The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-06-15
THE TOILERs OF PARIS.
a Near View OF the Working
Glasses of the French Capital.
A People Who Arc Fond OF wine aud
Song aud Careiess About tho Fu-
tnre = Their Feeling Toward
Society.

In order To study the working classes,
thoroughly M. Henri Lcyret, a literary
man, started business as a marchand
de vim, or publican, In one OF the most
crowded districts of pcris, says a writer
In the London Telegraph. He has en-
bodied his experiences as maslroquet
in book entitled: "En Plein Fau-
bourg," which has lately been pub
lished by Charpcntier. M. Leyret.
after having denounced the bad drink
supplied To the working classes~-not
always through the fault of the public
ans, but, rather, due TO the wholesale
merchants gives Il MS his opinion that
those who live by the sweat OF their
brow have an aversion TO debt. The
bad payers and those who want drinks
challsed up arc the exception, and 1t Is
needless to say that they are the idlcrs,
the loafers and the confirmed drunk
ards. These men neglect no opportu-
nifty OF sponging or Of obtaining drink
on credit, without the least intention
of paying for the absinthc or wine sup
piled To them. AS rule the laborious
people avoid the taverns wherein the
loafers assemble. The author also al
ludes TO a discussion ON Zola which he
overheard. One of his customers, while
gazing at portrait of tho novelist.
maintained that the working classes
had been libclcd in the 'Assommoir. :"
us the workman" asked tho anti
Zolaist, Ito be represented rs an eter-
nal drunlsarG because he drinks glass
now and thcn?" The listeners APP
plaudcd this speech, but another man
stood up for lola, saying that II the
novelist had exaggerated little II was
done Ia the interest Of the working
classes, whose vices were to be attrib-
uted to the bourgeoisic
M. Lcyret met n confirmed absinthc
drinlker of n curious type. This man
was one OF the best carpenters in the
district, and when sober was never ont
of work. For weeks he would refrain
from touching glass of the green
fairy, but, suddenly forgetting his good
resolutions, would launch forth into n
carousc on his favorite beverage, never
going 10 bed until he had swallowed
twenty-four glasses of absinthc, with
copious draughts OF wine in between.
faubaurien workman Is generally
more given to eating than drinking.
He eats meat, IL possible, at luncheon
and dinner, the former meal being the
more substantial. lie is careless
about the future, and looks forward TO
dying straight off when he shall be no
longer strong enough 10 toll.
Abiding 10 the pleasures OF the peo-
pie, M. Leyrct Is glad TO state that
Beranger's songs have not yet lost their
charm for the toiling masses. AS TO
the relations Of the cxes, the author of
"En Plein Faubonrg" says that free
unions are increasing among the work.
ers, domestic arrangements being
made on family basis The girls who
leave their shops and factories for the
Champs Elysecs or the main boule-
wards are, however. Stunned and de-
spised by tho faubouriens. M. Lcyret
concludes his interesting volume by
some observations on the feeling OF tho
working classes toward tho anarchist
and. rcvolutionist movements in their
midst. At present. he points out, ma
terial exigcncies and the necessity of
living keep tho average workman re-
signed, but desire OF revenge Turks in
his breast against society in which he
has % toll without the hope of what he
considers an adequate reward for his
services, and without any security that
after life of labor he will enjoy some
repose with moderate competency.