The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12
STREET CRIES OF PARIS.
To an American or Englishman They
Are Always Interesting.

Paris Letter i'm Detroit Free Press.
The street cries of the wandering traders
and workmen of Paris are always interest
ing and sometimes amusing. The most
numerous OF these perambulating mer-
chants are the so-called ''marchands des
quatres saisonS (mercnadts of the four
seasons), because they always have fruits
and vegetables for sale at each season of
the year, and their merchandise, of course
varies according TO the season; they cry
in shrill tones, they push their little
handcarts in front of Them, variously;
sometimes il is "Voila DIES prunes, des bon
mes prunes' or, VOLTA de naricots verts
bcnset frais!' ''Des tomatoes six sous lie
liver,' or. ''voici des cerises, des cerises
fraiches!' and so on indefinitely.
Every morning there comes through the
street on which l live one or more buyers
OF secondhand clothing; sometimes it is a
man, sometimes woman, but always bear
ing huge bag slung over the shoulder,
and always yelling, "Marchand d'habits I!
Marchand d'habits.'' Then ne watches al,
the windows along the street until some
one pokes out head and signals to the old
clothes man to come up and cheat him
usually IL is her that does the selling
and is certain to be cheated in the transac-
ton. for the Paris marchand d'habit is a
very able trader the past master of his
order. To get ahead of Rim you must rise
very early in the morning.
Just now a fellow down below is yelling.
f'Tondeur de chiens. Tonieur de chiens!'
winch means tnat ne StaveS and shears
dogs This is quite a profession by itself
ia Paris. There are so many "griffens''
here, what we call French poodles," and
they have such thick, long fleece almost
like that of a sheep. that they have to be
shorn often, and fashion demands that il
shall be done in a certain way-with all
the fur left on around the neck and Shout
ders, the body sheared very close, a little
tuft left on the tip end Of the tail. and lit
tie anklets or rings of wool just an inch
or. two above the dogs hoof. ''toutou'
clipped in this fashion is ridiculous Look
ing animal. There always seems to me a
ccmical incongruity between the two ends
of the beast; the forward end has a very
uon-like aspect, almost formidable and
savage, whilst the hinder rarts 6wincle
down into decidedly tame beast, and the
legs, with their little anklets. give the cur
the appearance of wearing pantalets.
Once when a Yankee friend of mine was
studying such a freak dog freshly clipped
he made me laugh by remarking: ssWaII.
now! He's the darndest looking dawg 1 ever
saw! now amt hep That's just what |
thought, too.
Another bowling dervish has come be-
meath my window and he is yelling March
and de tonneauxi marchand de tonneauxi 80
which means that he buys empty barrels
wine casks, kegs, etc. He seems a persis-
tent cuss, for l never yet saw him buy
even so much as a wine cask in our street
and yet he comes through il every day
regularly and always yelling "Marchand
de tonneaux!'
The newsboys and newsmen shout their
papers all the afternoon and most of the
night, and their usual cry is: "Demandez
Ia Patrfe, hernandez ia Paixi''N s'De-
mandez lie Journal or 'Voici lie F'igaro,''
etc, varying the cry according to the news
paper that employs them For IL is GUS
tomary here for each leading paper to have
its own street vendors who sell as they 90
through the streets. On the kiosoues and
at the little boitiques. where newsps ners
are sold. everyone of the Paris daily OF
weekly journals will be. found. but it Is
rare to find a hawker of newspapers who
has copies of more than one journal They
offer in this respect from our American
newsboys, who, OF course, sell each MANY
different newspapers.
1t Is also rare TO hear any newsbov IN
Paris tell anything that his paper contains
They are not like the London boys that MOI
only spread a sheet of bill paper on the
pavement I'm front of them with all the
leading head lines printed on it. but also
yell constantly: "Hextryi 'eres yer hextrvi
hall the varible details, Drefful haxident
Hextryw
know thing that his paper contains: he
simply bids you hernandez la Patriep
etc. Perhaps his method is Just as GOOD
as the Londoners, or as ours, / don't
know
A novelty in advertising r. being pushed
quite vigorously here at present Literall,
pushed, for ii consists of string of hand
carts. each pushed along through the
streets and each surmounted by a large
frame covered with cheap cotton on which
are daubed the pictorial lads" that catch
on so well here. This very moment such
handcarts are going by. and each one bear.
a series of portraits of living celebritie.
al. busily engaged in shaving with NJ
Somebody's Celebrated Safety Razor
Among these portraits. all OF which arr
horrible. are those OF Kaiser Wilhelm
Henri Rochefort. the President OF the
French Republic. the Prince OF Wales. tn,
Car OF Russia and others.