Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-12
UP THE SPOUT IN FRANCE.
How Thsy Transact Business 1T the
Sign OF the Tnree Brass sails in Paris.

brokers establishments--"the Poor Mans
Bank or Uncle" in this country; The
Mount of Piety' or MY Aunt" in France
the business Is not generally regarded as
essentially philanthropic.
| had an Introduction to the courteous
director, who seems to be almost as i'm
portant an official as al undcr-secretary
of State in this country, but | thought my
best plan would be to begin by making
acquaintance with the formalities of the
place by pawning something as an I'M
known individual.
Being new to the game, / had some ini-
tial difficulty IN finding my way to the
right part of the huge palace. However.
l followed Il stream of needy-looking peO-
pie, and felt that 1 was on the right
track.
We were soon in a largo room, not I'M
like the French Chamber of Deputies on
u small scale. There we're semi-circular
seats facing n high desk, where an ofi-
cial was speaking excitedly. The pro-
cecdings turned out to be an auction of
unredeemcd pledges.
The front row was occupied by dealers,
VINO were provided with watch-makers
eyeglasses, touchstoncs. and various che
mical tcsts.Thcn an idea occurred to me
that instead of parting with my own
watch, 1 might secure something here
which would serve my purpose. A silver
watch which had been pawned for ST. was
knocked down to me for IF, and | was
glad to get out of the unsavory atmos-
pherc.
| soon made my way into a large hall
provided with piS,on-holes and turn
stiles, like ticket Offices at a raliway sta
ton.
Here | had a plentiful opportunity of
studying human nature and marking the
strange good humor and absence of false
shame in all these people,. i contraSted
their manner with that of the furtive indi-
viduals who may be seen darting into a
uUVi way beneath three brass balls in the
Strand.
When | commented upon this afterward
to the director he seemed to think 1t ex-
~trdUrdinary that any one should shrink
from publicity In the matter. lie said there
were private rooms for those who pre-
ferred them, but that they were rarely
used except for important transactions.
NO FALSE SHAME.
AS each pledge was given in. the pawn
or received a metal disk with a number
on it, like n cloak-room ticket. Then he
had TO take his seat on a bench at the
back of the hail, or else loaf about until
his number was called out. Tho various
articles were handed to some clerks to be
valued, and | learned afterward that
whenever they overvalue an article they
are obliged to make good the difference.
For a case Of revolvcrs they offered IF.
Then the pawner was told to produce
his paper to prove his identity. He was
not prepared for this, SO the goods were
handed back to him, and he passed on
grumbling.
After some fifty minutes | heard my
number called out from another pigeon
hole. | was offered Of, for my newly
bought watch but, remembering that it
had previously been pawned for ST, |
tried the experiment of remonstrating
Whcrpnnnn the watch was SILENTLY hand
cd back to me. However, as | wanted to
possess a ticket, and learn exactly how
things are taken out of pawn, | concluded
to accept the offer.
] was asked my name, address, and ma
tionality. which were written down very
deliberately OF a big colored form. and
then read out aloud for entry in a ledger
This was publicity with a vengeance. and
| reflected that few Englishmen would
care to have their private affairs pro-
claimed to a crowd in this way. However,
no one seemed to mind any more than if
they had been taking out money from a
post office savings bank.
BAD FOR THE BASHFUL.
On examining my ticket | found that it
was headed 'RepubliQuc Franchise. Lib
crtc. Egalitc, Fratcrnite.' a variety OF
Information was printed upon it, and |
learned that | had undertaken to pay 5
~ ''llN l'l ~ ~ - -
CT 3 per cent for expenses, and / per cent
for compensation" whatever that might
mean; that ! must redeem or renew dur
ing the next thirteen months; but that
if my pledge were eventually sold |
should bo entitled to receive the differ
ence.
found the director very willing to let
me see over the establishment but when
asked permission to take photographs
he refused on the plea that some pledge
might be recognized. and that the radical
papers might protest against such Il viO-
lation of the poor mans privavy.
| passed through the enormous room
after another, provided with endless rows
OF shelves extending right up to the cell
ing. Here thousands and thousands Of
packages were arrayed with ~Scrupulous
neatnesS, each provided with a number
corresponding with the ticket and with a
ledger down stairs. / was told that the
perfection of the system enabled the Off
cials to lay their hands upon any pledge
in the building in the course of a few
minutes.
one of the rooms was entirely filled with
serried rows of bicycles, not only hud-
died in regiments along the floor, but even
hung up in the air in flying squadrons.
| was told that many people took advan-
taSe OF his method of warehousing their
bicycles and many other bulky objects at
a very small cost. AS far as possible
everything was classified. Here were
acres OF sewing machines, there mountains
of linen. all duly diSinfectcd. and yon-
der "A vcritable forest of umbrellas.
IIOARY PLEDGES.
I saw one umbrella whose owner had
renewed regularly for forty-seven years,
and | was told of IA cotton curtain which
had remained in pawn from lSGS to 1872.
Thirty-five francs had been paid in inter
est. and at last it was sold for 81.
When | came to the more valuable
pledges / noticed that | was watched Will
great vigilance. ! had been walking for
many minutes between long avenues OF
packets, each containing Jcwclry, and la
belcd with their contents, and it occurred
to me how easy it would have been for
me to slip Il few diamond pendants or
pearl necklaces into my greatcoat pocket.
However, before doing so. ] naturally
lent-footed custodians were proving be-
hind me. These were multiplied to three
or four when | reached the strong rooms
underground. where the most valuable de-
posits are kept locked up within iron
doors of enormous strength. | was told
that no less than Gao,0G) was advanced
on one pledge the other day.
To sun up the difference between the
French and English system Of pawn
broking, | may conclude that while my
aunt" Of Parts is more generous and
fussy, my uncle" of London is harder
and more business likc.-Iicrbert Vivian
in IOnIop Exprpsa