Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-05-23
QUEER TRADES.
HOW SOME PEOPLE TAKE ODD WAYS
TO EARN A LIVING.

There exist many odd trades con.
ceruing which the most absolute igno-
rance prevails on the part Of the public
some Of them have been carried on Tor
generations In obscure corners aud only
come to light by chance, while Others
are Of recent origin, resulting from the
pressure Of the struggle for existence,
Dickens had a faculty for discovering
these curious calllngs, and loved to
crowd them Into his books, but when 10
"Our Mutual Friend" he described Mr..
Venus as an "srtlculator OF human
bones" there were some who said he
had carried the thing too far, believing
that no such business could exist. But,
as q matter OF fact, there lives In Phila-
delphla an old Frenchmsn who has fol-
lowed this same trade for over u quarter
Of century. The sign board over his
door bears the simple legend "M. de
BlsnQue, Parfumerie." lie runs this
little shop principally as q dec0y for he
has found Il necessary to ply his queer
trade ''on the quiet" In rear room
the walls are decorated with skeletons
In all sorts Of grotesque positions. -Four
hideous skulls grin from the posts OF the
bed, and close by stands skeleton with
arms outstretched, doing duty as n
clothes rack, the room being liz by n lamp
made ola skull which IL suspentle from
the ceiling with throngs OF tanned
human hide. When the Knights OF
Pythia. were organized some years sgo,
the demand for skeletons increased, ss
they were used to great extent In the
lodge rooms. DE Banaue prospered, as
A consequence. Tie price of skeletons
varies according TO their degree Of hard
ness and whlteness. The genuine I'M
nor,ed article coats anywhere from $50
IN aus and the domestic $40, but
the tr,de Ia about lost TO this country,
beca,,se they can set up a skeleton 40
much che,ner In France. There are
"id dN,a.,h 40, ler. who sell the nrodu,t of
msnv s.h,n~ laws m these srticuIntors
sor =. mnch .s n dollar n ouart. They
h.vs ~ often 70 buy more than thl. to get
= tooth 10 suit. Tor "A skeleton with u
full set of teeth Is worth half again its
value otherwise.
Jennie Wren. the dolls dress-maker,
.no,her of Dickens creations, has many
IIyiny renre.entatiyes. but their wages
ar. disgr,csfnIIv mean. One large firm
,,,nj nsrs b,t twentv. Ave
o., ~ ,.a .,,oin:o, :. b,,,,reJ dozen
All, All % a,m. % H. ci"s belnv nroylded nv
,ha @ .orrar .hn nina clears barelv AZ
. VIZ "o' r", aIIi,s ,ha.. arm. with
49, ss..an", .h,.h has aIso m be nroyIded
hr ,ha ~orrsrs the oir,s get seventy.
a. Wy h,ndr.d So,e, Those WIN
Nv. ~ on ,h. aaIIs. hssds s,ufr the fiOures
snd NJ sss s on the clothes are Maid five
.ar,s ns, io,en an mat even the most
'..,,..P emo, .ss,lv manage 10 earn
s.., sa',,, % an os,,s q J.v M Ri. occuna-
.,msn'S,,o wv, NV, S Sarm., -, ,nw ,con,Int.
',on. ,,',c,n I,,a".,o. S;raa, h.sa-
'', anse 'u,us " ,..,.I,v % !. m.s,n. wicker
men. Mnose 81, spJI,' ,,"' ia saiis Them ta
s.e snu .'h.,,as.,o.s t ' nnd the bnIt of the
usoS',n, ,ao ~, r.sahs. tne nuhljc during
@ @Sns,s,u,,. vser Jie receives thlrty-sIs
do,,.rs q .ros. for the.e chairs. and is
lila ,o mste ,hout three dozen a day.
W., .ss.d him whv no didn't make
,.in.. n o.. a I,.. .,rown foiIs- mo referred
.'k III H., ,.s,nry wbers he was once
'ioa.S .ao ~ h .sr,ng % that In biv things the
.mp,vy y, o,,rs.. o cooniJ .nSer.cll him
So s@ain I know Ola Frenchman and
b,s wife Who came over TO New York
no, Ionv .vo and beean the mauufac-
,mre M ,hose chenille monkeys that one
@ ssas In In ,ow ~ s,ore.' The man WAS a gen.
