Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 28, 1886, Page 1

| | THE OMAHA SUNDAY SIXTEENTH YEAR. OLD WORLD TOILERS. Vieits and Talks With Carpenters of En- Principal Citiee, HOW LONDON BUILDERS LIVE, Specimen Members of the Oraft Tell of Their Wages and Work, THE PARISIAN WORKMAN'S LOT, Their Ancient Organizationsand Mysterions Secrets Wiish Bind Them Together, A VERY INTELLIGENT CLASS, The Oarpenters of Berlin Suspicions and Disinclined to Talk, BRIGHT AND SAD PICTURES. Germany Aroused Over Her Rela- tions With the Vatican and the Army Increase—Parts Dep- uty Spats—Other For- cign News, London's Wood Butchers, Copright 1855 by ordon Bennett.) Losnoy, Nov. 27.—(New York herald hle—Sy I to the Bek.|—Counting e penters and “wood butchers” together, it is estimated that about 20,000 men wake their living in London as carpenters and joiners, of these nearly 5000 are of the “wood butcher,” or inexpert workman elass, and therefore do not belong to the trade societies. The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, with 5,000 members in London and 23,000 in Great Britain, is the largest of the two trade soc e General Union of Carpenters and Joiners, having 1,000 members in London and 6,000 in Great Britain, 1s the tmes second. Ouly a third, therefore, of the expert carpenters of London are trade unionists, This is in part due to the fact t as in all London trade socitics, the earpenters unions are for insur- ance s well as for trade purposes. Age and other disqualifieations serve, therefore, to keep out many mechanies who sympathize with the unions. To keep such debarred nicehanics under the influence of trade un- ionism an effort has been made to bring them into the trade socities as non-insured mem- bers at a trifling fee. ‘I'his entirsly failed, as it was found the men took no interest and would pay no fees exeept when allowed to share in the soeieties guarantee against sick- ness aud lack of emplovment. WAGES IPAID IN LONDON, At present all London earpenteis work fifty-two and @ half hours per week at 9 penee (about 15 cents) per hour. This uniformity is largely due, it is claimed, to a series of strikes baginning in 18550, In that year a great strike of all the building tryles caused the introduction of tie hour system. A twenty-three week struggle also caused a de- crease in working hours from fifty-eight and f to fifty-six and a half per week and an inerease in pay from 3 shillings 6 pence (about SL30) per day to 7 pence (14 cents) bour. In186 another penny (2 cents) per hour was added by the masters without the compulsion of a strike. In 1872 an application for & penny more an hour pay And a decrease of four hours per week in the laboring period caused a general lockout in atl the building trades. After a seventeen week struggle the carpenters yielded without having obtained what they asked, but this was peaceably given by the masters during the next two ye: In 1877 a demand for an advane per hour was made but withdray carpenters Look nb part in the s of tiat year. Since then there have been no strikes in London, and in spite of the hard times no attempt by the masters to decrease pay or inerease the hours of work., The rela- tions between employers and employed were never better, it is said, than now. REGULATION OF HOURS, ‘The regulation of hours and pay are quite generally enforeed through London, although afew zet more and give less, Uniform pay has, however, brought into existence a class of carpenters who do not benelit by this uni- formity. They are called improvers or learners, and the exeuse made for refusing them full pay is that they are inexpert work- 1010 pence and the neral strike men, completing their trade. cducation at the beneh. They are paid from 3 to 71 pence per hour, I saw one man of forty who, through stupidity, has worked all his life at Gypence per hour. At one shop I found four improvers among thirty workmen. Ap- prentices are taken for six years at from $1 per week for the first yoarto 85,50 week for the sixth y Neither masters nor men like to see appren- tices in the shops, hence 1 found that the SOns of most of the carpenters I saw had not learned any trade but were either clerks or unskilled laborers. This system has not yet importation of German skilled Iabor reeruits from the provinces to fill the demand for fresh carpenters, There are sins, however, that the carventering trade, like other trades in which apprentices have been doue away