Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-13
PARIS AS SEEN BY
AN AMERICAN
BY CHARLES d. MERRILL
ECONOMY AND THRIFT

the savings OF T.. c I1luOlt, Dul ulcilllly
of the poorer cllsS.
The prudence of the Parisians in
money matters is most admirable. To
make much cut of little, to multiply
loaves and fishes without a miracle,
to economize means beyond all other
people, is the good genius of the
French. 1t seems to be both an in
stinct and an acquisition through
many generations.
Come along this first street where
we happen to be walking and enter
this shop for the sale of bakery goods
VI r"STre the room, for it is typical; II
1'v10 feet. In one corner is clrcu-
~ ,tarway to the living rooms above
e represents a circle twenty-seven
-.ches in diameter and is covered with
,,retty figured grillwork in steel and
rass, and is an ornament TO the
room. On the sides of the stairway
grill are tasteful brackets and room
thereon for plates of ''patisserrie"
delicate cakes, tarts, etc) and every
inch of the space around the walls is
in use The walls are almost continu-
Gus with mirrors and against them are
glass shelves and silvered stands OF
metal that carry them, and these are
piled to the top with bread in all its
brown and tempting varieties. and the
show windows are replete with va
riety of elegant bits of the pastry of
Paris Still there is room inside for
a cash counter and two or three tables
and chairs, where you sit and munch
the bits You buy at sous each. ana
room yet for the proprietor and clerk
and all customers who come. When
ever you enter the place it is neat as
wax, as you can witness by 100 days
inspection.
Here next is a grocery. 1t is on
corner and consists of one room 25X6O
feet. It has everything for household
table supply-all kinds of fruit, vege-
tables, meats, fish, jams, jellies, game,
dried fruits. cereals. pickles, confec-
tions and pastry. There are thirty
nine clerks darting about like swal-
lows, serving as many customers. and
you may sometimes wait fifteen min
utes, so great is the trade of the
store. You look at the size of the
store and the multitude of tables,
counters and shelves loaded with
goods, and you remember the colonies
of bees on the old farm. where as
boy you saw thousand go in and ont
at work in one small hive. The miracle
of natural adaptability only can eV-
plain the hive and the store-the econ
omy of space.
Around the corner is cobbler's
shop. or cell. Measure it-it is exactly
4x5 feet and feet high-has one chair,
shelves above every nook and GRANNY
is crowded with shoes and tools and
materials for repairs, and there for
wears the cobbler has done a thriving
trade, and is as happy and contented
and smiling and polite as the Droprie-
tor of the Printemps or Ron Marche.
Here is wood and coal shoD-a mere
niche open to the street, SO feet wide.
perhaps % deep Tt is crammed and
crowded with sacks of coal and hun
dies of wood and rosin-dipped kin
dlings. A shutter closes it at night.
You edge in sidewise to inspect the
fuel: there are thousand such shop
lets all over Paris.
AS Of space, so of food. and at the
present high prices in Paris there is
no explanation of the fact that the
poorer people live at all. except by the
all food and fuel The people univer-
SALLY look we'll fed and in fine physi-
cal condition. The supply shops and
markets show that everything is sold
there in the smallest portOns-eges,
one to a customer; butter down to
three-cent package. cheese to 2 penny
worth: all vegetables and fruits down
to a pound weight. or less: meat in
bits of one-fifth of a pound; fowl by
the leg, wing or side, and game in
smiches In the markets you will see
a servant or the housekeeper buy the
material for a dinner for five persons
for 80 to 40 cents-soup. fish, flesh,
vegetables and dessert The portions
are small at such feast, but slow
eating, with a contented and merry
heart makes the feast go far and all
its strength is conserved.
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