The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-13
L CONCIERGE OF PARIS |
How These Agents Of Land
lords Practice Extortion.
WOMENWORSE THAN MEN
When Demands Refused They Resort
to 6lackmsll-Letters often Held
For Several Days to Punish ne.
fractory Tensnts-ReIations Of
Servants TO Concierue.

Tractory Tenants-Helationa W
Servants TO Concierge.
There Is. perhaps. no class Of indi-
vidual In Paris who is 20 despised and
no rallied at as the concierges-unless
perhaps, II be the "cochers" and even
these would only come second on the
list.
The concierge In Paris corresponds
in certain degree to the caretaker 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 fats to prospective
tenants, to collect the rent four times
a year for the landlord, and to deliver
letters three times day at the door OF
each tenant. Besides this, the con-
cerge 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.
The concierge Ia housed free, and 10
paid by the landlord some nominal
sum. which is. generally speaking, not
sufficient for family to live upon. For
that reason Monsieur lie concierge
IA a rule, has some outdoor employ
ment, leaving Madame la concierge
to reign in the lodge, and. as It is to be
presumed that the very worst of all
feminine characteristics are more spe-
cially developed in concierge's life.
Madame" is far worse 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 fonl-to find out the business Of
the tenants. to interpret their actions
according to her own low standing
and to turn the knowledge thus ac-
quired into useful material for black
mall. Thus are bribes showered upon
her in the vain hope that she will
hold her tongue to the entire quarter
not concerning what one really does,
but concerning what she supposes one
does II is almost impossible for any
young woman-maid, wife or widow
who 10 not rich to hope for the good
opinion of the concierge. And as all
ones correspondence passes through
tho 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-
fSactory tenants. II one lives on the
fifth floor. and the fourth floor hap
pens to be empty. one may wait for
ones correspondence for many days
at a time, because Madame la con-
cierge will find It too fatigulng to
mount five flights of stairs with the
letters of single tenant--and the
fifth floor tenant too.
Each time one rents a fiat one has
to give a fee known as the "denier a
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 1000
francs a year would imply IL francs
"denier," and rent of 1000 francs
20 francs. etc. But this modest per-
centage finds favor only among the
poorer class of houses. The con-
cierge of an ordinary Paris house
would demand double and treble that
amount. though. be II well understood
the fee is customary, but not enforce
| able by law any more than the
"etrenEes." Yet. when the figure of the
"etrennes" or the "denier" is not TO
the taste of the concierge, she soon
lets you know. For she is absolutely
shameless in the matter of begging.
The lodge of the concierge is a hap
ny 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. II
is rare that the servants come empty
handed-bottles of wine, dainties from
the store cupboard, pieces of lace ol
ma-erial for the gowns of tho con-
cierBe'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
and forgets to grease the palm" held
out at the lodge the concierge finds II
her solemn moral duty to warn the
mistress OF her servants nightly out.
ings.
Recourse to the landlord win he oi
no avail against her, for II sh, collect
his rents regularly, what matters II u
him1