with, will eventually be flooded with well trained foreign workmen, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY, No attempt ias vet been made to foree uni- formity of hours and pay of carpenters throughout Great Britain, ‘The carpenters of Lewls, for instance, work eight and a half hours longer each week for 3 pence (6 cents) ) hour less than is paid to London carpen- ters. It results that country earpenters have flooded the Loudon labor market in search of short hours und high pay. The buildiog trade in London ought, from the number of build- ings golug up, to be in good condition, but it Is estimated that 5,000 carpenters are out of work. Tnese men cowe largely from the ship-building centers, from which hard times have driven them. They carry in many cases several hundred dollars’ worth of tools. ‘I'he cost of transportation suftices to keep them in London when they once get there, ADVANTAGE OF BELONGING TO A UNIO When such wen are society men they Wring with them a traveling card, which en- ttles them, while out of work, to thirty-ive cents a day from any branch to which they ¢ accepted, The society also keeps “out of uployment books,” placed generally at cor veniontly located taverns. The men sign s6 books daily while out of work and by ourse to thewm secretaries of branches ar le to warn men of any approaching va cancy in a.shop or building job. Most of the Lest workmen are soclety e, as by means Uiese books they oblain an important adyan 1age over non-soclety members in scarch of work, Several coutractors tyld we they could Aot allurd to quariel with trade sogie ties, as this wonld take workmen. THELR SOCTAT, CONDITION D The social condition of most penters is deplorable. 1 ha from them their best PLORADLE, London car visited a num. ber of such homes, and find in almost all of them a total absence of even necessary lux- uries, and of all means for enjoyment or pleasure, In deseribing thrce ® lomes, 1 have excluded the families in which storekeeping is added to the fathei’s trads as a means of support. and in which therefore the trade has become a secondary matter. [ exclude also those anies who have pawned their tools and 81 into the ranks of unskilled labor. The following examples will serve as averaze specimens of the London carpenter’s hou THE FIRST SPF J— P—, of Chapter Terrace, Bermondsey, lives in a double two story house with eight rooms, in two of which are lodgers who pay together 7 shillings (about $1.75) per week. The family bas occupied the house for nine years and pay about 16 shillings (about $4) per week rent. xes are paid by the land- lord. The family consists of man, wife, three grown children and three small chil- dren. Mrs. I has been blind for some vears, The eldest son (twenty-three) is a clerk at 30 shillings (about $£7.25) per week. The second son (sixteen) is a reporter at 10 shillings (about $2.50) per week, The other children are at home. A1l of them were edu- cated at board (government) schools, but hade corginued to study athome, Isat inthe little baf'k kitehen, which is the family living room. All cooking 1s done over an open grate. The furniture is of the simplest de- seriptisn, and the parlor, with a sofa, e chair and pictures, had about it the same hopelessly shabby, half-clean air which made italways pleasant tor me to step from these nomes into the genuinely dirty and fogey streets. - Clothes were drying in the room in which L sat while asking about the family Iife. 'The carpenter rises at 5 or 5:30, and begins work after a half hour's walk without INMEN. eating anything. At S o’clock he has halt an hour 1or a Dbreakfast of coffee at #¢ pence, or ‘ea at 2 pence and bread. If in funds he may have a herring or bloater for a penny, or a rasher of bacon for 2 pen- nies, the latter rather exceptional and be- speaking rather reckless prodigality than geod times. Dinner at 12 is caten at a pub- lic house or cookshop. The latter gives a plaie of meat for 4 pence with vegetables for © pence. The tavern gives a coffee room with an open fire free to all who buy a mug ot beer for pence. At this fire a fish for 2 pence or a half pound of steak for 5 pence is cooked by the workman. Supper s eaten at home and is generally of tea with bread and butter. The family, meanwhile, make a breaktast of bread and butter, with tea. Dinner depends larzely upon the state of the family purse, In bad times all the money must go toward food to keep the man strong and well, sothat