New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-18
PILGRIMS IN FRANCE.
BERNHARDT IN BRITTANY. lola AT
IOURDFS AND JEWISH EXILES
N PARIS

| Paris, August 25.-'Thc theatres are mostly
closed, and the word Relache' is printed in big
| letters outside their doors This word means
closure" or cessation. but AIRY in Paris sone
| times raises laugh against himself by applying
| for ticket at the agents to see Relache," un-
der the impression that it is a new play The
actors are increasing their income by starring in
the Provinces, If they lesser lights. The big
ger luminaries are holiday making, and picking up
hints for next sc sons performances out of tho
motley crowds they meet at Trouvlle, AK les
Bains. or plombieres Sarah Bernhardt employs
her leisure Enthusiastically She Is in Brittany
on lovely spot Of the coast near Dinant, where
she draws inspiration from the oceans waves.
This part Of the coast is very romantic. Tho
caves and pronlontories peopled with legendary
beings kepies and uermaids, for which Sarah "
on the lookout. Her favortc haunt is black
rock, which at high tide is surrounded by the sea,
whose breakers lash themselves into foam against
its base On the summit Of this rock Sarah lies
for l.c~rs together and ponders. The rude scr
folks N these parts shrink from her as something
uncanny, and doubt mothers will be pointing
out the 1.-THE figure the black rock their chill
drcn as one of the aluring kourrigancs"
ter witches who make seamen come by an evil end.
The great national pilgrimage 70 Lourdes is now
on, ard once again the battle RACES between the
believing and the unbelievng parties in the press
W. Rochefort writes about it from his banish-
ment in London TO scott but W. Zola--wonder
of wonders--has gone there apparently to pray.
No doubt he knows his own business. lola never
writes novel without previously collecting what
lie calls human documents" by which he means
facts observed in actual life. With this end in
view he has visited prisons, madhouscs gambling
and drinking bells and dcns of nfamy. His next
novel will deal with the subject Of religious emo
tionalsm and at Lourdes he will be able to pick
up documents bearing on this side Of life -
fast as he can handle them. No doubt the ex-
pressions of admiration and belief which are at
trLuted TO him were uttered with the object Of
conciliatng the clerical authorities at LOurdes
The pilgrimage is a colossal affair. The faithful
come In trains from distances of 500 miles The
train service is most uncomfortable IL should be
for pilgrims who seek by penance TO render them
selves worthy of special favors from Heaven. The
tickets only allow stay of three or four days
in Lourdes. BY this means uncomfortable crowd
Ing is prevented and n paying stream Of patients
is steadily kept up. Out of the thousands who
come to be cured Of ophthalnia, spinal complaint,
heart disease. varcose veins, epilepsy. Potts frac-
turr ard the countless other ills that flesh Is
heir to, the vast majority so away neither better
nor worse than when they came. This was the case
with the son Of the Duke of Norfolk who spent
enormous sums Of money over his pilgrimage three
years ago.
The question of foreign labor In native fields
Of employment has been brought into startling
prominence by TWO significant circumstances.
The first being the presence of bands Of destitute
Roumanian Jews in Paris, and the second the
outbreak of mutual hostilites the Franco
Belgian frontier. The Jews afford pitiable
spectacle. They have been twice expellei-once
from their home in Odessa. by order Of the
Russian Government, and again from CONSTANT
nope, where the majority fled for refuge, by
recent decree of the Porte Thence they Jour-
neyed along the roads OF Central Europe TO Paris.
For the last week they have hung about the ap-
proachcs of the Lyons railway station, in tho
uttermost state OF dirt and restitution Baron
Iirsch and his coreligionsts who have two large
bureaus open in Paris for the relief of their
poorer brethren, have taken up the case Of these
destitute families and are trying either to
find work for them to ship them To America.
On the Belgian frontier the French miners
have a grievance against the masters, who, they
say, give the preference to Belgian workmen. The
reason for this is that the Frenchman Is often
| called away fer military service, when it becomes
| necessary to find some one to take his place.
| Thus the Belgian steps in, and once In he ID
difficult to dislodge, as his cheaper mode OF Nv
| ing enables him to accept less pay than the
Frenchman. In the Belgian mines reprlsals are
becoming frequent, and rallying flags are borne
| around with the abOminable words, Mort aux
| Francais' In another qLarter-the French mines
| at Carmaux-a working miner has been selected
Mayor Of the town This has created an eX-
traordinary situation, for IL places the wofNm nan
| officially above the manager OF the mine Inc
Mayor has lately shown himself inclined 70 Jpe
at OFFICIAL restraint; he wants two oH-days q
week for performing the duties OF his Mayoraly,
and he wants at the same time to draw his full
salary from the mine. NJ liumblot, the manager,
gave him notice to quit, but shortly after signed
armed mob of miners, who forced an entrance
into his room and pointed loaded pistols at his
head The company have confirmed the as
missal Of their too ornamental workman and have
reinstated the manager They complain that the
miners want to dictate how the mine 10 TO 10
| managed Things are quiet just now. but more
trouhfa IA exnectedr U. "