New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-11
STRANGE CALLINGS.
Some Modern and MedieUal Meth
DDS Practised an Paris.
Paris Nav 8. 1907.

are busy making their beds. The self-respectins
housekeeper in Paris has her mattress picked
to pieces. cleaned and remade every spring, and
the work is always done out Of doors Before
the last exhibition there was quiet corner
near the tomb Of Napoleon, the wide and
then unfinished esplanade. where the bedmaken
used to ply their odd profession Sitting fas
on the pavement with a great sheet spread be-
fore them. they used TO pick to pieces tons OF
hair and wool every Now the Espla-
made des Invalides is a handsome residence quar-
ter, and the mattress pIckers have had 70 cnans>
their place OF work. To-day all the Work Is dons
on the banks of the green Seine, close 10 ths
piers OF the bridge Of Archeveche, a stone'
throw from the morgue. Hundreds Of mattresses
from all quarters Of the city are daily spread on
that little piece of beach. where a small grour
of elderly women work as long the daylight
lasts They make a picturesque group; the
freshly combed and picked hair, black, whlta
and gray lies in heaps on the paving stones
the brown holland cases 70 be nlled are
stretched on frames about two feet from 1ne
ground The women wear bright blue aprons
and their heads tied up in neat "narot'es'
also of blue check-lerge square manufacturers
bound closely around the head and hiding every
vestige of hair little farther down the river
mast the cathedral and the lie de Ia Cita. Is an
other little strip of river beach which is the
workshop of a very different trade a small plac-
ard hangs on the massive stone pier or ms
splendid Pont Royal built by Louis XIV IN TIA
first half of the seventeenth century. which COM
nnands the finest view of the river of any OF the
Paris bridges This placard bears the announce
n,ent that the dogs and cats barber attends there
for business daily. and on any afternoon one
NAV see him AT work on curly Loulou or on a
sleek Persian cat The barber. carrying mys-
terious black wooden box. collects his victims
in the citv early in the morning He carries
kind of penny whistle. which he plays Few
rlaintive notes and then waits 20 see his GUS
toners appear at windows or doors he never
lifts up his voice; his calling is painted IN white
letters on his black box, "tOndeur de chiens.
and all the city knows his whistle II you watch
him at work by the Pont Royal. you will see
that he is a real artist and the poodles in his
hands are shaved with mathematical precision
where they ought TO be bare, and the tufts az
the tip ~ the tail and on each paw will be beau
tiful1y balanced in size.
The '.tondeur De chiens'' is not the only pro-
fessional person who collects his customers with
a mouth organ. The gOaJherd uses q similar
instrument but plays different though equally
p!aiative stave. The goatherd brings goats
milk 20 the city in its natural receptacle, so
that You know You are getting exactly what you
are paying for. He generally has two goats
with him who walk deIicately along in front OF
to sidewalk and back again from time 10 time.
and looking distastefully at both When the
herdsman stops 10 play his little tune Of tnvi-
tation to nurses to bring out their jugs and buy
his milk the goats stop, and turn their long.
level gaze with wisely eXpectant air on the
surrounding houses. When the client does aP-
pear they stand little ncrvOusly while the
milking operation is going on. turning their
heads from side side II the watch for
o1oy fr,rr Tbar
When at last all the milk is sold peasants and
goats make their way Ieisu~ely, for the animals
cannot be driven fast to the gates, and pass or
again into the country where they oelons-
y noiser person Is the mussel seller. He
pushes his uninviting heap Of black shells
through the streets ON small truck. and as ne
goes ne shouts in powerful barytOne a quaint
persuasive little song. NUsseIs are spoken Of IN
French collectively and singUarly as la noule."
and the hawker cries: See my moule. La
moule is fresh: Ia moule is good" drawing out
the word in a long sustained note. and then fol-
lows the current market price He never gets
out Of tune and he never varies his song, and
as there seems 10 be never falling supply Of
the article, the musseI seller may be heard any
morning in the year.
Turning from these noisy musical peranbu-
latory professionals. the public letter writer is
worth a t1sit. Like the goatherd. he is relic
read and still fewer could write. From time
immemOrial he or somebody like him has stood
behind small stall outside the old prison ot
Saint LaZars. in of the busiest parts or the
city. He wears a round black cloth cap on the
back of his head and black trimmed spectacies
on his nose. and he is prepared write any KIND
of letter in a beautiful flowing hand. with COM
pliCated hOurishes at the beginning and end. LOT
a modest fee. France has had free education
for her poor for long time now. but every
gear there consCripts from Brittany called
, UP join the CoOrs who scarcely write
their names, and who would be totally unequal
10 writing letter. There are plenty of htIIs
country lasSes. also from Brittany. who hhu
their way to the capital domestic servants.
who no more skilled with the pen than the
conscriptS. and in both these classes the pro-
fessiOnal letter writer OF Saint Lazare finds MS
clients. You may see his head bent over a shee'
of paper while he draws from a youthful person
standing in front OF him the ideas he is expected
20 put into comprehensive French for hve %
six cents. Perhaps when the ancient prlSont
comes down the old letter writer will vanisl
too; ut present, he fits in we'll with the buildhss
behind him; both they and he seem 70 oeions
TO bygOne age, At all events, he Is unique -
Paris to-day. for his profession is scarcely r.
munerative enough to tempt competitors It''
the field. c. l. b.