The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-07-02


Poverty n France 10 q thousand times
more active, more ingenious, more untiring
IN its efforts after subsistence, than is that
Of any other country. Ii is only after
long and sharp struggle that the wrestler
with fate sinks to the earth and declares
himself vanquIshed. Apart from the mi
mute economy which is practiced IN every
branch Of consumption, whether Of food,
or fuel, or clothing. there are numerous odd
trades TO which the INDECENT resort in or
der 70 gain a livelihood. Enough has al
ready been said about the rag pickers whom
one meets so constantly at night, with
their baskets slung on their backs, and
armed with an iron hook and lantern.
Among that class are often to be found
those who have seen better days, and /
have been told Of one instance where among
their ranks was discovered once noted
physician, whose professional career had
been ruined by aH unfortunate operation,
resulting in the death Of the patient. A
few weeks ago, q female rag picker, aged
fifty three, and married woman, commit
ted suicide for love, and among the mem
bers Of her own profession who we're pres
ent at the funeral was an ex Project Of
the Seine, and a man who had once kept a
fashionable store on the boulevards.
There are other trades, to establish
which must have called for a certain
amount Of inventive talent. There is the
vender of smoking tobacco, whose stock in
trade is formed from the ends of ciga-s
picked up in front of the cafes and theaters,
and these cigar eRds, chopped up fine, form
his merchandise. It has been estimated
that in Paris the consumption Of cigars
amounts to three hundred thousand daily 80
vast number of cigar stumps reward dai-
ly this enterprising dealer and his numer-
Gus associates. Then there is the fire sell
Ter and the guardian angel" The fire
seller goes around with brasier Of hot
Goals in little covered wagon. lined with
sheet iron, and for q sou he heats up the
foot warmers of the market women. He
makes his appearance at the market aE
early as four O'Clock in the morning in win
ter The guardian angel" is a strens
fellow, whose business is TO 60 round tC
| the wine shops and convey home those
consumers who are too drunk to go home
by themselves. SGlne of the large tavern!
have guardian angel all to themselves
This celestlally named individual must no
quit the drunkard confded to his care til
ne is beyonnd Sll danger from the polio,
or from thieves. Sobriety is his primar,
| qualification, and the first day he is founl
drunk he is ignominiously discharged. Th
seeker Of cigar ends has q companion il
the crust seeker, who hunts for those re.
/ fuse bits Of bread, too dry, too dirty or to-
moldy for human food, which are to b
found in the streets and in the CUTTERS
| This bread he sells by the bagfull to tn
rahhit breeders in the suburbs of Paris; 70
| French rabbits are very fond Of bread AM
consume large quantities of it. The do
shearer drives q thriving trade; it is b
who attends TO the toilet of those wonder
full poodles with white, shaggy manes, an
pink, close cropped hinder quarters, thei
paws adorned with neat little frills, an
their shorn tails finished off With q bush
like tuft of white hair. which attract ou
attention while trotting 1T the heels {
their masters or mistresses along the bou
lsvards The potato maker washes, scrubl
skins and polishes old potatoes Of sma
size till they assume the silky, light col
ored skin Of new potatoes, and may the
be enveloped in tissue paper, and sold 8
the earliest production Of the season Th
han bone maker. the leech letters, ih
bird feeders, all exercise odd profession
The item collector is the man who scoul
Paris in search of items for the daily pI
pers, one of which, if found and CAREFUL
written up, may, bring him from one
two francs, A dFeadlnl accident or FIR
alrunaEay horse, or q mason falling frol
. high scafolding. are to him precious pr
zes.a Unfortunatsly, hsis often obliged
draw on his imagination Cor the mAtsri
of his work. 49, s~-si-,f- .-s -
The most horrible Of all these little trad
. i IL iodizptfka Div that nf tha sorter or ne
son whose business it Is to sort over Al
classify the rubbish collected by tbs II
piekers. In the miserable dens Whel
, this industry is carried on, it often hal
, pens that the lamps die out and refuse
1 burn, 50 fetid il the atmosphere arisil
, from the filthy masses accumulated theI
The sorter either dies soon or abando
|; his profession for another, for no huns
! life can long endure the miasma engender'
) by the dirt in which they are obliged
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