Morning journal and courier., 1890-12-23

the brands and strains of vice in its vari-
ous stages On the ground, the bare
earth, were sitting, lying or huddled to-
gether, scores more of women and chill
dren, or men stretched in the last stage of
helpless drunkenness. As we soon learned,
it was not poverty, nor was ii crime or
criminal tendencies, that could be held to
account for this accumulation of bestial
creatures, but utter sloth and besotted VI
ciousness.
With three of their leaders we sat in
partitioned corner, and let them become
gradually not merely lpquacious, but arro-
gantly communicative. 1t was their day
of reunion. Every Wednesday, from ten
p. m. till twelve, all the members of the
syndicate meet in La Cave for the distri-
button of the weeks funds. Daily they
hand over to the appointed president and
treasurer their gatherings. They number
several hundreds, and every man and wo-
mans post has a fixed or approximated
value, which must be realized. Should
there be any falling of or any suspected
discrepancy, the post is given to a more
capable person. There have been cases of
what our informant called embezzlement
on the part of the collector; but they were
always found out and punished. It would
be difficult for any member of the associa-
ton with subyersiye ideas to dispose of
any sum retained If he squandered it on
the road home it would be known at once,
and he would know what fate waited him
in La Cave. If he were suspected of Sc
creting any coins he would be quickly
stripped, searched, and, If found guilty,
consigned to q more difficult station. He
might even be expelled, and then woe be-
tide him if he went to any of the syndi-
Gates stations. He would have the treat
ment dealt to any other outsider who in
truded on the reserved hunting grounds.
The syndicate has a variety of systems
in dealing with the collections of its MEM
bers. In several cases, especially for well
known frequenters of particular site, it
leyies contributions of a fixed sum per
week, in return for which the syndicate al
lows no rival to interfere with the mendi-
can't The protege of many regular pa
irons finds this to his advantage. In gen
eral the sums collected are divided in a
very equal proportion, few receiving an
extra percentage, pro rata, on their draw
| ings A certain percentage Is retained for
| the general expenses of the syndicate and
| for the reserve fund. There is no sick or
1 burial fund-the sick being best able TO
| beg, and having the free hospitals at their
service, and funerals OF the poor being a
state arrangement. The reserve fund has
| in part been applied to the purchase of
house where any of the members who
4 choose may lodge at the rate of one franc
1 a week, and the remainder-amounting,
i we were led to believe to a considerable
SUMS invested in the purchase of shares
and bonds 1t is safe in the hands of a
small committee; but a difficulty of the
syndicate has all along been the inability
Il to secure able fnanciers. The more repu-
table members, who had gone home imme-
diately after the distribution, had, many
| of them, very considerable savings All
| of these are lodged in the syndicate's
funds. ANY member could withdraw his
| money and retire when he had amassed
sufficient for any likely object The usual
desire of the economical mendicant, like
that of all Parisians, is to get together
enough to enable him to buy small cot
tage in the country, and live thereafter on
an annuity; or, preferably, rank as a rent
ier or independent person retired on a COM
potency.
We were allowed no sight of the official
books; but an accident enabled us to draw
out some fuller details as to figures
While we We're talking an old man whom
we all knew by sight as habitual seeker
of charity on the Boulevard des ltaliens in
the evenings, and on the Place de La Bourse
in the afternoons, came in, and stood at
the zinc counter counting out some money
to the proprietor there. BE then came
over to where we We're sitting, and re-
. | ceived two louis and some silver amount
! ing to over another lOuis-about two
pounds and ten shillings in all-from one
of our companions. That was his share
for the week, and he grumbled at II. he
drank one or two glasses of wine and left
us. The man who had paid him told us
the old fellow was always discontented,
though he was one of the richest members
\ of the association
THE BEST POSTS.
From this We got into statistics regard,
ing the value of the best posts. They
argued no small knowledge and experience
: of human nature as embodied in France.
The alleys at the Champs Elysees, it ap
+, pears, are good for picturesque-loOking old
men On a good day from ten to a dozen
of these mendicants should each collect al
average of thirty shillings. To tall, thin
person, endowed with long white hair ant
beard, really or artihclally patriarchal and
, starved looking, who can sfoop effectively
vet with an air of departed grandeur, anI
= smile paIhetically, a post ON the Champs
Elysees brings in thirty or forty ffty-cen
' time pieces and pocketful of coppers ev
ery day. One old gentleman, who wa
well known for many years, and bore tn
, reputed distinction of an effete marquisat
: -I-one of the oldest in France-we were as
sureu, cleared ABOUT Ten pOunOs week
> He had been a member of the syndicate
| which of course guarded him against al
competition; and out of his drawings b
received two pounds plus twenty pc
cent, from five to eight pounds, and fift!
per cent. on all beyond His shar
amounted to over three pounds ten shil
= lings a week nearly all the year round
He is now in honorable retirement.
The s'money losers" form a recognizes
branch of the profession These are usu
: ally children or young female recruit
: from the country, who bemoan pitifully
I supposititious half sovereign which bi
Il man knocked out of their hand as the
were going on message. The crowd col
e lects and aids to search the gutter Whe
l. the weeping damsel begins to talk of
It hard-hearted mistress and suicide in th
!, Seine as all that is left for her, the crow
b becomes practical, and one effusive blu
l. bloused workman gives out of the swes
of his brow the first silver coin to NAL
up the lost amount. Then the crowd dii
2 perses, patting itself ON the back for 81
y tenderness of heart toward the afflicted.