,n. T., ~ hts .sr with n half ward of
'as 'ns.a,, ~ ,' ;,. .na ,hre.a and n few
.nen"e, q "s s a.1 sa ,.",',t ,nr, nm,
oiack oeaus Io' e..s, .,rn, nu % so iiSs. .iirs ,ba,
~ 'en III ,u'uu ',,. III ,ns Thesa mo
wouia ueeeNo .o .i,.. ran.,n.
eusu n, a. so oou,. tU ,n ,,sr,er aud spn,s.
.on ,1.. ny M, W.. .ooS hms,nes. Ije was
liz s,;E,n.isr mr. ~ @. .n,,ter. The
ot,ss;y ot,s.; Ia. r. o,s M she most ON.
nwo%m .,n.,o -, H., and ons M the most char
rous@ s,'.,. @ ~" " I.Jn.,r, has snf,srad
ae.e,sN ',,,,. so.,,' ,h. IL, rn.,,c,ion M
,Vus'u! ~ .! hsh r.a,,is ri,. .r,n,,ed
ash-oaIreIs, Mh'Gn Mo,vsus sap ~,
every mCIn,ns, w. .., mnaS No hUo $500. %
Oh ,uoo'sh = SUI, .,owI ,a o 49," -, late
anu .he ."yo""h ~ III, n,orn \, hand
I'1urs ,.n ~. y, VIZ "H ,s h.er and the
WIN & nas casn. ,,,. ,',h,h on m ,s ,nrn. oxer The
Ions nooA Nv. III, 'm ,n.m 80 .nv r.snsc IN
'eIuso. m0 WI ,na,,,ns ont M II
.r acvoui' IN s.a .m. us uns 80 ~ooI nuai,,v arr
nu', am VIZ rass,,sh ,nsrrs, rha french
Aep, io' u'o n.s"" .r,.s ,.,nni.,,
retaiu'ng onIy .ne .',.ta
rags, unravelea anu ea'ueu, ~. ." ~,
into eneap goous uc ,.u uo. .sa ,,"s y"
the rIeneh ar,ny' ~, INSANE, ~, % 10, % ,hs
.sa.'sna sInsu ,a'T a., o"P, M,nor SIN yags
no.sauH ",sn ~ ~. @ s.'~a manner are need for
,n. .u ''a.,a,n. iI &c ~ vsrlons artiele.' Bottles
.,,c "us s,ndss sna ~ chin, ~ots are hIyhIv
,", an n n.i,m han.b, from the
sPp.ev,a'eu, .h".na Tho Js.i I'm ,,ruv-
csVcAeS ~! % ," ha ".sd f,r frand.
g,u .upp,, Ola nisy.bill. or sd-
us.'...,.n,s ara nounde,I nm for p,ste-
vertisemsnts s.o po.nu.u .ras W ra 10 sol'i IN
ooaru' Helaps "a P.Sa into nuin
paper-lnakcIs, aua ".o ~. M s,,h,,c liz l., rhe r,hse
anu aSash p,vseu.." ',s... wb,I. ~ ,hs bones that
ciean ' Mm,o s.,,', s ,,," % .hs streets after
sa. arg .n,oMm n,,sn.I JA ana % nn,,sJ,cJ are used
oe'ns ys .,,Ins ~" se Ill NJ mn srr.t.vsr,,ens.
nn, lot en.'ens u"v sv w,inshIa. ofssn ths.
om uuy s arr. ,.i,L .sr,h and
ehVonn's. ...s, ms ,,us ,s,.r. s :" h,,id a wall
uses 'ns,Ii 'AS u'Nn W o.arr ,m,sin'
sapporlnx Nv. ., u.Iuo y. .ssn os hr ;hosa rho
aole isIuse, % msy .,s,t an. .sc,,e. des
nave tns cu,'os'y ,.s.a " ,hsw % con,,eosts en-.
ehlnonn'v,,s ms, ns".s Wiz s i'bs INGENUITY
cimpeI p,nh IN ~. % Hrsnch make somethIns
WV, Win - wnsr ,hs n,os, & honeless rubbish IA re.
.s,s ou, =. s.' '" Thsv mali old cans. hoo,,.
nsnso'o., nsI .,Ssy Ell, NJ the d".t-,art.
sna sn,, mouiS sdS Them Them Into w,ndow.welri,i,,