The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-23
SOME PARTISAN CURIOSITIES
The Bon Marche and the Methods Used
in Conducting Its Vast Business.
Pasteurs Institute for Treatment of Hydro
phobia-The Churches and Hospitals. and
the Place Where Rag Pickers Live.


annually attracts TO itself SO many thou
sands of purchasers from America. should
have In il the largest retail emporium to be
found anywhere in the world. seems to ac-
cord perfectly with the natural fitness OF
things. This Is the Bon Marohe-cheau mar
ket-snd it may safely be said that of all
the objects of interest which Paris shows
with pardonable pride TO it's throngs of adj
miring visitors. this is the ono which exerts
the greatest fascination over the feminine
mind, and the one. moreover. which. from
the fact inst mentioned. has she most de-
pleting effect upon the masculine pocket
hook. We were told at Waiteley's
big store In London that We could
buy there anything from . toothpick
to an elephant IL was also impressed
upon us that if we were in need of such
luxury. the proprietor would take an or
der to supply as with wife. and that to
furnish young men as dancers ct evening
parties, where the male sex would otherwise
be inadeouately represented. was trade
novelty in which that house did quite
q thriving business. We have not dis
covered that the Bon Marche dabbles
in such eccentricities as these.
but it surely offers variety enough.
and what makes ones patronage of
the place peculiarly satisfactory is that In
q city where tradesmen generally seem In
cIined to make you pay well for the mis-
fortune OF not being native, and where
to q very large extent the shops still do
business on the bargain and barter sys-
tenn, this shop stands out as the most con-
spicuous of very few where fixed prices
prevail, where the notice En- gllsh spoken"
does not turn out to be q snare, and where
Americans stand on an equal footing with
Frenchmen at the cashiers desk.
Speaking, however, of the cashiers desk,
and of the PRIVILEGES enjoyed there. re-
minds Us of the curious fact that in Paris
ian shops the system of paying at the desk
is 80 universal that even the Bon Marche
does not vary from 1t. The clerk who
interest, and while one person receives
your psyment. another. not far awsy.
wraps up your purchase, and during
all this time You are etill under the pro-
tecting care of the salesman. who finally
leaves you only when you are In safe pos
session of both your change and your
package, and are yourself taking leave OF
the store. To those who have beer went
to look MP In bewilderment while goods
and money are fly ing automatically across
the ceiling, this Partisan uethod appears
to be oid-fOgy ish and decidedly slow. lou
wonder too. how such dIlly -dallying on
the part of the salesman can ever pay.
But In Europe clerk hire IS SO low
that 1t is cheaper in some cases than labor
saving machinery. and. as to the time con-
sumed, you do not find in practice that IL
la very great, while in stores like the Bon
Marche, the aisles of which are always
removing tho purchaser to another part
when his order has been filled, because by
that means additional room is left for Gus
toners who have yet to be served
ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS.
Like nearly all great enterprises this
big Partisan shop was built up from the
most humble beginnings Its protector
was originally q peddler. Coming to Paris
with little capital, and with that which
was still better. viz, wife who. like most
French women. had genius for business.
he established himself before long in Q
shop forty feet square. and by the new fad
of fixed prices and small profits, he gradu-
ally extended his operations. until the
peddler's pack he carried at his death
W as commensurate with one of the biggest
blocks in Paris. representing fabulous
capital and an annual profit of millions of
francs. For ten years after that his widow
carried on the business. the volume Of trade
still swelling and the profits still piling
up, until, In 1Se5, she also died. the man.
moth peddlers pack falling then upon the
younger shoulders. which. with equal suc-
cess and with increasing gain, are sustain
ing 1t at the present day.
But thereby hangs tale. and one of the
tenderest human Interest," tale which in
these days of big fortunes and little souls
ought to be proclaimed with trumpet voice
in every market place and along every ave.
nue. of commerce. The Bon Marche 10 not
only q big business establishments. but .
grand philanthroplc enterprise. Arlstide
Boncicaut and his good wife Marguerite.
besides leaving the biggest shop IN
tho world, have left to all the world
an example of good works Rarely
gathering enormous profits from Legitimate
trade; and for the lavish and practical way
In which the earnings of this big business
were turned back 70 benefit dependents
and to bless great city. the cOnduct of
eQualed. The principles which gov
erned them were that the first
sharers in their vast success ought
to be the faithful employees who helped to
achieve it. ana that after that they must
which had favored them with its conf
dence and patronage. Hence, princely
bountles at odd times for deserving clerks
and for q large mum Der q partnership In the
concern. Instead Of fines for the infrac-
tion Of trivial rules q trust in tho honor Of
the three or four thousand dependents such
as put every one upon his mettle
and inspired all with love and respect
for the management For the men.
after twenty years of service. and the
women after fifteen years. q comfortable
pension. with all the care of fatherhood
and motherh0od-all the comforts. and
many of the luxuries of q good home
while this pension was being earned. This
for employees; nor has the half been told,
while the city of Paris benefits to the ex-
tent of great central hospital, and q
large poor fund which ministers blessing
In every one of it's twonty ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
PAsTEURs INSTITUTE.
One thing brings up another, and our
reference to the hospital founded by the
Boncicauts reminds Us of another Partisan
curiosity. Pasteur's celebrated institute
for tho treatment of bydrophobia. After
our observations in Paris we do not won
der that incubation against dog
bites had Its origin in this city,
nor that is finds here an annual quota
of from two to four hundred who are
needing to be operated upon: The help
iessness of French femiDlnity is something
enormous, if one may judge from the vast
number of females who seem to require
canine assistance In getting about the
streets. We were confident TALLY assured In
London that many of the dogs in that CITY
find an untimely destination In sausage
meat and one almost wishes that similar
fate, or some other that would lessen their
number perceptibly. might be visited
upon the Same species in Paris. But
here they are so far, in all varieties ana in
the greatest profusion. and here, happily,
is an effectual antidote against their bite.
was 1.559. and the deaths were four. This
In n death rata of only On a fourth mar reot