The sun., 1902-06-01
COMRADES ON FRENCH BENCH
4 SUMNER COuPtNl 10 EE SEEN
~ BtSHJNGTON SQt tRi.
Wanderers trom All 0,rr In u ->o' Much
Noue,. INT Abundance of 1R,eS
to-oprraiion In Drinks ard Lodging

grass plp, Ia the right ~ you enter IA"
mark from Fifth avenue has heCn occupied
during the warm months G.mn-' cSc.u-
sivrl, by freurhmen.
Thc-, pancher-, to iudge from appearance.
are hot In prosperous circumstance. and.
inderd. one ~ them was heard 10 remark
the other day. Hard luck seems - -rCd
us all her. sooner or later \ few natives
of Frauc sit N other parts u the park
and regard with severe dslpproNaI the
regular occupants of tho fr"uch bench.
! holding them. whether with justice or not,
~ drunkarc- and mdutuis suysis
Whatever their character. thCy certainly
! have the saving grace of urqucnchabl"
gayrjy H. IN" gathering vii he found
walters cooks BARRIERS. ship stewards
and sailor. but hcy are all alik" IN nu"
way. namely that every one 81 them seems
4 90 hav. 'rn,r,iri extensively, aui nearly
all speak several languages
few ol them call one another by their
Christian names hut the majority are
named from the p.ac, they originally came
from; 80 there are L. Gascon, IL" Mar
-eillais. -MiriuuiIue" ami =" forth. Last
summer -N1rt,niQGe- WIS a prominent
sitter. hut tLl~ year he has not b-'en seem.
A. the time II the eruption of Mont Pe.s'
which caused intense interest, there were
many inquiries for him, but no on" seemed
"a know h.S whereabouts For some reason
nr other he had a strong dislike To boing
cal,si Martinique and upon one occa-
sion threatened man with knife II The
offence war repeated
All through the summer months these
men sit chatt.rIng like magpie-, and though
Z hey are mostly dressed IN IN. poorest
/ fashion It i- but rarely TIM one Of them
gueS ,o work Ias' summer -Nartluique-
vas met once ~ 'vlCc on Sixth aNruua
acting A. "A sandwich man, and occasionally
! ore or 'wo ~ the others would disappear
! FOR while, ard from the Cunver~it ION
, one i-aru"t thai Il Breton or -AuSGste-
| had a Job on Canal strsci or elsewhere.
When pay day cotusr around th" worker
! never iai!- ." show up and irNIt" all hands
/ 90 fak" drink AZ = "Np"n~e This luvl-
! 'a'tnE IL ALWAYS accepted IN such a matter
o.-'act vav thai u -."ms quite possible
| that they take turns or draw lots A. to
| Who shall 60 go vufk pn th" understanding
| that ~" worker lall iruN after a." oh, r.
ON" thing t- certain, that when on" Il
/ them has "A room he always shares " with
~ many ut Ii~ fellow u..nchar~ ~ can
| crowd INTO u and j. frequently dI~pu--.'~e'i
| on that aCcuNu' II YOU met one II tho
/ crowi IN N" street ~ winter hr j. gen
orally -mart"n-i up and n"atl, dress.~i
.h the -tIUHt"f that they ar" iuie
4 fiNorite toIi' with them l. 20 compare
the different countries and cities thpv have
| b'sn IN with America and New York; on
one point they ar" unanimous. namely
| that So far A. American cities are con
! c-rnei. New York l- as far ahead ~ anv
a- Paris Is ahead Of every other ci'y in
| the world.
IA 10 the r'--pectivr merits n New York
and London there l. some difference of
! a. To-.
rather work for So a w,--k in London than
| for 30 here. What li- opinion j. worth
| NAV h. Judged irum ms statement that
! the horses of the NV York firo Depart
rnent are a. goats conn ary-i with tie London
! hr,' hOr-- Words failed him to chpr-ss
! the superiority OF the London bobby
| over the New York policeman and he
was almost fearful IN his description ~
the gentle treatment accorded To a London
| drunk
OF cour-c, tho eternal feminine is an
| other favorit. topic and II u a fact-whcther
| rcgrettah.. or tho reverse depends on The
| way you look at It--'aat "a" American
woman Is not popular with the French
| bench
Another never-failing source ~ chatter
and amusement u furnished by the small
mffortunt-- Of th'ms.iv.s and Others,
! which ara always productive 81 much
Laughter AMI m"rrt;neut. They never
heeitata - tell JOKES On Themselves the
i
a. hls hearers Al n is this unntgglng
CAVITY which Is the most striking cAaTac-
| tcristc oi all their conversations
| Political events - tn. day do not inter
| est thein. at least those Of America DO not I:
| but they still kcep up a lively interest IN,
! Franc and all that goes on there Their
| excitement over IA. Dreyfus trial vas
inten~a To a man they believed firmly
Ia Dreytuss guilt. Their love and admir-
| alton of their own arrly Of which thew
in al N.
by their admiration Of the Borr troops
and fierce hatred % the British soldiers
and their acts IN South Africa
The pet 81 the b-nch - old Matthew.
! nondescrIr' dog. which walks on three
, leg- and. Ike Daudets hero, - called Jack
with the English pronunciation In spite
OF several notice- in the park which rad.
! No dog- allowed a. large Jacs always
has full FREEDOM and IL j. Natthi"u's boast
I that on several occa-ions when his pet
| has not been home al nicht. q has been
found In the morning seated on IN" French
bench waiting for ~ master.
IL has Teen said that thorr Is another
! class Of French residents who frequent
the park and who hold thomselves aloof
| from the merrymakers on the French
bench. VI Jean and his close friend, Mime
Smith, may b" taken as typical up there.
VI Jean, now more than 30 has been
! here ever since hs was young man. when
! he worked IN a bakery, and out o! his earn
70 rest in his old dav- lie Is rcputed To
I have quite a larRa bank account
This old man lives hv himself in a small
! room where he do.'s all his own cooking
AMI hous"work. AMI IN the fail he NAV
b. met anv dav carving IN his shoulders
boards and wood of cvory description
/ for winter fu.i II il his boast that he
never asks charity, though h. adds nAivcly.
] II an one offer mo ANYTHING ! do not
refuse What lis neal cot him NAV
1 be- gathered from 'Ae fact that ~ posi-
| lively refused 10 believe th" statement
I Of an acquaintanc" Who said h. had paid
| a. much a. 81 cents foT a M al m a res'au-
] rant
I Nine Smith IN 'he other hand. docs
4 not believe IN s'irring herself She il a
plump, Comforta ifl"-look white-hnir"d
willow She has putv.-d two husbands
the second 90 whom i"f' her euf'oi"nt
90 live comfortably v'aou' cyrtting herself
TO work
ono" q year she Visits tho grave q Mr
Smith which sha cD,orI'"- with flowers,
never falling 20 d"'anl o.! VI Jcan IN her
return u ir thinks her 49, - devotion was
OTIS. rval uv Ter d'ar hlsi and II" "awo
of tho ure' husband. WHO J Q nothing,
- nrv'r mentioned nor % his grave, v herr
o. sv,- 'har NAV 10. evsr El.lfsI.
Ht t..s IT,. q -