The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-15
How They Hook
Stuff in France

Although we are accustomed to con-
| fer all sorts of pretty nicknames upon
pawnbrokers establishments - ''the
| Poor Mans Bank" or Uncle" in this
country; "The Mount Of Piety" or "My
| Aunt" In Ffance-the business is not
generally regarded as essentially phi
| lanthropic.
| / had an introduction to the courte-
| GUS director, who seems to be almost
as important an official as an under
| secretary Of state in this country, but
I thought my best plan would be to
begin by making acquaintance with
the forrnalities of the place by pawn
ing something as an unknown indi-
| vidual.
Being new to the game, I had some
initial difficulty in finding my way TO
the right part of the huge palace
However, l followed stream of needy
looking people, and felt sure that ]
was on the right track.
A Busy Uncle.
We were soon in a large room, not
unlike the French chamber of depu-
ties on small scale. There were semi
| circular seats facing a high desk,
where an official was speaking ex-
! citedly. The proceedings turned out
to be an auction of unredeemed
| pledges
The front row was occupied by deal
1 CISs WHO were pTON1Q0O WIFI watch
| makers eyeglasses, touch stones and
various chemical tests. Then an idea
| occurred to me that, instead of part
| ing with my own watch I might Sc
| cure something here which would
| serve my purpose. A silver watch
which had. been pawned for 8 francs
was knocked down to me for IL francs
and I was glad to get out of the I'M
savory atmosphere.
| soon made my way into a large
hall provided with pigeonholes and
| turnstiles, like ticket offices at a rail-
| way station.
| Here I had a plentiful opportunity
| of studying human nature and mark
| ing the strange good hunor and alb
| sence Of false shame in all these peo-
pie. I contrasted their manner with
| that of the furtive individuals who
| may be seen darting into doorway
| beneath three brass balls in the
| Strand.
| When I commented upon this after
wards to the director, he seemed to
think it extraordinary that anyone
| should shrink from publicity in the
matter. He said there were private
rooms for those who preferred them,
but that they were rarely used except
for important transactions.
No False Shame.
AS each pledge was given in, the
| paWner received a metal disc with a
number on 1T, like a cloakroom ticket
Then he had to take his seat on
| bench at the back of the hall, or else
! loaf about until his number was call
ed out. The various articles were
handed to some clerks to be valued,
and learned afterwards that whenever
they overvalued an article they were
obliged to make good the difference.
For case of revolvers they offered %
francs.
Then the pawner was told to produce
his papers to prove his identity, as is
always done in the case of a transact
ton of more than 15 francs. He was
| not prepared for this, so the goods
were htanded back to him, and he
passed on, grumbling.
After some fifty minutes I heard my
number called out from another pi-
geonhole. I was offered 6 fraf1essfer
my newly bought watch; but remem-
bering that it had previously been
pawned for eight. tried the expert
ment of demonstrating, whereuppn the
watch was silently handed back to me.
/ However, as I wanted to possess a
ticket and learn exactly how things
are taken out OF. pawn, I concluded to
accept the offer. fA est
1 was asked my name, address and
nationality which were written down
very deliberately on big colored FORM,
AIQ THEN ISdQ Out aIOuu LOT 0ulTy III d
ledger. This was publicity with a ven-e
geance, and / reflected that few Eng
lishmen would care to have their pri-.
waite affairs proclaimed to a crowd in
this way. However, no one seemed to-
mind any more than if they had been
| taking out money from a postoff1ce.
savings bank. -
Bad for the BashfuI. -r;a41cls :
On examining my ticket found that
it was headed, "Republique Franchise,
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite." A variety
of Information was printed upon it.
and learned that had undertaken to
pay 3 per cent per annum for interest,
another per cent for expenses, and /
per cent for compensation" whatever
that might mean; that / must redeem
Cor renew during the next thirteen
months; but that if my pledge were
eventually sold I should be entitled to
receive the difference.
I found the director very willing to
let me see over the establishment, but
when I asked permission to take pho
tographs he refused on the plea that
some pledge might be recognized, and
that the Radical papers might protest
against such a violation of the poor
mans privacy.
passed through one enormous room
after another, provided with endless
rows of shelves extending right up to
the ceiling. Here thousands and thou
sands Of packages were arrayed with
scrupulous neatness, each provided
with a number corresponding with the
ticket and with ledger down stairs. I
was told that the perfection of the sys-
tenn enabled the officials to lay their
hands upon any pledge in the building
in the course of a few minutes.
One Of the rooms was entirely filed
with serried rows of bicycles, not only
huddled in regiments along the floor,
but even hung up in the air in flying
squadrons. I was told that many peo-
pie took advantage of this 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 were mountains of lin
en-, all duly disinfected, and yonder a
veritable forest of umbrellas.
Hoary Pledges.
/ saw one umbrella whose owner had
renewed regularly for forty seven
years, and I was told Of a cotton cur
tain which had remained in pawn from
1928 to 1872. Thirty five francs had been
paid in interest. and at last it was sold
for 5f.
When I came to the more valuable
pledges I noticed that 1 was watched
with great vigilance. had been walk
ing for many minutes between long ay-
enues of packets, each containing Jew
eiry, and labeled with their contents,
and 1t occurred to me how easy it
would have been for me to slip a few
diamond pendants or pearl necklaces
INTO my greatcoat pocket. However.
before doing so, I naturally looked
round, and perceived that two silent
footed custodians were providing be-
nina me. These were multiplied to