The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-16
HOW PARISIANS LIVE.
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE IN THE
GAY FRENCH CAPITAL.


dred Donkevs Slaughtered Annually
FIR Food The Books the People
Read, and the Taxes They Pay
Paris an Expensive Place to Live
and a Dear Place to Die.
From the Chicago Tribune.
There is published every year by the
statistical department in Paris a large vel
low volume which is a perfect mine of in
taresting and curious Information con-
ceraing the city. The volume is called
the "Annuaire Statistique de la Vile de
Paris" but is little known outside of official
bureaus.
This encyclopedia of facts is compiled
under the direction of an expert statstician,
DR.. Jadues Bertillon. who is the chief of the
statistical department, and is a marvel of
method and C 'mpleteness. 1t has only one
fault, and that applies to most French
official publications; it isn't up to
date. The bureaucrats are never in
any particular hurry to get out their
returns, and the last volume of the An
nuaire, which was issued only recently,
refers to 1886.
TIE French people-even the Partisan
rortion of them-aTe not a specially pro-
life race, but the births in Paris exceed the
deaths every year by 5000. The population
Of Paris is 2,560,0O0, and the births in the
year mentioned were 60,636. The number
is not equally spread over the whole year.
There are favorite months for births. mar
riages, and deaths. Most births take place
IN March, and fewest in November. and
this has been the case for the last ten years.
In order to balance this, most people die in
March. The deaths in that month exceed
by over 1000 the de tbs in the other
months of the year. March is the coolest
month in the year in Paris when sharp.
biting winds are likely to cut off a-thmatic
people. But the weather doesn't explain
how Parisians have preference for marry
ing in May and stunning April. Perhaps
the us tges of the Catholic church have
something to do with it. More than 1000
French women were married before they
reached IS, but the favorite marrying age
for women is from 10 to "a, and for men
from "a to 81. All the births were not lepiti-
nate Twenty per cent, or 17.09S, were lille
gtimate, and of these only 1859 were &C
knowledged by the fathers. French
law does not compel a man to recognize his
children. There is a branch of the Assist
ance Publique, or public aid, which takes
a paternal interest in children and rears
them. Ma children are abandoned by
both parents and are taken care of by this
body. No fewer than So, $50 children were
assisted or taken charge of during the year.
In former years, when parents, either be-
cause or their poverty or some other re son,
waited to get rid of their children,
they dropped them in the revolving tower
of the founding hospital. Mothers
crept up stealthily to the tower at night
slipped their little living burden in a cradle,
and saw it carried round to the interior.
" Ten the cradle returned it was empty,
and the mother never saw her child again.
The revolving tower is now on exhibition
N the Assistance Publque section of the ex-
position, but the system for enabling moth
ers to abandon their children is still in
operation. The only difference is that it is
now done openly. In the waiting-room
outside the Bureau des Abandons Of the
Hospice Depos taire, the following notice is
posted, so that all parents calling there ON
business may read
Every person who will present an infant
with the view of abandoning it is warned
that questions are asked him Tor herr in the
interest of the child; but that it is optional
TO rep.y or supply any part of the informa-
ton asked. The production of the certifi-
cate of birth is not even obligatory
There is thus every facility given to par
ents to gec rid of their parental responsible
ties, but of the 81, $50 children who were as
sisted during the year only 1878 were
totally abandoned. Many of the children
We're taken cars of in the hospital until
their mothers we're able to support them
In some cases money and other assistance
was given to parents in their homes, and
II, ISL childrel were sent to professional
nurses, eitherin Paris or the provinces.
These nursss are paid by the
Assistance Pubhque and are IL
eensed. Agencies in the country
take children as boarders, and there is a
staff of Inspectors who make regular rounds
TO see that ttAy are properly treated. The
children who are entirely alb ndoned are
educated AMI then apprenticed to a trade
The males ae not free until 15 the females
not until thy are 81 There are agricult-
ural and Industrial colonies for these pauper
chi dren in he pravinces. The Assistance
Publique, which discharges in France the
same functions as the board of guardians
DO in England, draws money from public
sources, but depends largely on it's funds
from voluntary contributions.
Paris is generally considered an expensive
place to llv, IN. 1t is certainly a dear
place to diem. Yet 81, 7S6 interments took
place in theyear. Should tourist have
the misfortune to die in Paris his relatives
will have + pay heavily for it. The town
draws ve1$2O0, 900 year from a funeral
tax and oEains half a million from ceme-
terry charges. The church also makes a
little pile dlt of funerals Funerals in Paris
are under AIKEN by a monopolistic company
called thePompes Funebres. The amount
Of mourning which the dead receive is
regulatedby the amount of money which
the relatifes of the defunct are prepared to
spend. his applies to the church as well
as the Pohpes Funebres. There are nine
classes otfunerals, and the church supplies
nine classes of ceremonies. If the deceased
IS buried under class No. the church will
be hungwith Grape, there will be an i'm
presslve funeral service. and whole regi-
ment of eady-made lachrymose mourners.
But firstclass funerals are luxuries, and
only twnty-seven took place during the
Year. IF the 57,7S6 funerals, 40, 107 took
place with Roman Catholic services, and
although9, 900 of them were in class nine,
Where To ceremony is short, plain, and
cheap, tip churches made $3.50, 900 out of
Them. here were 1,037 Protestant funerals
and Csc Jwsh, and Is, SS5 people, or 81 per
cent web buried without any religious
ceremonYat all. This represents the free
thought cement. To the number of deaths
given INST be added the suicides, which
numbere S93-679 men and PA women.
There no difficulty about ascertaining
the ANIMAL consumption of the P risians.
They lip under a beneticent protectlonist
system, nd all their food is taxed. The
great walls which surround Paris are not
Ior keeping the Germans out, but for pre-
sentinghe city from being invaded by
IL