Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-24
rnn PRESIDENT or FRANCE.
Personal Characteristics and poiit-
IcnI Gnrccr of EcIIx Ennrc.

Personal characteristics and poiit-
teal Career of FcttN Eaurc.
W. Felix Faure, who has recently finished
his frst year as president OF the French
republic, vas born in Paris on January 81,
ISL, says Horper's Weekly. and is there
fore Just entering upon his 56th year. He
is the son Of a furniture maker, and enjoyed
In early life the advantage of a good ele-
mentary education. At the age o; IA he went
TO England. entered commercial school,
learned the English language and acquired a
knowledge Of business methods Two years
later he returned to France and settled at
Amboise. There he took special course in
natural philosophy. chemistry, mathematics
and political economy, and afterward decided
TO engage In the leather business.
ITO trade in leather" he argued, II must
begin by knowing leather, and the best way
to get at this knowledge is to enter a tan
merry" Accordingly he entered NJ. Ounces
tannery at Amboise as comuan workman,
and was placed under foreman. who taught
him the trade He worked there for several
months passing from one shop to another to
study the different processes of manufacture.
NJ. Felix Faure was frequent visitor at
the house of VI. Guinot. well known con-
tractor and builder, and for more than
twenty years senator or deputy. Here NJ.
Belluot a niece OF Nine. Gunot's Certain
newspapers representing an INSCRIPTIONS
political party that hopelessly expects to
overturn the French republic have sought
to impugn NJ. Faure's fines, for the presi-
dency by bringing out the fact that Nine.
Faure was the dowerless daughter of an alb
scondng bankrupt. The tables were, how
ever, in this case completely turned against
those who started the campaign Most
Frenchmen rightly concluded from the outset
hat ipstn nf .t.e 1icnr fba
president, his unselfsh action under the cir
cumstances constituted another reason for
their esteem, and tokens Of sympathy, de-
votedness and respect flowed in from all parts
OF the country to the Elysee palace, whose
occupant is today the most popular, man in
France.
To return to Amboise, where we left NJ.
Faure as working tanner. After serving
as an apprentice for a few months he was
made foreman Then he started on his own
account, went to the river Plate studied the
export leather trade, and finally settled at
Havre, where he opened a warehouse that
soon became ole OF the most important in
the business. When, shortly after the break
ing out of the Franco-Prussian war. Gam
beta was obliged to improvise armies M.
Felix Faure took command of battalion of
militia raised in the department of the Seine
Infe-ieure. ard brave'y cid his duty various
battle fields. After peace was declared he
went back to Havre, resumed his business,
which in time brought him a handsome for
tune.
During his active commercial career NJ
Felix Faure gave considerable care to social
questions. Indeed few Frenchmen engaged
in business have devoted larger share of
their time and attention to the study of those
problems that SO intimately concern the
welfare of the working classes. From 1870
to 1850, and long before he thought of en-
ternng political life, M. Faure was at the
head Of numerous charitable organizations
that had been set on foot by him for the
purpose Of morally and materially aiding the
working people. He had scarcely entered
the Chamber CT Deputies in 1881, when Gam
beta made him assistant colonial minister
which post he held in several subsequent
cabinets. In both the Senate and the
Chamber NJ. Faure proved himself an orator
Of the practical sort in all the discussions of
the most important bills. He was elected
vice president of the Chamber in 1894 and
afterward became minister of the marine in
the first Dupuy cabinet 1t was while he
occupied this post-in which he displayed
high administrative qualities-that he was
elected to succeed M. Cas- mir Perler.
Physically NJ Felix Faure is a handsome
man; he is Of stalwart build and commanding
air. his bearing is extremely elegant he
dresses in good taste and is highly decora-
tive figure at state ceremonials and on ofli-
cia occasions He has always been great
lover of outdoor sports; no one knows bet
ter than he how to sit a horse or manage
piece or a foil at fencing bout. In his
present high position NJ. Faure has not
changed his old businesslke ways. At
whatever time he NAV retire to rest he Is
always up at o'clock in the morning. At
6 his private secretary, military secretary
and administrative clerk enter his study to
take his orders. At he receives the vsits
of the different heads of departments, who
all find it difficult to get accustomed to these
matutinal convocations. His robust health
and v.rile energy never flag, but he tires out
those who work with him. BY his amiabil-
ity, unassuming manners and generosity NJ
Faure at once enlisted popular sympathy
although he never went out Of his way to
court the favor of the crowd, for he dislikes
all sham and putting. He avoids, If he can
anything in the shape of demonstration
When however, during a journey which he
made some months ago in Touraine he VS.
tied Amboise for the purpose of giving a
gold medal to the cid workman who was
once his foreman, and who still belongs to
the Ounce tannery, the entire population
turned out to meet him, cheering him both
as president and nephew Of the late Senator
Guinot, whose memory is cherished in those
parts as a public benefactor.
President Faure is very charitable, and the
few moments he can spare from his official
duties are employed in good works at the
hospitals night refugees infant asylums, dis
pensaries and all establishments that have
in view the relief of the sick and poor
Wherever suffering prevails he Is sure to
be found at some time or other, and in these
unostentat GUS visits he never omits TO leave
an important sum OF money for distribution
among the inmates as souvenir of his call
Most of the salary which he receives as
president is thus given to the needy. In his
charitable work the president has the sympa-
thetic cooperation of Mme Faure and his
youngest daughter, Mile. Luce Faure. The
other daughter Is the wife Of NJ. Rene Berge.