, 1884-08-24
A R~AGP1CKER'S WOE.
From the Cutters of Paris to the
slums of New York.
A Wholesale RAgpicker, and a For
tunate crust-Gatherer in the
City OF Parfs-Pnilure
In New York.


manity sat down on the sidewalk in Cham
bers street the other night, apparently
overcome by fatigue. He had a long gray
beard, a AIMED and wrinkled face, while
his clothes seemed TO be a lesson on cloth
and its powers of endurance. The old
man carried a basket and a prong. He was
a ragpicker, and presumably wore many Of
his pickings OF his own back.
Have you had n bad days work.
asked n young man who was passing at the
time, and who noticed the detected appear
ance OF the time-honored ragpicker.
The old man looked up and pointed TO
his basket. 1t was empty. The street
cleaning department Injuries our trade ter
ribly, " he said. with a strong French ac-
cent "and things are getting worse and
worse. Every night | think what / used
to be. and compare old times with my
present condition. Ali 1t is no wonder l
am detected.
Then you were not always a rag
pickerf"
-Oh, yes. But for a very brief period
in my life l ave always followed what I
consider IN honorable calling in the rag
picking line. | see you want TO know
something about me. Well, give me a cup
Of coffee and a sandwich and you shall
know my history. p
The young man installed the ragpicker
on one Of Hitchcock's downy seats, and
after his first pangs Of hunger had been re
lieved the story Of his career was told
Wen. sir, " he said, I'm a Frenchman,
as | suppose you could tell. Ten years
residence in Willett street has not relieved
me Of my French accent. and don't know
That / regret that very much. When |
was n very young lad | commenced life as
n ragpicker-and | was one of the most
poverty-stricken ragpickers In Paris.
They call them chiffoniers over there. you
know, and the quarter In which we all
lived was the Rue Mouffetard, which re-
sembles to a great extent Willett street,
In this city, only it Is worse. If pos
siblc. Well. | was very ambitious and
soon got tired of picking up odds and
ends in the gutter. After a great deal of
difficulty / got n position with a wholesale
mgpicker as sorter Of baskets and general
superintendent. Not a very big improve
ment. you will say. but l thought It was.
| was not obliged TO go out and scour the
gutter, and therefore was quito satisfied.
l set To work diligently, and my employer
wns very pleasant with me, when l sud
denly fell seriously in. The awful odors
arising from the baskets caused the trouble,
and | was obliged to go to a hospital. L
said 10 myself. IN quit TIE business "
$50 | should think" exclaimed his
listener sympathetically.
well. my health slowly returned. and
engaged myself to a poultry merchant as
feeder Of young pigeons. Then | began
10 see bright days and to dream of pros
perity. I made an important discovery
and profted by 1t for a time. l was struck
by the fact that the poultry merchant
could never obtain q good price for his
birds unless they were newly killed
The French cooks were not to
be imposed upon. l suppose you
slightest tendency to become high. an c
Of the feet. From a bright hue they grad
ually become duller. Well, l reflected
on this singular fact considerably, and at
last l invented a means by which | could
paint the offending members. My plan
wns Il brilliant success. Poultry which
had been killed for three days wa sold as
fresh TO the most wary purchasers. That
was fifty years ago, let me tell you. |
don't say ii could be done now. My purse
began 10 assume very substantial proper
ton. and / was fired with u desire TO be-
come the head of an establishment. instead
Of second man, which latter position did
not suit me at all. Like a fool, / sold my
secret in order to raise funds, and then
found myself quite unable to procure the
desired post.
The old nan paused for a moment, and
looked straight ahead. Then he resumed
well. luck did not desert me. | had
another idea which proved more profitable
than the one have just explained. and II
was, moreover, u branch Of my carly call
ing Of mgpicking. | said TO myself. i
wonder what becomes of the vast quanti-
ties of stale bread and dry crusts which
must exist 10 such a large extent in Parish
| knew a great deal Of Il was thrown into
the street. because | had seen il there.
determined to utilize the crusts. / bought
a donkey and q cart, and went around to
the various restaurants soliciting stale
bread and picking IL up in the cutters. II
was rather II hard job. | had TO tip wait
ers, 10 make love-yes, sir, to make love
10 the cooks: do good turns for all the do
mestics in the establishments. Well,
succeeded in amassing an immense amount
of the rejected food. l then advertised tle
crusts as food for rabbits at 0 cents u has
ketful. People 1ocked to buy it. The
stale bread I.rebaked and grated, and pro
duced that delicate dust which ~cpicures
love 10 see strewn over outlets. Other
portions | broke into Jumps for the soup.
which we call In Paris. as you do In New
York. croute au pot. You viii perhaps
find 1t hard TO believe, but | made a for.
tune. a good. substantial fortune. OF
course, - he continued. bitterly. ~ was not
satisfied. Men never ARE. No: | must
needs take my hard-earned money and
speculate with it. | lost it all. every cent.
as ] deserved 10 lose il, and then came "a
this country. | have never lone any good
here. never shall do any. live. like
most OF the rag pickers here, in II tenement
] hntre44 and 1fla most pf thaf aluue I Iofaot
my manner of living. However. l am toe
old 10 60 back 10 the old country. and toe
tired 10 begin from the beginning once
nrniu.r