The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-08-30
A CURIOUS STRIKE.
The Beggars OF a Roumania City
Organized to Some Purpose.
When Forbidden by the Police to Beg
They Resort to Ways That Are
Still More Dark to Gain
Their Ends.


Blessed is the lard that has no his
tory is a modern proverb, the truth
of which is not likely to be contested,
says a writer in the London Telegraph;
and for the past few years Roumania
has acquired the right of considering
itself foremost among these privileged
countries. No political event of any
note has been chronic1ed here during
that time, and people mind or neglect
their own business as the spirit moves
them, without fuss or worry, leaving
their neighbors to do likewise. The
smooth course of this beneficial but
humdrum monotony was broken lately
by an occurrence, vouched for by a
well-informed journal of this city,
which, if not precisely calculated to
usher in far-reaching changes in the
sphere of politics, is at least interest
ing enough, by reason of the light it
throws on economic questions general
Iy and ON the ethics of strikes in par
ticular. Incredible as it may appear,
the strike on this occasion was planned
and carried on by the Guild of -
Beggars, 1t should be promised, how
ever, in order to understand the FEAST
bility of such seemingly mad notion,
that the largest contingent of mendi-
cants in this happy kingdom is fur
nished by unregenerate gypsies, who
are as black uncivilized and isolated
here as they were in their native land
long centuries ago. They are a very
hands to almost anything, and can
turn almost anything toward their
hands; so that it is considered some
6
society on their part that they humbly
beg for what they might easily appro-
pirate if they had mind to. Now,
one of the finest streets in all Buchar-
est is the Calea Vittoriei, which ex-
tends the entire length of the city,
from the Dimbovitza quay to the Ixis
seleff road. It boasts two churches,
one theater, several hotels, govern
ment offices, the royal palace, the prin-
cipal clubs and the most attractive
shops, the boulevards being situated on
either side of the street.
This fashionable thoroughfare was
the favorite beat of the beggars, some
of whom are known to have smade a
fortune and retired from the business, -
as French advertisements put it, in a
few years. The street literally
number went on increasing. You
could not go to your hotel, take glass
of wine in a restaurant or enter a
church or theater without running the
gauntlet of score or more of impor-
tunate beggars. People at last began
to complain, and the prefect of the po-
lice admitted that it was an eyesore
which must at all costs be removed.
He therefore issued an order peremp-
torily prohibiting beggars from ply
ing their calling" in Calea Vittoriei or
any of the streets which intersect it.
The members of the indignant frater-
nifty at once put their heads together
and resolved to strike, and for twenty
four hours there was not a beggar to
be seen OF heard in Bucharest, and
great was the consequent joy of the
dwellers in the west end of this capital
thereat
Meanwhile one of the guild called on
the prefect and requested an audience,
which was granted then and there.
He explained that his brethren had
sent him to express their regret that
any such ill-advised measure should
have been taken against them, seeing
that they were so popular with the
wealthy classes. Besides, if we are
not allowed to take up our old position
in the Callea Vittoriei,'' he added, 1--WE
shall feel compelled to continue to
strike" This threat ticlxled the fancy
of the police prefect, who laughed out
right and said: ''Then strike away,
my good man! You will all the sooner
become profitable members of society,"
Its now that we are useful members
of society," rejoined the spokesman of
the mendicants. Every gentleman
and lady who gives us a ley (tenpence)
or few banis "a bani is a tenth part
of a penny feels insured, as it were,
against tenfold losses in other ways.
Your own policemen will confirm what
say. You understand me- We can
pull through nicely enough without
aims, God be praised, but it will be a
positive loss to the almsgiving classes
if we go out on strike. We can turn
our hands to other things without any
painful efforts. Believe me, L am act
ing in the interests of society" The
prefect all at once became thoughtful,
and, disnissing the eloquent advocate
of the poor, said he would give the
matter his careful. consideration And
he fulfilled his promise, for before the
shades of night had fallen the police
reported a large number of complaints
lodged by private individuals, whose
watches, gold chains, silver, handlxer-
chiefs and filled purses had been alb
stracted, they knew not by whom,
how or where. A dazzling light is said
to have dawned upon the projects
mind, and early the next morning the
chief of the gypsy beggars received an
intination that their demands would
be complied with, and that the sooner
they returned to work the better.
Since then people give aims in the
time-honored way and have no further
losses to complain of. A beggars'
st.r.iIrs. rraioclnt ,oossilnl1z he n hc,or, s,