often the wife and children find 814 dinner no relief from that monotony of tea and bread which forms the principal food of even the better class of mechani fami lies. Mr. P makes £1 195 (about §9.50) per week, when fully employed, but out of this sum come fines and reductions due to the sixteen compulsory holidays during the year, During the past twelve months he has been out of work five months. NO SAVINGS, are nil. Mrs, P, said, with a hopeless sigh: “1 began to save several times, but my husband fell out of work as soon asa little was put by. I think it must be unlucky to save, and shall not try to do so any more,” ‘They have no recreation or social life and make no attempt at pleasuring on Sundays or holidays. The wite goes on excursions with a benevolent society, and four children have been to eolonial exhibitions with school exeursions, A DINNER INTERVIEW, During the dinner hour T saw Mr. 1%, with a nwnber of his comrades at the tavern where they were cooking their dinners, I passed belind the bar through a long, low passage, to a small room in which a dozen carpenters were sitting eating at low tables, “Temperance coffee rooms are, by the way, avoided because of the charge of a half penny tor use of the fire. He estimated his average earnings, month in and month out, at 26 shillings (about $6,50) per week, and thought a carpenter very lucky if he could get 200 days’ work in the year. Atsuch wages he found saving im- possible, and said that, like most mechanies, Their saving helived on credit when out of work, and when In work spent all his surplus earnings i 1z up old scores, With six days full week he could save 6 shillings a week for getting himself out of debt. The land lords must be paid tirst. To pay his house rent when out of work he pawned his tools, or in summer his overcoat and in winter his undercoat. He also borrowed of his comrades for this purpose. Practi- cally he spent most of his ife searching for WOIK or in paying off old debts, His sons were not apprenticed, because any life is bet- ter than a mechanies; also because he could never hope to save enough money for pre- miums. He did not live in an industrial dwelling because he wanted to live as a free man, unhampered by rules and regulations,” *“Besides,” said another man, “epidemics 1un through such buildings like wild five,” For recreation he said he and bis family go for 2 penny rides in a team ear to some park. tle had not been 1n a theatre for ten years, There used to be balls at the trade halis to which families went, but times are too hard for that now. AN MPBOVIDENT WORKER, === C— lives in Frein street. ‘I'he fam- |1y consists of a man, wite and four ehildren, ‘They live in two small rooms on a second floor, The furniture comprises a rickety bed in eaeh room, with several broken-backed chairs, two tables, ete. In spite of the close quarters an attempt at cleanliness is made. Mrs. C. is o refined, neat looking woman, ‘Phe husband is a good worker but not provi- dent. A girl of sixteen works us bartender for 4 shillings and 10 pence (about §1.15) per week, from 8 a m. to 7 pom. The wife makes workingmen's shirts at 6 pence each, finding cotton at a cost of § penny per shirt, A shirt takes three hours' close work, All the children are educated at board schools, The husband wasout of work six months of the past twelve. Wlen in work he had often to travel twelve n s to work, getiing up at 4 oclock, They et what they can to est when he is out of work. Oatmeal is not used e the children require too much sugar with it. Tuey have no holiday pleasuring nd hiave not been to the colonial exbibition, ‘The children savea few peunies durin year for Christmas spending. The has no sayings and has never haajany, Miss €, said, with a sigh, thut banks will not take less thana penny (two cents) atatime, NOTHING SAVED UP, G - of Unlon Row, Newington, iives in a two story, three roomed house. 