, 1886-01-23
THE STREET PeoDteRs or PARIS.
Eager for n Bargain-on the
for "a PoIiceman-Bargains-

Eager for IA Bargain-on the Lookout
for "A PoIiceman-Bargains.
Many sellers keep their table carefully
covered so that nothing is visible, and
.hen begin to talk about the discovery
Il America. of Napoleon the Great and
the politics of the day. OF course, you
have not the remotest conception what
he means by all this or what he has for
sale: at last he raises the cover and pro-
duces either a new backing paste or a
small instrument TO be used at once AZ
a toothpick, penholder, inkstand and
eraser, and only costing 8 cents, or 30
on. Still none Of the crowd are ready
are ready to buy the thing; but this
does not confuse our hero; he distributes
on all sides the %iiacon, or whatever 1t
may be, and says, you can pay me to-
morrow, or when you are passing At
length there Ii a purchaser, and di-
rectly after ten, AS no one wished TO be
first. AT times it happens that the i'm
provised dealer suddenly breaks of in
his speech, seizes his table and bolts
with it, 10 the great surprise OF his
hearers. who look after him, and Of
whom only the initiated are aware OF
the true reason Of his hasty flight. A
sergeant de willie has shown himself at
the next corner, for whom all the street
sellers, who have no cards Of license,
entertain great respect, as he simply
takes them by the collar and leads them
10 the prefecture, a proceeding which
always ends badly. We see that the
daily bread Of the poor fellows is not
lightly gained in Paris.
Further on stands another man, also
at a small table. but he has no cause TO
fear the police. He is an artist, as he
says, recognized by the government.
and stands under the special protection
of the minister. His excellency, he in
forms us, has repeatedly offered him n
situation in the writing and reckoning
schools, but he declined il in order TO
serve the public. AT the same time he
is a perfect artist with the pen; with
rapid, sure and graceful lines he draws
in a few instants an eagle with out
stretched wings or n well executed like
ness Of some well known public charac-
ter. He then offers them to the spec
tators gratis and merely for the honor
of having his talent recognized by m
amateur. At the same time he sells
steel pens, which are good and cheap,
and honestly declares that his art is
based on the pens, which persons need
only buy in order to draw and write like
him. at only requires a little practice"
he adds, with n knowing smile.
A colleague on the other side of the
boulevard loudly offers $50 to the man
who can mend broken china better than
he. Twenty dollars-heaven knows
where he got them from or if they are
real-lie on his table before him and Mt
tract not q few gamins. II could he
relates, have long ago have been a rich
man If | would have sold the secret of
my composition to the government.
The director OF the great porcelain fac
tory ut Sevres would give half his
fortune for it; but then my discovery
would only benefit the few, while o
it is common property" and SO on. The
bottle costs only 10 cents. He then
feels in a heap of gay pieces of china,
and very cleverly composes of the
pieces of china a plate or a cup, which
he strikes in order TO prove the solidity
Of his composition, and finally assures
us that he inc mended a broken gun
barrel, with which its owner still goes
out shooting. Really, more can not be
expected.
Wherever there is a free spot on the
b~oulevards, formed by r%etreating houses
and broader trottoirs, it is at once occu-
pied by n singer, an acrobat or a Jug
.l.r. a l,~a.a ,.-,lo Z. f....l 1901 tI,
artistic, who first %harangues the specta-
tors in the usual way, and hen displays
his skill. Such is Paris every day, and
while we are swimming with the uni
versal stream we will loiter on, nc mat
ter where, for we are sure to see some
thing amusing brooklyn Eagle.