin.es the price for a bottle of none too good champagne. Establishments which observed the war regulations and contributed a very handsome sum for its purpose., desire, to "'get a bit of the'r own back" on the illegal haunts. You remember how they used to raid them, followed by a handful of police, when the ten n'clo.-k closing time was in force. If they can bring about their suppression—for nobody i~ going to pay tr'.ple prices once the others can remain open equally late— and at the same time increase their own profits—the revenge will be sweet. There may be a change after a few weeks, but it rather looks as though this generation ot* Parisians were content to leave n'ghtlife joys to Montmartre, and its guests from overseas.

THE GLORY OF LONG-CHAMPS. Women and fashion held sway yesterday at the Grand Prix. A brilliant, sunny day, a fashion's display unprecedented, and a good card, brought thousands of people to Longchamps to take part in one of the gayest days of the big week. Old Parisians who waylay along tinroute to Longchamps yesterday, or who had the misfortune to be obliged to profit at any point west of the Etoilc, declare that the sight surpassed anything within their recollection. Th. entire width of the Avenue do la Grande Armee was taken up by one uninterrupted stream—or, perhaps, torrent would be the best word—of quickly moving and vociferous traffic. It was a lively boll- , day-making and democratic pageant, impressive too, in its testimony to the I wealth of gaiety of after-the-war Paris, i No French-bred jockey rode in the I Grand Prix. Twelve English and three I American riders made up the fifteenI Comrade, stable companion to Spion I Kop. the Derby winner, was the winner of the Grand Prix, ridden by Frank Bullock in masterly style. Since the institution of this international ! classic race in 1863, only four | horses have succeeded in scoring : the double event at Epsom and Paris — I Gladiator lSbo, Cremorne 1872, Kisber I 1576. and Spearmint in 1906. All air-express passenger records '■yere broken 'this week-end. The traffic by air from London to witness the Grand Prix in Paris necessitated the use of s '~xteen air-expresse? on Saturday. So great was the rush of passengers, that one pilot. Captain Shepperson, accomplished a triple journey between London and Paris. After piloting an aeroplane to Paris at n.47>. iio returned to Croydon and started on his second trip at 5 p.m., arriving in Paris exactly one hour and twenty minutes later. ' Twelve passengers left the London terminus yesterday morning, and after seeing Comrade's triumph, returned to Croydon by airexpress, arriving between 7.30 and 8 p.m. The total distance covered in these two days was more than five thousand miles.

GABY'S JEWELS. Displayed for inspection yesterday, the jewels of the late Gaby Deslys drew a remarkable crowd to the Georges Petit Galleries, and the street was full of fashionable motor cars and carriages. In a glass-case the various necklaces, pendants, and rings were exhibited, and before these the crowd—mostly women — for a long time waited with eyes riveted on the beautiful stones. "The collection is of quite exceptional beauty," said one of the experts who will conduct the auction. "Every jewel is a work of exquisite taste, and the beautiful modern settings give the fullest effort to each g-eru." One of the principle ornaments is a collar of four large pearls alternating with diamonds, the size of the largest, pearl being a hundred grains. There are three necklaces of about fifty pearls each. One beautiful thing in the sale is a handbag, the clasp of which is set with diamonds and pear'.s, while the bag itself is dotted with lozenges of small brilliants, the bag itself being of gold. Less costly souvenirs of "th? popular French dancer will be th" lucky bangles, made of elephant hair set in gold."