1n win. ter the kitchen chimney sinokes so badly that the family lives entirely in the front room. ¢ family consists of a man, wife and seven children. ‘They pay 5 shillings 3 pence wt §1.25) per week reut. A gir of twenty-one Is out at service, getting 200 u year, bud bias to dress oo well to e Liet to give mush towaid the family, able A gisl COMAH | aprinter at 7 shillings per wee UNDAY of nineteen is vegetable cook ina hotel at 7 shillipgs a week, but was out of work for six months and is now saving up to buy a bit of clothes, Sometimes she gives 6 pence or ashilling to ler mothier. A bov of a sixteen is but children eat so heartily yom can’t get much of A youngster as the mother said, meaning that the boy's wages hardly paid for his keep. The wife goes out as nurse by the day, making S shillings per week, but work is slack now. The carpenter himself has not had a foll week's work for weeks and weeks, and has not averaged over 10 shillings (¢ for the past year. Last year, the mother said with pride, 4 shillings and 6 penc the children (311.0%) 1n saved the penny bank. At Chiristmas they drew it out and brought a bit of carpet for me and neckties for themselves, The family has no savings and has necer saved from year to year. It is hard encugh to live, lot alone saying, they said. ‘They have no money for holiday making end have never been to theatres or exhibitions, is largely bread and tea, j he children get Thelr food with drivpings or meat two or three jam, times a week, FOUR GOOD SANMPLES. he above are four sampies of the lives of Averagze journeymen carpenters in London. Lliere are, of course, those who save some money and rise in_life cither as shopkeepers or as foremen, and there are also those who sink into utter wretcheaness, Dut these four samples represent, it is said by the trade, a fair average ot the social condition of those wlio remain Journeymen, The Carpenters of Par [Copyright 1855 by James Gordon Bennett,] Pants, Nov. New York Herald Cable —Special to the Ber]—The Parisian car: penters are far more inteiligent and far more industrious than the masons. They number altogether 4,000, of which 250 are boss earpen- ters, or “patrons.” Ten years ago the num- ber was much greater, but the rapid increase in the use of iron and steel for cornices, staireases dnd many other contractions that were formerly made of wood has displaced a great many wood workers and the number of carpenters in Paris steadily decreases every year, POWERFUL SECRET SOCIETIES. A remarkable feature of the trade is the sccret societies into which the carpenters are ivided. The most important of these are the fraternity of Compagnons du Deveir or Compagnons Passants, This society is the most anelent n origin and its traditions aro similar to those of the other. Some of the mysterious murders of Paris are credited by the police to the execution of some of the secret laws of this powerful fraternity. Formerly the chief grand lodge of the Devoir was at Lyons. This lodge, whiech w tury ago, s burned down a quarter of a ¢ coutained the sacred codes and antique archives of the order, many of which, itis claimed, were handed down from the carpenters who worked in the construetion of Solomon’s temple. Since the destruction of the ancient lodge at Lyons the grand and worshinped masters of the order hold their meetings in a large building in the Rue d’Allemange, in the north-eastern quarter of Paris, between Belleville and La Villette, Another powerful seeret society, that orig- inated. according to its own traditions, 700 years ago in the secession of a groun of car pen from the Devoir, is led the Com- pagnonnage de la Liverte, Its chief lodge is on the left bank of the Seine, near the east- ern remity of the Boulevard Saint Ge main, The different degrees of this brothe hood are similar to those of the Devoir, cept that their names are changed. stance, the grade that correspon chiens in the Devoir are known in the Liber as loups—wolve These societies have dis ferent signs and gri , of course, known only to the initiated. During the last century these two rival brotherhoods used to have pitehed battles in the streets of Paris, but now their hatred is confined to chasing any interloper of one society from the work shops of theother. It is a rule that all Paris to the right of the Seine is the realm of the Devoir, while all Paris to the left of the Seine belongs to the Liberte. During the last few years another society, less tanatical than the two above mentioned, has been formed, called the Federation of the Carpenters of the Seine, the headquarte: which is No.4 Ruede Metz, near the Ga de I'Est, A FAIR SAMPLE OF A PARIS CARPENTER. During the past week I have visited the lodgings of over three hundred carpenters belonging to all three of these societies, The lodgings that I visited are situated in the Belleville, Villette, Pantin and Montrouge quarters of Paris. ‘The lodging inhabited by Jean Courot aind his family, at No. 43 Avy nuede Lawmiere, near the Buttes