Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-23
description Lottery in France.

scfipa from the first to the third week
Frs1 sSrusry whirligig- boxes revolve in
% lana cities, towns and cantcns. and
re s;ns lads of twenty timidly pull out
hus.o a which the fate OF the five
nc.c .srs of their lives depends. Before
bc* the term of service for the aun.
ne - rnmbers' used to be seven wears.
,he lucky numbers were free alto.
III .asher. At present the thing works in
.~.y: The unlucky numbers serve
DS .ssrs and the lucky ones six months.
r..csters who do not care to face the
,I..srds Of the lottery, pay sum of $50
go and become one-year volunteers,
ws,.;ded they can pass an examination
ing they have received good educa-
There Is no ransom for those who
~ not compounded with fortune by
w.;,r the $50 beforehand. Formerly
Ecfipts were allowed to buy substitutes
Ems which varied between sos and
~ and these were halcyon days for the
- men of Alsace, who, if they drew
numbers on their own accounts.
sSom failed to sell themselves in con.
asation of the handsome bounty money.
no artillery, engineers and cuirassiers
ii 10 be full Of light.haired, blue-eyed
sstiyes of the Franco Rhenish provinces.
-ho turned their enlistment as "substi-
,utes,' to q very business-like account.
saying their bounty to fructify at five or
ii per cent. interest, so that it might
Yield them snug sum to set them up In
business with at their discharge. On the
other hand, the less wary races of French
men-Proyencals, Gascons, and especial
l. the Parisians-were often "soldo in
more senses than one by those knavish
surveyors of substitutes, ycleped mar
rhands d'hommes." The imam mer.
chant. was the smooth rogue who acted
- Intermediary between the well-to-do
youngster, who had drawn "bad num-
her, and the needy lad who volunteered
Is substitute, and, as one may guess, his
profits consisted in buying the needy
Young man as cheap as possible. For
This purpose he used to prowl about in
sesrch of young fellows out of work. He
found little difficulty in collecting as
many as he wanted, and, by housing and
feeding them gratis and plying them with
drink unlimited during several days, he
generally contrived to find an opportunity
when, their minds being soaked in alec.
Dol, they would sign away their freedom
for sum that was derisive. 1t frequent.
" happened that young men sold them
selves under the influence of drink for a
twenty. franc piece. The new military
law has abolished the marchands d'hom-
mes. and effected good radiance; but it
is not 80 sure that the abolition of the
substitute system itself is such a good
thing There are many young men to
whom it is positive calamity TO be taken
away for five years from civilian life,
and who would gladly give thousand
franc note or two to change lots with the
more fortunate set who are only required
to serve six months. No good end is
served by prohibiting such exchanges,
which would make very chafing law sit
more easily on the country.
It is really no joke to be young
Frenchman of twenty, and to set out on
bleak winter morning rejecting that be-
fore the day is over the caprice of a lot
terry box will have decided whether one is
to spend five years in barrack slavery.
You cannot visit any canton at conscrip-
ton time without lighting upon many ex-
Amples which show the oppressive work
ing of Continental military institutions.
Here is bright young Partisan artisan,
who is well through his apprenticeship
and can already earn his seven or eight
francs aday at cabinet-making. The future
lawns most brightly before him, but ii
be is forced to become soldier his start
n life will be baked, for in five years
lis hand will have lost its cunning.
Iourneymen jewelers., watchmakers, carv-
rs, silk embroiderers, painters on ivory,
nina, glass, or precious metals all crafts
men, in short, the excellency of whose
work depends on the long, assiduous and
,atient practice which gives delicacy OF
ouch, must not be snatched away from
heir occupation, and sent to handle rifles,
room horses and Timber cannon. When
hey return to their craft they are often
INIT to exercise 1t; or if by dint of sec
nd apprenticeship they manage TO re-
over their old skill, they have generally
ttained their thirtieth year before they
ind their prospects as bright again as
hey were al twenty, and consequently the
Ak which they have paid to their country
mounts to ten years earnings, savings
nd chances of becoming rich or winning
enown. Look, again, at the young man
rho has the offer OF an excellent situation
1hich, if accepted at once, will inevitably
Her him brilliant career, perhaps lead
I'm to wealth. Perhaps his parents have
cen unable TO afford paying the EGO to
iske one-year volunteer OF him; per-
APPS he himself, by laundering on
schnical question, has just missed pass
ny bis volunteers examination tfor these
Nominations are very chancey .affairs),
nd therefore he, too, knows that the
cket which he draws from the box may
lean quaSi-ruin. There is again the
Dung peasant who is tilling and manag-
az his fathers small fields 1.-THE father be-
~ Ill and bed-ridden), and who knows that
he be taken, the fields will have TO be
DID, since the family cannot 60 to the ex-
ense OF hiring q laborer; and last, but
q Least in point OF interest, stands the
Dung man who Is in love, and whose
lsrriage the CONSUMPTION may DELAY five
ears--if his intended will remain faithful TO
i'm during that time. 1t is pitiful to watch
ie wistful faces Of all these categories OF
ads as they approach the polished ma
ogany box revolving between two up
Ights. Behind the table sit pleiad Of
In uniform--General, Pre-
ect Mayor, Recruiting Captain, ETC., and
either end of the table, stationed as
entries, mustached gend-arme with
ocked hat, yellow baldric, and jock
oots. All these callous on-lookers con.
'rm 70 the fashion of grinning at the
cared conscripts and turning the whole
Hair into a Joke II Ia the prpfprt who