The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-02-06
LECONCIERGE OFPAR|S
HOW THESE AGENTS OF LAND
LORDS PRACTICE EXToRTloN
When Demands Refused They Resort
to Observation-Disclosures Often
Held fer Several Days to
Punish Tenants.

FuniSh tenantS.
There is, perhaps, no class of indi-
vidual in Paris who is so despised and
so rallied at as the conCierges-unless,
perhaps, 1t be the "coChers" and even
these would only come second on the
list.
The concierge in Paris corresponds
in certain degree to the carefaker of
London flats, but he in no way re-
sembles that worthy and decorative
parsonage. He is the agent of the
| landlord. whose sole interests he is
bound to represent with regard to the
inhabitants of the building. His duties
are to show empty flats to prospective
tenants, to collect the rent four times
! a year for the landlord, and to deliver
| letters three times a day at the door OF
each tenant. Besides this, the con-
cierge must keep the staircase clean,
light the gas in summer and winter
when necessary, and pull the Gordon"
that is to say, press the automatic
| button to open the street door after
dark each time the bell is rung from
| outside.
I he concierge is housed free, and Is
paid by the landlord some nominal
sum, which is, generally speaking, not
sufficient for family TO live upon. For
that reason Monsieur le concierge"
as a rule has some outdoor employ
ment, leaving Madame la concierge
! to reign in the lodge, and, as it is to De
| presumed that the very worst of all
! feminine characteristics are more spe-
| Cially developed in a COncierge's life,
Madame" is far verse than Mon
| sieur."
| She has a perfectly abnormal greed
for tips, and when these things fail
to raise her budget in the necessary
proportion, she makes 1t her business,
! by fair means or foul-more usually
by foul-to find out the business Of
the tenants, to interpret their actions
| accorulng to her own low standing
| and to turn the knowledge thus aC-
quired into useful material for black
mail. Thus are bribeS showered upon
her in the vain hope that she will
not concerning what one really docs,
but concerning what she supposes one
does. 1t Is almost impossible for any
young woman--maid, wife or widow
who is not rich to hope for the good
opinion of the concierge. And as all
ones correspondence passes through
the lodge, there everything is read,
and all post cards are learned by
heart.
Very often letters are kept back for
several days to annoy or punish re-
fractory tenants. If one lives on the
fifth floor, and the fourth floor hap
pens to be empty, one may walt for
ones correspondence for many days
at time, because Madame la con-
cierge will find it too fatlguing to
mount five flights of stairs with the
letters of a single tenant-and the
fifth floor tenant too.
Each time one rents fiat one has
to give fee known as the 'denier
Dieu" to the concierge, This fee IS
established upon the scale OF one franc
for every one hundred francs of the
rental-that is to say, rent of l,2O0
francs year would imply 10 francs
''deniar," and a rent of 1000 francs
20 francs, etc. But this modest per-
centage finds favor only among the
poorer class CT houses. The con-
cierge of an ordinary Paris house
would demand double and treble that
amount, though, be it well understood
the fee is customary, but not enforce
able by law any mere than the
'etrenues." Yet, when the figure of the
"etrennes" or the "denier" is not 10
the taste of the concierge, she soon
let's you know. For she is absolutely
shameless in the matter of begging.
The lodge of the concierge is a hap
py meeting place after working hours
for all the servants of the house. Here
the business and private affairs of the
tenants are freely discussed and inter
preted, according to the lights of the
worthy people who discuss them. 1t
is rare that the servants come empty
handed-bOttles of wine, dainties from
the store cupboard. pieces of lace OF
material for the gowns of the con-
cierge's children. are brought as pro-
pitiatory gifts, these articles of course,
being levied from the fiat, The bonnes
In their turn, are also the victims of
the concierge, for when they wish to
go out at night the concierge will not
''tirer lie Gordon" for them unless paid
by the bonnes to do SO. and when an
unfortunate servant goes out at night