Chau- mont, is a fair nple of the home of an average Parisian carpenter of industrious and thrifty habitn ‘I'he house is large, well built, of limestone, five stories high, and con- tains tifty lodgers, married or unmarried, and mostly all carpenters, Courot—nicknamed Courtes Jambes by his companions—belong to the Devoir fraternity, and hasa wife and two children, Ile pays #30 franes rent for two unfurnished rooms and & kitchen in the fifth story, The windows look out upon v small court yard, The bed-room is about twenty feet square and contains three beds, Courtes Jambes and his wife, kelicie, sleep inone bed, and the children—one a boy of fourtesn and the other agirl of nine—sleep in the others, ‘The beds are of iron, strong and solid, with good hair matresses and coarse put clean cotton sheets and brown woolen blankets. Several chairs and two washstands, with plenty of water and soap, were in the room, and over the bed of the couple hung a cheap woodcut of St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, ‘The other room is abouttwelve feet square, and is used as a sitting room and eating room. ©naround table in the middle room, covered with a red table cloth, was a cheax vetroleum lamp. In the corner, on a shelf, were a few books, an old Roman Catholic prayer book, and a hand book on carpentry, and the inevitable Petit Journal. Courtes Jambes is a strong, robus man of about torty-five, with a large bead of biack, curly bair, Hehasa long body and very short legs, hence his nickname, His wife, Felicie, s a buxom, motherly-looking woman of about forty-five, Lasked bier what It cost the family to live in such a cozy little flat, She sald: **Oh, Mon- sleur, abont 5 tranes a day; and we have pot- au-fen twice a week.” During my visit 1 found everywhere proof that the carpenters are & wost industrious, sober class, over x- For in- to the half of them being married, They have three meals a day, Breakfast at 9, consisting of soup, br el > and a glass of vinordinaire, o’clock, bread and cheese and in the evening, after work, a good hearty dinner of weat aud vezetables, cheese, bre washed down with & pint of viaordinaire. U'hie average price per head of these meals are: Breakfast, 1 frane, 50 centimes; luneh, entimes, and dinner, 1 frane, 75 centimes, OTHER PROMINENTS INTERVIEWED, Among (he promivent carpenters in Paris that [ have talked with are M. Au Dijean, Garion, Renard, Letevre, Tournier, Ferrand, Babive, Kravy, Plnct, Ratier, Chaput, Dubet, Gillard aud Gonot, who all live in comfort able apairswonts ju the rue Picanas, rue Dallemagne, ™me Saint Marcel, rue Metz Boulevard Lavilefti and rue de Revilley. Want of spaee makes it impracticable to reproduce all these conversations, 1 will (uentiy state summarily the questions that I asked and the answers received, which seldom differed from each other in important parts and the facts and figures contained in which | have verified by comparison with those of the Chambre Syndicate Des Oun- riers Charpentiers, No. 8 rue De Lutece, and No. 55 rue De La Nerrerie “What is the pay of a carpenter work ™" *I'he required rate is 9 franes.” “How many hours work per day ““Ten hours in summer and eight hours in winte “\Vhat percentage of carpenters arc mar- ried?” “About one-half. The are mostly cooks and bonnes. When they have no children they work outside the louses, otherwise they stay at home, look after the children and keep the house. The children are educated at the publie schools, ‘There is probably not a single carpenter in P’aris that cannot read or write, *‘Does the average carpenter manage to put aside any savings? “The unmaried ones can, with great econ- omy, put aside about a frane or a frane and a half aday. They invest this in the Caisse @'Epargnes in the fraternity of the Devoir or the Liberte, or of the syndicat chamber ot the trade. Marriea earpenters, especially if they have children, cannot save anything unless the wives also work at some calling, such as that of cooks or bonnes. The average total daily expenses of an unmarried car- penter is4 franes a day. The total daily ex- penses of a carpenter and his wife are 5 francs & day, and of the family 515 or 6 franes aday. ‘The rent is usually about 500 or 350 franes for a carpenter and his family. The unmarried carpenter lives in a boarding house and pays out 30 francs a month for his bed, soup, salad, cheese and bread.”” per day's carpenters’ wives “What time do penters get up in the morning?”’ At 5 o'clock In summer and 6 in winter. They usnally go to bed about 9,"* “What are the relations between penters and their bosses?” ““There are no engagenients between them and the bosses. ‘I'lie patron can dismiss his workuen at any time he pleases without any notice whatever, and the workman can put his tools on his back and knoek off work also atany time without giving notice. How- ever, when the patron dismisses the workman he must pay the latier the entire day’s wages of the day of dismissal.” “Ilow often does pay day come around?” “Onee a month, the first Saturday of each month. During the successful strike of 1576 one of the points gained by the ecarpenters was to be paid ence n fortnight, but this has now fallen out of useand pay day comes monthly as before.” “Are strikes frequent?” ““I'here have been stri the car- in 1845, 1892, 18 1870 and 1881, The strike of 1545 was the most fmportant one and it was then that the carpenters first made them- selves felt as a power, They demanded that their pay should be inereased from 4 francs to. 5 tranes per day, and al- though Louis Philliope provided the patrons with soldiers to do the carpenter work, they succeeded in their demand. In 1876 the car- penters, by striking, got an increase of 10 centimes per hour, and fortnightly instead ot monthly pavments, In 1579 they obtained 10 centimes more per hour, The strike of 1881 was disastrous for the carpenters. They de- manded 1 trane per hour and after a long and painful strike were unable to obtain it,” *What is the present state of trade “‘About a sixth of the carpenters of Paris are nowout of work. The tuture is dismal and hopeless. Wood has become so dear in France that patrons to-day ean buy window frawes, door sills and similar constructions from Germany and Norway at the same price thatthe same quality of wood alone would cost in Franee, and, moreover, iron, steel and bronze are constantly replaced by wood as materials for construction,” ‘T'o sum up, the Parisian carpenter is sober and industrious. The secret societies watch over his morals and welfare, care for him if sick and bury him when he dies. The Parisian carpenter is bright and intelligent. His principal recreation is to take his wife 1l children to the cireus or to walk about Sundays in the Bors de Bolonge or Buttes Chaumont. His dress is simple and neat. lie wears a black cloth cap, usually pushed off the forehead to the extreme back of the head, a short corduroy walst coat and jacket and enormously wide corduroy trousers, with huge pockets at the sides, in which he car- ries his tools. - The size of these pockets en- ables him to carry in them a plane, a level, nuwmerous chisels, augurs, screwdrivers, ham- mers and gimlets that jingle with a pleasant ring as he walks to his work. On Sundays he wears gold earrings representing, in miniature, the tools of his profession, e also on gala oceasions wears the colors of his brotherhood, red and green for the De- voirand blua and yellow for the Liberte. -rings in the form of a chisel, with the sharp end to the front, indicates the Devow with the sharp end to the rear indicates the Liber The Builders of Berlin (Copuyriyht 1887 by James Gordon Bennett,] Beriiy, Nov, 2i—[New York IHerald Cable-Specialto the BEr. |-Compared with bis London, New York or Paris brethren the Berlin workingman is a slow, rather dull person, who 18 atso inelined to be distrustful a fact no journalistic explorer is long in discovering—and the nters, among whom I have been chi g this week, seem the most uncomunicative of all the Berlin workmen. ‘T'hie carpenters are an im- portant body in this eity, mustering between six and eight thousand strong. With the ex- ception of & few bundred, they are thick and thin social demoerats, Wheneyer an election comes they vote solidly for the red eandidate. They are not doing badly, all things considered, at pres- ent. During the karly part of the year they did remarkably well. Building is going on at a gigantic ratein Berlin, New markets, bar- racks and palaees are to be erected in all di- rections, and the staircases, ceilings and floors ordered should insure them work enough to tide them over the next decade, Just now worle is slack, but this is usual late in November, THEIR WORK IN GENERAL, Roughly estimated six-sevenths of the car- penters are employed, most of whom work elght hours daily. The German zimmerm- man, howevey, is a thoroughly discontented person, and