Outrage on the Obelisk

The officials at Paris' Prefecture de Police finally granted permission. Of course, they demurred, one must proceed carefully in these matters. In 1876, it was said, an unprincipled character had climbed to the top of Paris' famed obelisk, in the Place de la Concprde, for the base purpose of advertising a new make of candle. But two Egyptologists who wished to make the ascent for the purpose of studying the obelisk's hieroglyphics--that was different. There was only one thing the officials asked: that the ascent be made as early in the morning as possible, "so as not to attract too much attention."

The Egyptologists agreed, and turned up at 3 o'clock of the appointed morning just as the refugees from Paris' nightclubs met the first milkman in the streets. The two scholars were equipped with a pink parasol and a walkie-talkie. At the foot of the obelisk, Parisian firemen stood ready with a hook & ladder. The younger of the pair, Mario Fabre, climbed to the top of the monolith; the other, Franc,ois Guinet-Chaplain, established himself at its base. The hours went by. A crowd began to gather. At 10 o'clock the crowd was thick in front of a receiving set which had been set up at the foot of the shaft. From his pocket, Egyptologist Guinet-Chaplain whipped a new, three-inch cigarette lighter, positively guaranteed to light in the highest wind, at any altitude. While his assistant Mario brandished the parasol and harangued the crowd by walkie-talkie from. the monument's top (see cut), Guinet-Chaplain proceeded to demonstrate the lighter's virtues. Eventually, two firemen climbed the ladder and escorted young Mario down. A disillusioned official at the Prefecture muttered sadly: "They abused our trust." In court, the pair were charged with "outrage of the magistrature."

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