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The artesian well in
Passy
Very often, there is a queue,
bottle in hands, in front of the fountain in the square Lamartine. The water
they are all after comes from an artesian well, dug in 1855, by the engineer
Saxon Kind, to prevail the water supply for the Bois de Boulogne, its rivers and
lakes. The whole neighbourhood of the square Lamartine is convinced of the
special therapeutic particularities of this water. Certain think they are a
benefit for certain pains, others that it is an excellent sleeping-draught. An
elegant man, standing in line, when I visited the square, assures me that he
drinks that water since years and it “cleans “ his stomach to perfection and
is a superb help for his digestion. I tasted the water: bof! A little insipid at
the least, but doesn’t seem to stop its passionate supporters. “Anyway,
it’s well water, so it’s natural!” affirms a lady with her two little
puppy dogs on a leash. And she adds: ”It calms my nerves, Monsieur, if you
knew all the problems we have!”
Certainly, I feel very sorry for these inhabitants of one of the chiquest areas
of Paris and let’s conclude with the dubious saying “ the artesian well’s
water of Passy is the universal panacea.”
On the square Lamartine, between
189, avenue Victor Higo, and 70, avenue Henri-Martin., 16th
arrondissement.
Paris
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