i§ very fond of strikes, Le seems to feel unhappy unless he has one each year. This spring there was only a partial strike lere. ‘I'he carpenters wanted 5 pfennigs per hour higher wages. The masters resisted and many of the strikers left the city, Most of the better ones, who remained, got the rise, and the rest were glad to resume work at the old prices. The members of this trade mus ter thickest in the outlying southeast and north distriets. ‘Their material situation varies with the size of their families, live in almost absolute comfort, but many 1 have seen are miserable beyond conception, A COMFORTABLE LOT, Conrad Preuss, of . No. 6 Ziousklrehplatz, wward the north, Is au exawple of the bist Sow e kind, He is married and has with whom he inlhabits a 1 weil and even two clildren, lofty stube layishly furnished. Attached to this is a good sized kitchen, Herr Preuss pays 270 marks (about $63) rent. He makes his 5 marks (about §1.20) a day pretty casily He draws a little and occasionally contributes to the organ of the Hirsch-Duncker gewerk verein, of which he a member, He tells me that now the political workingmen's so. cieties have been suppressed the only chief carpenters’ association he knows of is of local “‘verband,” which is part of the great German ““Gienossenschaft der Zimmerleute," Its members may be counted by the hun dreds. NO CITANCE T0 SAVE, Wiliielm Franke was helping to lay down A floor in a new house when 1 interviewed him. e lives in the northwest district and has a wife and three children, He rents a large room and kitehen of the kind already described. At present he es pfennigs (about 0 cents) per hour and works ten lours daily. He does not admit his connection with any society, but of course subscribes, as the law requires, to local and invalid funds, He rises at half-past 4 and crawls into bed exhausted abont 9. His wife makes a trifle distributing newspapers. ‘The children, as is almost invariably the case, get fr education at the Gemerinde schule. His hand is shaky. He stays at home every evening, except on Sundays, when lie sometimes goes for a stroll. “Yes, Mein lerr, we manage to pay our way somehow, but as for saving, oh, there is 10 show at alL.” Thirty-five pfennigs is a low rate. Most of the capable carpenters of Berlin make forty to forty-tive pfennigs per hour. The polirs, or bosses, are vaid from fifty toseventy pfen nigs per hour. Some of the best have fixed weekly wages, AN UNITAPEY 10T, n Marohn, poor fellow, makes noth- ing whatever. He hurt his leg some time azo. Since then hie has been living with his wife on seanty dole of 2 marks 25 pteunigs (about 54 cents) a week, allowed him by his “gewerkverein,” and 6 marks (about 1,44 ver month) paid by twolodgers forone of the two shabby little rooms he rents. It is In connection with a black hole of a kitchen at 14 Rosenthaler strasse. His window looks onto a gloomy court. “The paper on the walls is in many places worn off like the covering of his chairs and sof: At one end of the stube is a bed, surmounted by a woode clock. Chromo portraits of the Kaiser Kron- prinz, or Bismarck, are not found in his gallery, All he ean allow himself and wife for food is 6 marks weekly. To this and pay his rent of 500 m bout §72) a year, he has to eat up his savings. He has fifty marks left. Before that is gone he trusts his leg will be well agai: Otherwise, why, itis a black prospect. How can two grown people feed six marks per week? Let Fran Marohn answer the question. She says three and a half pounds of coarse meat cost 1 mark, pfennigs (about 42 cents), rice 35 pfennigs bout S cents), bread 1mark (about 24 cents) two pounds of the cheapest butterine 2 marks (about 4% cents), halt a pound of ¢ fee 50 pfennigs (about 12 cents), milk, su and salt another 40 or 50 pfennigs. Now and again Marohn inaulges in a 10-ptennigs bot- tle of Weiss beer. This and the conten, tion of the muddy streets is the only ais: tion of the famiiy. A CHEERLESS SITUATION Carl Koch lives on the third floor of a de- pressing house in a court yard at No., 50 chenberger strasse, in the remote southern distriet The whole quarter incredibly cheerless, There is hardly room fora cart in the street, and the houses are monotonously dismal but clean. Herr Koeli is doinz well. He inherited a trifle from his first wite Iis second wife and two grown up danghters live with him. The latter are scamtresses Herm on and the former fakes in a little washing. For two