Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-12
A BEGGARS SOCIETY.
4 SYNDICATE COMPOSED OF THE
MENDlCANTS OF PARIS.

individuals of the Experimentation
the Best Paying Stations Are Allotted.
How the Funds Are Kept.
A writer in Chambers Journal gives
some interesting particulars regarding an
extensive and comparatively wealthy asso-
citation known by the high sounding title
OF the Paris Syndicate of Professional
Mendicants. Livery observer in Paris
knows that there is an incalculable num-
Der who daily implore charity in the streets.
Out of the g, 700, 900 residents it is calculated
that n in eighteen, or 1901 600 live on
charity with Il tendency toward crime. In
London the proportion is one in thirty.
The headquarters is a large wine shop
known as LA Cave" at 30 Rue Monitor
guell, II main street running almost due
north from the middle of the Central a
kets. When we arrived the place was well
crowded, and presented a striking spec
tacle. In this den, with damp, black walls,
upholstered and overgrown with fungus
and clouds of cobwebs, a black roof of bare
beams, the many recesses filled with sticks
and boxes and broken furniture, was only
one large famed smoking oil lamp, which
threw a dim light on a crowd of evil look
ing men and women.
Here and there was Il filthy topped rot.
ten table, resting obliquely on shaky legs,
surrounded by men, women and children,
all showing the brands and stains of vice
in its various stages. On the ground, the
bare earth, were sitting, lying or huddled
together scores more of women and chill.
dren or men.
KEEPING TRACK OF MEMBERS.
With three of their leaders we sat in a
%partitioned corner and let them become
gradually, not merely l%oquacious, but ar
rogantly communicative. It was their day
of reunion. Every Wednesday, from 10 p.
m. till IL, all the members of the syndicate
meet in La Cave for the distribution of the
weeks funds. Daily they hand over to the
appointed president and treasurer their
gatherings. They number several hun.
dreds, and every man and woman's post
has q fixed or Appropriated value, which
must be realized.
Should there be any falling off or any
suspected discrepancy the post is given to
a more capable person. There nave been
cases of what our informant called embez-
element on the part of the collector; but
they were always found out and punished.
1t would be difficult for any member of the
association with subversive ideas to dis
pose 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 secretiny any coins
he would be quickly stripped, searched
and, if found guilty, consigned to II more
difficult station. He might even be ex-
PEELED, and then woe betide him if he went
to any of thesyndicatc's stations. He would
hare the treatment dealt to any other out
slider who intruded on the reserved hunt.
ing grounds.
The syndicate has Il variety of systems
in dealing with the collections of its mem
bers. In several cases, especially for well
known frequenters of IL particular site, it
levies contributions of a fixed sum per
week, in return for which the syndicate
allows no rival to interfere with the men
dicant. The proteSe Of many regular pa.
irons finds this to his advantage.
HOW TIE MONEY IS CARED FOR.
In general the sums collected are divided
in a very equal proportion, q few receiving
an extra percentage pro rata on their draw
ings. A certain percentage is retained for
general expenses of the syndicate and
for the reserve fund. There is no sick or
burial fund-thc sicl; being hest 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 o! a
house where any Of the members who
choose may lodge ut the rate of one franc
n week, and the Notwithstanding,
we were led to believe, to a considerable
sum-is invested in the purchase Of shares
and bonds. It is safe in the hands of IL
small committee, but Il difficulty of the
syndicate has all alcng leen the inability
to secure able Gnancicrs.
The more reputable members, who had
gone home Immediately after the distribu-
ton, 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 whoa lie
had nmassed sufficient for any lI.eI, OBJ
iiect. The usual desire of the econurnic:l
rscnlicant, like that Of all F..r:;.ns, is to
get together enough TO enable h;;l 70 bay
~ small cottage in the country, and live
thereafter on IN annuity; or, preferably,
rank as y renticror independent person re-
tired on a competency.
A VETERAN DEGGAR.
While we were talking an old man whom
we all knew by sight as Il hubitual seeker
of charity on the Boulevard DIES ~Itrliens in
the evenings and on the Place dc, la Bourse
in the forenoonS, came in and stood at the
zinc counter counting out some money to
the proprietor there, He then came over
to where we were sitting and received two
louis and some silver amounting to over
another louis-about &c los. in ja1l-from
one of u companions. That was his
share for the week, and he grumbled at it.
He drank one or two glasses Of wine and
left us. The man who had paid him told
us the old fellow was always discontinued,
though lie was one of the richest members
of the association.
One old gentleman who was we'll known
for many years and bore the reputed distinc.
ton of an effete marquisate-one of the old
est in Francc-we were assured, cleared
about e10 II week. He had beer a member of
the syndicate. which of course guarded him
against all competition, and out of his
drawings lie received e2 plus 20 per cent.
from e5 to 9S, and so per cent. on all be.
You'd. His share amounted to over !E3 lOs.
n week nearly all the year round. He is
now in honorable retirement.
The money losers" form a recognized
branch of the profession. These are usual
ly children or young female recruits from
f1n ~ II, ,h1 t,o~,Nor ~sEsf,01, i, 1..n