Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-02-02
IN a eaEncH pAwnsHop.



Going Through, the whole Experiences u
MISUNDERSTANDING Ones Identity.
a person curious to see something Of
the working Of the Paris Mont lie Piete
can DO 80 without pawning any Of his
property. lie can mingle with the crowd
whom necessity or vice has brought there
without risk Of being questioned by Off
Gals or being stared at inquis;tively, for
every one Is too intent upon his own BUSH
ness to give any thought TO others. But
TO obtain vivid impression of the differ
ent circles Of this inferno it Ia necessary
TO go through the whole experience Ct
Piedging and redeetHing. No one who
did this once could possibly wish to re-
peat the experiment. The Iazar house
or the prison can alone offer parallel to
the depressing influences Of the Mont de
Pete.
We will take for illustration the one in
the Rue Bonaparte, which Is an offshoot
70 the parent house in the Rue des Blancs-
Manteaux, but which is itself vast enough
| 70 quarter large body of soldiers. It
u entered from the street by an archway,
over which hangs a dirty tricolor. A
sentry is also posted as further token Of
authority. The passage leads to court
surrounded by buildings which are the
offices and storehouses Of the Mont de
P1ete. Those who come to pledge single
out the door on which the word EN-
gagements' is painted. 1t leads to a low
room, so dinly lighted that on entering
the details cannot be distinctly seen. The
floor Is paved with tiles and the walls and
ceiling are almost black with dirt. The
air Is dense, sitting and malodorous.
There are twenty or thirty people waiting
here-some standing, others sitting upon
benches placed against the walls. All are
silent, or they speak under their breath.
At least half of them belong to what
may be termed the respectable working
class; others wear all the signs of abiect
misery and vice; others, again, belong to
the impenetrable, well dressed class, re-
specting whose position in life only guesses
can be made.
AT the opening through which come.
the glare of the lamp is a counter, toward
which people make their way as they en-
ter. On the other side of it a man in
blouse appears every few minutes, take.
a bundle or box that has been placed OF
the counter, gives a metal number in ex
,, change for it, and disappears. The per
son who has given up the article he ha
come to pledge waits attentirely until h,
, hears his number called out by somebod,
.. whom he does not see, but who is on th
other side of a wooden partition tina
,, serves for one of the walls of the room
! At the same time this official calls out tn
amount which the Mont de Piete is pre-
: pared to lend upon the article or article
] which correspond to the number. Tn
0 owner sometimes grumbles at the sur
q offered, but the almost invariable reply
1 s'Bien, monsieur The functionaries d
Q not condescend to bargain with the crow
: in the waiting room, whom they treat a
n if they were paupers applying for relief
+ The sum having been agreed to, it ma
be supposed that the money is then pal
: over the counter and the business ended
n Not at all; such plain and straightfo
. ward proceeding would be contrary I
:, the most sacred traditions of French O
J. fetal practice. Much fornlality has to
;, gone through and much writing to
= done before the transaction is complet
= Meanwhile the applicant has to wait ha
% an hour or even an hour, if there al
u many people before him, until he hea
70 his number called out again. He no
s pushes open a swinging door in Il
wooden partition, and follows railt
= passage which brings him into the pre-
h ence of two surly clerks sitting behind
i counter. One asks questions and max
r entries in huge book, and the other fl
.r up the pawn tickets, which are sheets
le paper closely printed and written owe
d and pays the money. The applicant mu
i. i :.
d Then he must show papers to prove TIL
W he is telling the truth. If it should ha
pen that he has not brought with him t
Z receipt for the last rent he paid, or sor
'n other document to prove his identity,
IN is sent away without the moneys
n James Gazette.