Flower Market, St. Michael\'s Bridge, Paris, France
The River Seine at this point is broken into two arms by an island. The buildings you see are on the island, and St. Michael's bridge crosses the narrow southern arm of the river. St. Michael's bridge is one of the chief passageways from the Latin Quarter of Paris to the large part of the city that lies on the right bank of the Seine. The Latin Quarter has long been the students' section. Societies of learned men have their quarters here, and schools of art and medicine draw thousands of students. Many of the side streets are dirty and the houses on them shabby. It is this part of Paris that has been written about in so many stories, novels, and plays. Here is shown one side of the French character that is worth your knowing. The people are passionately fond of flowers. Flower markets are in many parts of the city, and they are always thronged with buyers. The well-dressed strollers stop at the booths and buy fine bouquets. A messenger boy parts with his last coin to get a buttonhole flower. An old woman with a basket on her arm and a shawl on her shoulders prices a bunch. She counts her little stock of money, and then makes her purchase. The flowers will brighten the sick room of her little girl. In other words, the French are real lovers of the beautiful whether it be flowers, painting, dress, or poetry. They know how to do a thousand kindly little acts that we Americans never think of doing. The building you see to the right is the police station. The police of Paris are famed for their ability to catch criminals. The building to the left is the Palace of Justice. This is the great courthouse of Paris. On this spot of ground, the Roman rulers of France had their residence. Keystone ID: 11787 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.