The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-26

In Paris They Make No Mess or Fuss and
Waste No Time.


Waste No Time.
New York Sun.
One of the most marked things in Euro
pean cities to the American traveller Is the
frequent evidences Of the employme OF
highly skilled labor upon work which
country. A city official of New York said
o short time ago 1t would be impossible to
keep the streets of New York In q state of
cleanliness and repair similar 10 the boule-
wards of Paris because of the expense,
which the taxpayers would not stand.
ing the taxpayers were willing TO
stand the expense, the needed
number of skilled laborers could not be
found. But in Paris such things can DO
done quickly and skillfully. because a large
force, III indefinitely large force, of highly
skilled laborers may be hired for @ small
sum-. The result is that even the humblest
work Is done with an exercise OF skill ana
intelligence which amazes an American:
When a street or building is TO be repaired
o great force of trained laborers Is gath
cred, the materials for labor come with
them. and the work goes forward swiftly,
quietly, In an orderly manner. with so 1T
tie muss and fuss that paesersby are hardly
conscious that anything Is doing.
An American drinking n small bottle at q
little table In front Of the Cafe de la PAX.
one day last summer, saw an Illustration
of this. As he discovered later on. q gas
plDc lOuE VI uNo Icct DClOW VIC v VI ~
asphalt, not far from the curblng. was in
need Of repair. Toward 10 o'clock q man
with q spade, q ammer aud q chisei ap-
peAred with an assistant. who carried two
great baskets. The two laid down their
tools, and one of them took from one of the
baskets q rope and q number of iron
standards. sharp at tho lower end. Quickly
the men drove these standards into the
asphalt and stretched the rope around
them so that o square space eight feet by
-. l. 3annx
the basket q big placard and leaned ii
against one OF the standards and went
away. The placard was an announcement
that the laborers had permission to take
up the asphalt and repair q Ras-pipe.
The other laborer climbed over the rope
and marked ont upon the asphalt a square
six feet by two and a half. Following this
mark he chiseled through the asphalt. and
when he had separated tho piece inside the
mark he carefully lifted il out and laid 1T
to one side. Then he took his spade and
dug up the gravel aud other stuff that
formed the Immediate foundation of the
asphalt. This material he put into one of
the baskets. Then he attacked the earth
underneath. and soon had his hole dug to
the required depth. with the gas-pipe Ok
posed. All the dirt he had taken from the
hole was in the other basket. If there had
been a fine carpet up to the edge OF the
hole on all sides it would have been only
slightly sprinkled with soil and not at ell
lnJukOus
When he had done he gathered NJ
his tools and looked impatiently up the
street. His faced cleared at once and
broke into a smile of greeting as two labor.
ers. armed with tools and q basket. ap.
peared. He lett them and went away
They were evidently plumbers and under
stood their business. For in almost nc
time at all the plpe was fixed and the
plumbers were standing outside the rope
looking about them. They did not have
long to wait. The laborer who had dug
the hole reappeared and they ven away
He proceeded with the greatest care. bui
very swiftly to put back the Garth and t(
ram 1t down with q hammer he had brought
with him.
Just about the time he began to put bach
the gravel. o roller n engine appeared,
Another laborer climbed over the rope and
helped him with this last work in which
hot tar was used. They laid back the
aud put aside, and filled In the crack,
Then they pulled mp the stakes. and threw
them into one basket and the placard into
the other. the roller passed Ovor the place
two or three times. and then they all wenI
away, leaving no dirt. no muss. and oaly q
square line of o slightly different color
from the rest of the asphalt to show thai
anything had been done. The American
who was watching all this looked at biz
watch. 1t was not quito IL o clock. III
work had been done In about two hours
The street had not been blockaded. Nc
great and %unsightly piles of dirt had beer
thrown MP. the blouses of the laborers wert
as clean when thcy went away as wher
they came. The street was as perfect as Il
it had not been disturbed.