People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-03-23
THE FAKIR IN FRANCE.
PARIS THE HOME OF THE HIGH
- TONED PARASITE.
Bogus Counts and Princes and Their Vari-
Gus Methods Of Working the ParisIans-
How Ambitious American Girls Are
swindled.

Harls week especially to the
American, who, OF all individuals in
the world, knows fake and a fakir
when he sees one. Walk the Paris.
ian boulevards, hob-nob with the
swarm OF guides always on the watch
for unwary travellers, ride on omni-
buses, and chat with the Sergeants
de Vile on their beats, keep your
eye open for heads of music conserva-
tories, and for so-called counts and
duchesses, and you will get an inner
view into the methods and arts of
systematic and scientific taking that
viii! astonish any one but one who
has made the same discovery.
The number OF the parasites who
live upon Partisan society, each year
growing rich, leechlike, upon the
difficult earnings of greener people,
is enormous. They are of both sexes,
OF all ranks and conditions, and prey
alike upon poor and rich, titled and
bourgeoise, says a Globe. Democrat
correspondent.
paris-whither come the rich Of
all Europe and America, with no
object but to see sights and to spend
money, a city with the largest
cosmopolitan population vi shifting
strangers in the worlds the great
camping ground of the fakir, and
here he generally works harder and
displays more ingenuity than the
majority OF those who toll twelve
hours a day at regular trade.
In France there is little OF the
speculation" seen at the doors of
American theaters, where men stand
with punches Of tickets bought
beforehand, and offer the best seats
in the house at fabulous prices. In
Paris, some hours before popular
piece is to be played, a large crowd
collects itself at the entrance and
form what is called a tail. y This
Is a long line of people, twisting in
and out in serpentine curves,
generally between wooden barriers
set up temporarily for the purpose.
Numbers of these fakirs come early
to secure a good place in the tail"
and watch their chance to sell it for
good sum. Many make their living
in this way by two hours standing in
the evening.
In the interior of the theater, az
ter the piece has begun, another
class OF dress-suited fakirs are busy
earning a living in what is known as
the claque. This is a system of paid
applause of which every Partisan is
perfectly conscious, but which seems,
nevertheless, to accomplish its OBJ
ject
The claque consists of number of
hard-handed individuals of this fakir
family distributed through the audi
ence, pit and galleries, who are there
to clap at the appointed time and
lead the cheering, just as the ushers
do at the American football games.
From those dress-suit fakirs it is
only step to the great class of we'll
informed fakirs-men and women
who make their livings, and some
times their fortunes, on the better
class of foreigners, who are dazzled
by their pretensions and fall a prey
to their glib representations. These
heightened fakirs employ means just
as INSCRIPTIONS as those who are out
for smaller game.
A type OF this class is seen in the
so-called "voice culturists.n The
English and American girl with pre-
tensions to musical ability is the
prey.
Paris is constantly filled with girls
who have sung enough at home to
gain, perhaps, a little more than
the average amount of amateur
praise. 1t is not their fault if their
friends talk of Paris and u nightin-
gales career.
At intervals Of year or so these
self-styled teachers find it paying
venture to take trip to the United
States, where with judlcious adver-
Using they cast their bait. Their
business is to discover young girls
with sufficient money and the rudi-
ments Of voice. Then, tinted with
well-directed hattery, they paint in
glowing colors the advantages OF a
course lessons in Paris, and hint at
triumphal debut and an engagement
Mothers are always anxions for a
brilliant future for their daughters,
and seize eagerly at the bait Some
times immense sacrifices are under
gone by parents to gather sufficient
money to enable the daughter to go.
Once in the hands of these fakirs
the poor girl, who generally lacks
voice to begin with. is put through
a useless course OF toll and practice,
and led on by more promises and
false hopes, until her money is gone.
Sometimes the course of practice
imposed by thess teachers makes
the voice break down entirely, and
the girl goes home all the more
despairing and heart-broken because,
believing that but for the misfor-
tune she might have become a great
singer.
Last of all, and easily king of all
the fakirs, is the bird of brilliant
plumage, who takes unto himself a
title and drinks the hospitable wine
of the Parisians themselves.
For with all their boosted keen
ness there are, possibly no people in
q I.