The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-09-23
Queer Trades in PARIS,

One ant merchant, whom theauthor
knew, was young woman named
Blanche. She is described as present
ing a terrible appearance. "Her face
and hands are tanned as though they
had been prepared by some skilful tan
ner; she is clothed in buffalo skin,
and in spite OF this armor she is devour.
ed by her stock in trade. But her skin
has become SO hardened and insensi-
BILE, from long practice that she can
, sleep surrounded by sacks
full of her merchandise undis-
turbed by their singing Mademoi-
selle Blanche has negotiants in the
departments where there are extensive
forests; she pays her employees two
francs day. Her business extends
even as far as Germany. She never
receives less than ten sacks (millers'
sacks) of ants daily. The ants Law
eggs, and these are sold for feeding
pheasants. AT the present moment
Madamoiselle Blanche is on the road
to fortune"
Another trade somewhat similar to
this is that of the maggot merchants.
These supply the fishermen with their
bait, and number from eight to ten.
doing serious business. They are well
known to the fishing corporation, and
three are mentioned as being celebra-
ties in their profession. One in par
ticular-Le Pere Verde, Ferre--
reckons that he sells from thirty to
forty million maggots every summer.
This gentleman can never part with
one of his loads of maggots whom he
calls his children, without emotion.
A lucrative business is the cooking
of arti :hOkes. There are but three or
four important retailers of cooked arti-
chokes in Paris. The information M.
Grison gives us on the subject he OBJ
tanned from Madame Pauline g., one
of the extensive dealers in that article
at La Halle, the largest market place
in the city. ''To gain anything in this
business" says our Informant sit
must be conducted on large scale, for
though the cooking of artichokes ap-
pears very simple affair, it never
theless demands considerable outlay
in proportion to the price of selling
Before being put into the copper the
artichOkes must be washed. Women
employed for this work earn three
francs day. Others cut off the stalks.
This done, the ichokes pass into the
cooks hands, VINO earn from four to
five francs per diem. They first assert
them, and then pile them in heaps &C
co, ding to their size in the coppers.
The layers are separated by cloths.
This work, of course, takes some time;
but 1T would not do to throw the arti-
chokes all in together, as some people
imagine to be the case. The largest
traders in this line employ generally
two cutters and sorters, three cleaners,
and five or six cooks. The boiling is
done by night, and entirely finished
by o'clock in the morning. At a.
M. the fruiterers and street vendors
take their stock for the day. The
price varies from a penny to three
pence per artichoke. The chief part
of the artichokes one sees at the fruit
shops, kept warm in large baskets by
means of hot water, come from La
Halle" Madame Pauline earns on an
average 81 900 year at this business,
and the season only lasts four months.
But the trades mentioned are the three
rich ones out of the petits METERS
Among the less remunerative ones,
there are the rat. catchers. egg-dYers
for Lent and Easter Days, soup and
coffee itinerant merchants, the scale
cleaners, and lastly, in connection
with Les Halles, the caller whose bust
ness it is to wake up the porters, car
riers and all who have to begin work
before daylight, The callers form a
large company, and anyone walking
in the vicinity of the mark et. place
after midnight hears q variety of
strange cries and peculiar sounding
notes proceeding from whistles. Each |
caller has his particular note, known
to his client, who opens his window
in reply. One of these men, well
known in the market, is Peter, sur
named "Black bird" on account of the |
remarkable manner III which be mod
ulates his cries.