The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-03
What the Siege or Paris Cost the
Inhabitants - Revelations OF the
Mont de Piete.

Inhabitants - Revelations OF the
/ Mont de Piete.
Writing from Paris, on March 18th,
the London Times correspondent says:
The following a6fchs was posted yes
terdsy upon the walls Of Paris: Don
Patriotique de lAngleterre la France.
Remise gratuite des outils engages pen
dant la duree de la guerre. The ad-
miral idea Of furnishing the poor peo-
pie OF Paris, who in the days of their
extremity had been obliged to pawn the
means of earning their livelihood, with
the tools which are now stacked in the
Mont de Pete, is due to Mr.. Marshall,
one of the committee for the distribu-
ton of the English charitable fund, and
possesses this special advantage-that
it will not merely relieve the material
condition Of thousands Of families, but
produce political effect Of the utmost
Importance, and deprive the working
class Of the complaint which the Radi.
cal prints have already suggested that
they should make against the operation
of the rules by which the Mont de Plete
is regulated. The fact that the State is
the universal pawnbroker in France,
that certain amount of red tape is in.
cidental to an establishment Of such
gigantic proportions, and that unforeseen
eXigencies nave arisen in consequence
of the siege, for which its rules had
not provided, has given a certain color
to those complaints. At the same time,
as the Mont de Pete is conducted en-
tirely on capital borrowed from other
State institutions, and as the finan-
Clal embarrassment under which
Paris is suffering extends every.
where, there are pecuniary reasons why
it is very difficult now for the Govern.
ment to relax its rules, and afford spe,
cial privileges and facilities to those
who have pawned their goods, without
running the risk Of absolute insolvency.
During the siege no one was allowed to
borrow more than fifty francs on any
article, no matter what its value might
be. In spite of this, the pressure for
money was so great that the store,
rooms Of the Mont de Pete became en-
numbered with articles, which 10000
persons of all classes brought and
pledged. made most interesting in
spection OF these immense storehouses
of private property few days ago, and
walked through labyrinths of stored
jewelry, each little box colored and
numbered according to its year, all the
even numbers indicating one year. and
the odd numbers another. Here were
no fewer than 100000 watches and 25,-
600 clocks. There were diamond neck
laces and bracelets of fabulous values,
which had lain for many years, and
which were pledged anew every year,
that had glittered, nevertheless, on the
arms and necks Of their owners at every
Imperial ball and on every State occa-
sion, when they were hired from the
Imperial pawn broker for the night.
Here, too, were evidences of the more
real distress TO which persons of rank
had been reduced-one piece OF lace
after the other, the last cashmere shawl,
or a pocket handkerchief embroidered
with a cornet, Of such fine material that
it was still possible to raise three francs,
the lowest figure allowed upon it; gen.
clemens gold-headed canes, even ordi-
nary riding whips, and no fewer than
2000 opera glasses. Here was an UNI
brella, the pawn ticket Of which had
been renewed every year since 1872, and
silk dress the owner of which for the
last twenty-eight years had been unable
to redeem it, but had regularly raised
the portion of annual income which it
represented. Here were unwritten ro-
mances staring at us from the eyes OF
pawned pictures, and dreadful family
secrets locked up in jewelry boxes. This
quarter OF the establishment was what
might be called the Foubourg St. Ger
main of the Mont de Pete. When we
went into the Belleville quarters the
objects were very different No fewer
than 1900 poor wretches had pawned
their mattresses, and starving seam
stresses had paved 1900 pairs of scissors.
Spades, shovels, teapots without end.
How many necessaries TO existence were
stored away in these cruel galleries
How different the story they told from
those OF the fashionable deposits below !
Not much of the romantic or mysteri-
Gus here; very little left to the magma
ton; the gaurt secret frowning on us
from every loaded shelt-starvation
And so the bright idea struck my COM
panion that a very practical disposition
OF British charity might be made which
would deprive the owners OF these tools
of the excuse for idleness that the I'M
plements of their trades were in pawn,
and enable those who were industrious
and deserving to earn their own bread,
while it would afford a means Of dis
covering the idle and following the con-
duct of those who might try to take
advantage of the privilege only in order
10 abuse it. This view was thoroughly
acquiesced in by Col. Stuart Wortley
and Mr.. Moore, who could not have
! brought their laborious duties to a more
( desirable conclusion than by inaugu
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