The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-11-06
A Ragpicker Princess.

The most curious lefty" of Paris Is
on the Avenue de la Ravolte, Mt the
upper end of the Passage Triboulet.
The passage ends in vacant lots. where
in summer our carpets are whipped.
The right side belongs to a woman
named Foucault, who built and manages
the city" it is u long alleyway. bor-
dered with sort of sheds. Each lodg-
ing on the ground floor, or first story, 10
which access is had by an outside gal
lery, is species of little cell. more or
less broken down and dirty. The onl
furniture Is mattress thrown on the
square window; eighteen inches across,
lights these places. In Femme Cuiote
is the title by which the propretress is
known. She reigns supreme over II
wretched people-ragpickers, workmen
without work, dec'pSSes of every kind
TO the number of 400. This woman,
who is very rich, and goes about in her
phaeton drawn by pretty pony, is dis
guised as n man; she may be fifty; her
gray hair is cut short. like that of men I;
she is clad in pantaloons-hence the
name-a vests blue blouse and laced
CATERS. This costume she has worn
for the last twenty years, assuming, us
well, the bearing and energetic gestures
of the stronger sex. La FAMINE Culotte
is by no means dull; in her springtime
she must have associated with intelli-
gent men. She declares she knew
Dumas the elder well. She chats very
agreeably and skins literature with n
light touch. The d,,y l had the honor
to visit her she had two friends at break
fast. AS | entered they had just taken
coffee, and these ladies were smoking
ntp toc g.
time swallow of cognac. Ld Femme
Culotte leaned back in her chair, her
legs crossed, and puffed the smoke from
her cigarette in dainty rings. At the
moment the three companions were en-
gagged in a dispute. Emile Iola was the
subject. In Femme C,tlotte was of the
opinion that "L'Assommoir," which
claimed to be the romance of the people,
was n picture of but one phase of
Partisan wretchedness, and if Iola had
applied to her he could have learned
much more as to popular depravjty
This conversation was interrupted from
time to time by the entry of some poor
fellow who presented himself at the
cash-window to pay an installment of
his rent-iive cents or ten cents-all
of which La Femme Culote buried in her
breeches pocket.
Conducted by this lady in person
whom her tenants salute as sovereign,
we make the round of the Getty"
Everywhere the same spectacle OF heart
rending povery; entire families in
dwellings where single person could
hardly find room. In one of these holes
a woman with new born child lay on
straw pallet, while the oldest girl of
twelve was cooking on little furnace.
and the odor of the charcoal mingled
with the pestilential emanations from
the rubbish which the husband had
brought in and was raking over.
Young boys, who lad been hunting
rags, tired out, were sleeping at the foot
of the bed, by the side of the mother
and babe. Poverty descends in these
families with the calling. Some here
are honest fathers, who for twenty
years have lived in the "city," worked
like dogs. paid their rent regularly, and
have never been able to lay up sou for
the morrow. Others are worth less
scamps, spend each days wages at the
rum shop and live on morsel of bread
so long as they get rs much brandy rs
possible. Children born in these
''cities" are raised in the midst
of the most degrading sights.
Modesty is an unheard word; shame
an unknown feeling. Old men pass by
with backs bowed, whose life has been
passed in this filth, buried under their
load of refuse, covered with vermin
Here are born little beings who will die
without having caught glimpse, even
for an instant, of The joys of life.-Paris
FI01rO