The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-12-02
POWER OF NATION
SApPEO BY DRINK
France Suffering from Con
sumption Brought On by
Over indulgence.
EFFORT TO SAVE PEOPLE


Because Their Husbands Spend
Too Much Time and Money
Drinking Their Liquors,
Pane l.anday in chicago Tribune
every Monday nowadays French po-
lice n noatds of health reuew the
cards of Warming JclHuS in big letters
that 81 per cent of all cousumpttNes
acquire the disease through misuse OF
alcohol, n from every street conner
the CHASTITY legend stares one in the
face, Yet tuberculosis is killing off the
unskilled laborer OF Paris at a more
rapid rate than ever, and if the pace
continues for ten years no one will be
left to remove to an early grave. MI
who visited the City of Light know the
lusty "traNaiileul,R Il colossal figure
for France head attached to a stocky
neck. proudly thrown back C~yclopean
hands, resting ON sWaying hips; the
blue blouse aud overwide grayish
brown %velvetiue trousers. blown out
balloon shape-1he descendant of sans
culottes, who played ninepins With the
heads of kings and aristocrats, delights
in using five times Is much stun for
his trousers (culottes) as the ordinary
rum of men.
The unskilled laborer OF Paris is n
IlllNIAiit ~ -ilillsAiAs - AAN u
German lAlsatian), or Freneh-Belgian
blood. Muscles are his strong point,
and since Zola's "Germinal' mao him
famous he is no small factor in poll
tics. He votes socialistic, but is an
evolutionist rather thar 9 revolution
list. Socialism has to come he says,
I'VE can wait
NO socialistic meeting Is without a
travailleur of two decorating the plat
form. and a hundred or thousand in
the audience, but as to Legislation on its
behalf, he despises it. May the factory
hand, the jo~urneynlan carpenter, mason,
smith. bricklayer. and artisan in gener-
al enjoy the eight noun day, the heavy"
worked hard to obtain it for him, but
as for his own sweet self he be
free to labor az he %pleases. He rises
with the first cocks crow and rides to
the street, building in curse of con-
struction, or shop which has been lucky
enough to secure the services of his
mighty muscles. When it gets dark
down goes spade or hammer, and the
heavy enters upon his career of UNI
restrained enjoyment, or what he calls
enjoyment.
Falls Before Green Fairy.
The heavy" seldom reports later
than 6 q. m. Then follows three hours
of steady work at so many confines,
for the travailleur is paid by the hour
At 9 sharp, first breakfast-the dish
water and rolls he had at home do
not count. This meal is invariably
taken at a liquor dealers or cafe and
consists of an omelette. cheese and
bread, coffee with ognac n a few
green fairies" lovingly called mo-
minette."
The green fairy is undoubtedly the
worst poison ever sold without a pre-
scription; the gin that fifty years after
Its discovery Gin l64S) nearly wrecked
the manhood and womanhood of old
England, would ppea to be harmless
In comparison. True, Paris taphouse
keepers do not invite the public Ito
get drunk for Il penny they do not say
on their si~gnhoards for 2 pence you
may get dead drunk, ne charge for
straw but the quality of absinthe
sold to the poorer classes is pregnant
with alcohol and creosote: the heavy
knows it, yet swears that he ann
find his equilibrium until he has at
least two or three glasses m board.
He returns to work at $50 or 9:45, but
usually only half an hour is deducted,
as the foreman. who may have political
aspirations and besides is as much add
dicted to the poison as his men, in
clines to shut his eyes.
Drunken Sleep at Noon.
The second u is at u. Paris
knows not the professions of womel-
and children bringing father his din
ner; the dinner pail itself is unknown
here. and the workman who carries
sandwiches with a bottle of wine to
his place of employment is ridiculeG
and Stunned as a sneak" The ave
age heavy" spends the noon hour a
the alcoholic restaurant. sitting on tht
sidewalk If the weather. is fine. at Other
times In the liquor-preSnant baseinen'
or cellar. The good natured %braggar
squats at one of the low tables, max
ing as much noise as a hall full o
American socialists. Boisterous tall
and laughter, singing, fellow workmer
railing at FAC other, Joking with thu
waitresses-no harm in that. TIL,
menu is good and cheap, Offering
great variety and plenty of everything
put the quart of wine that goes Will
the meal, added to the cognac and tw,
fees to unfit our giant for work. II
must needs throw himself on a stool
or sand hill for half an hour or NOR
to sleep off the effects of the liquor.
In New York or Chicago, Berlin o
London, Madrid or Liverpool, the
up work. Not so with the heavy" o
Paris. He knows that the foreman
will credit him for sixty minutes afte
noon, and experience a tiendish deligh
IN %prolonging his siesta. Why not, see
ing that the overseer does the same?
NOIh SelGolI DtStIiS DeloIe I.Ao "
1875, and at 3 o'clock the heavy i
so f%atigued again that he must HAY
another drink-absinthe or cognac. o
both. After that more or less stead
work until shutdown.
Always Reaches Home Drunk.
How many absinthes does the aver
age heavy consume during a day
work." | asked u number of foreincI
six to eight, likewise considerable cog
nae. besides a liter or two of win
from sunrise to sundown.' was the an
swer.
That sends him home drunk, {
course?"
"Oh, he goes home drunk all RICH
never fear" replied the knowing ones
not from what he consumes durin
working hours. Remember, the aver
age heavy can accommodate ten INC
minettes' and two liters of wine con
fortably, but when he takes more it
liable to so to his head. Among
hundred unslilled laborers in Pari
sixty at least. indulge in more ever
day in the year. the heavy drawing II
largest wage. 8 francs, thinks nothir
of drinking fifteen morninettes' an