Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-26
SYNDICATE OF STRONG MEN.
Exploits of GoIiaths of the Paris
Markets.

With gray felt hats two feet six in
diameter, short blue blouses and white
trousers the certificated strong men OF
Paris are a picturesque body They
are prosperous too.
The Forts de la Halle, as they are
called, are the market porters and
their work is done by night and in the
early dawn when the trains and wag-
ons bring In from all parts Of France
the days provisions for the great city
First come the trains with the fresh
vegetables from the country-they
reach the market over the street car
tracks. Next come the wagons from
the slaughter houses. Later in the
morning more freight cars arrive with
poultry, fish and butter and eggs.
The strong men do all the unload
ing, and they load up the hundreds
of carts and wagons which redistrib-
ute the stuff. Paris devours in a year
55,O00,0 900 pounds of beef; $4,000
pounds of veal; 100000 pounds OF
mutton; 100000 pounds Of pork,
about 20,0OO,000 pieces Of poultry and
game;: 7s,2O0,0OO pounds of fish; 49,
221,000 pounds Of mussels and she'll
fish: 1,29S,OO0 pounds Of snails; A.
100000 pounds of vegetables and
fruit; 31,680,000 pounds Of butter;
26, 900 pounds Of cheese and 49,
100000 pounds of eggs.
The syndicate is divided into
groups. There are the butter and poul-
try men, the big fruit men and the
small fruit men, the fish men and the
meat men.
| The meat men wear big white
aprons and white stocking caps OF
thick material, instead Of the regula-
lation ring; the fish men wear long
blue overalls. The fruit and vegetable
men begin work about IL o'clock at
night in the turmoil Of the farm wag-
ons. They are through by five or six
o'clock. The meat men begin between
two and four o'clock and work to
eight or nine.
| The days work Is not a long one
for Paris, but in the course Of 1t the
strong man handles on the average
about $4,000 pounds Of dead weight
From April to June, when the rush OF
spring produce Is on, the amount han
died is often vastly greater. The wear
and tear is so severe that a majority
Of the strong men, in spite Of theii
strength, break down completely be-
tween thirty and forty years Of age
Very few last to As.
But IL the strong man earns his
bread by hard and racking toll he IL
at least we'll compensated. The cor.
poration includes some 900 members
divided into five groups.
The members have monopolistie
right to unload all provisions arriving
at the markets. Each group pools its
earnings. Each has syndic who bar
gains with the traders, sees that the
men are fairly paid, apportions the
share of each from the common fund
and takes care of the pension reserve
Some Of the groups. are better PAID
than others; a big fruit handler will
earn at any time from fifteen to- eigh'
teen francs a day, small fruit mar
not more than ten francs or $3.50. The
new comers therefore begin with the
small fruits and work up. There are
times in the busy season when the big
fruit men make as high as twenty
five to forty francs or IS to SO a day
by working overtime. The retiring
pension Of the worn out strong man
is 1900 francs or $3.50 a year, and
one can live on that in Paris. ~
Like so many other things In
France admission to the corporation
of the strong men is rigidly super
vised by the prefecture of police. First
of all, the candidate must show a clear
record-military service complete, nc
criminal charge, age below thirty
years.
Then he goes before doctor who
after a minute examination pro-
nounces him fit or unfit. If he gets
this far the would be strong man is
ready for the examination which Is
to establish his ability. 1t takes place
in the basement Of the market build
ing in presence Of officials Of the pre-
fectur. and the syndics of the differ
ent groups.
The candidate is required to lift on
his shoulders a chicken crate contain
ing 44O pounds of stones, which rests
on a platform about the height Of his
shoulder blades. He must then walk
steadily with 1t l75 feet and put 1t
down easily and without jar on plat
form similar to that from which he
took 1t.
When the candidate shows that ht
can do this many times in succession
he Is accepted. Out Of the 300 candi-
dates who try, however, only about
100 succeed. These are listed by the
police according to their merit and
are admitted to the corporation as
fast as vacancies occur. Sometimes 1t
takes three years to get in.
Since there Is an examination for
/ SITOnR IIleIl, VI COuioC tiSiO 10 q ~ Gill
ing school. 1t is run by a strong man,
Michel Schreiner, and 1t is located on
the Boulevard Blanqui. 1t has meas
ured track of fifty-five metres, about
1S0 feet, and platforms and loaded
crates such as are used at the exam
nations. 1t has many steady pupils
and on Sundays it is crowded, for then
many amateurs buy for 20 cents the
privilege of testing their strength and
endurance.
Nobody has ever been able to carry
the loaded crate unaided the whole
length Of the track on his first at
tempt. 1t is not uncommon for a new
conner, conscious Of his vigor. to bet
his boots he can do it.
Usually he hasn't had 1t on his
shoulders ten seconds when he calls
for help. Those who have gone
through the ordeal say. that no sooner
is the weight resting on their shoul-
ders than they seem to be clamped In