dark but decent rooms and a kitehen he pays 240 marks (about $5%). He himself earns 45 plennings (about eleven cents) per hour, and works eight and a half hours ver day the best part of the year. Most of the carpenters take it for granted that they will be out of work three months in the yen He Is a member of the gewerk- verein. His wife says she spends fifteen marks (about $3.60) per week for food. This allows the family a pound of good meat daily. As for amusement. none can be had near-where they live for love or moncy, A SURLY SUBJECT, Herr Keins, living on Bernauer strasse, near the Rosenthaier suburb, was surly, He subposed 1 would be wanting to know how often he beat his wife next, and hinted that the reporter's inquiry was some dodge for bringing down wages, WGI UP 1IN THE WORLD, Karl Munzburg, whose address I have mis- laid. is perehed at the top of five flights of stairs, in a depressing part of the southern quarter, He oceupies two small rooms and kitehen with his wife and five ehildren and his mother-in-law. He pays 240 marks rent, spends 15 marks a week for food, and 2 marks more for firing and petrolenm. He earns 45 pfenniegs per hour, eight hours a day, He is tolerably satistied, thank you, but those children’s boots cost an awful lot, especially those of the two larger children, who go to the gewindischul. 1 thought 1t needless to inquire about amusements or savings, SLOWLY STARVING, All of these are happy compared with August Boelecker, a veteran of eighty, who I | found slowly starving, You cannot call iy iving in a squalid ten by five room, at No, New Konig strasse in the east end of Berlin, The atmosphere was shockingly foul, the windows not being opened for days, while the hieat from the open stove on whicli a pre tence of cooking was going on almost choked me us 1 entered, The walls were bare and black, begrimmed by smoke of generations, ‘T'he only furniture was a couple of ricke chairs, a few Kitchen utensils and a bed on which lay a poor woman, Boelecke wife, Herr Boelecker pays 9 marks per month for this luxury. His wite has been ill for four months. He bimself ceased to take an active interest in_carpentering ten years #z0, Since then, having prudently subscribed both to the municipal kasse, and the relict fund of the carpenter’s gewerkverein, he en- joyed the princely revenue of 18 marks montbly, On this, with a few charitable scraps, the old couple exist, When Herr Boelecker dies, however, his leirs will bave twenty thalers to bury him, GERMANY'S TROUBL cople Agitated Over Vatican Af- tairs and Army Increase. Beriiy, Nov, 27.—[Special Cablegram to the Bgr.)—The attitude of the various polit- fcal groups on the question of the septenate has already become clearly defined. The aders of the progressive soclalists and Poles are determined to abide by their for- mer resistance upon the abolition of the sep- tenate and in favor of an annual contingent. The ¥ The conservatives and national lib crals are equally determined to sup port the government, I'he mewbers | of the centre continue uncertain, The wajority are undoubtedly hostile, but they await a signal from their leaders, who | iu turn await the result of the negotiations between the government and the vatican on the recognition of religious orders and the interpretation of the anzeigeptlichit. . Under the absolute necessity oF eitlier aciulr BEE. the vote ¢ re Prince Bismarek submit to the vatican, CAUSE OF THFE DISPUTE, The question on the anzeigepflicht has atisen in connection with the the nomina- tion by the archbishop of Pearson of five parish priests. The president of the provinee vetoed the nominations, The archbishop refused to accept the veto ot to name other priests in place of the objectionable nomi- nees, and the dispute was referred to the n. I'he Curia maintains that the church engaged only to make known its nominees, and that it never recognized the right of the covernment to use the veto power, Herr Puttkamer tacitly submitted to this view of the question and the archbishop will confirm the appointments, Greater difficulty, however, attends the ne- gotlation concerning the religious orders, I'he government promises increased latitude to the existence of the ordors, but insists upon having close control and supervision of their operations, ‘The voice of opposition in the press is almost inaudible, THE PUBLIC'S ANXIETY, The public mind is most troubled with the demand for urgeney for the army bills, and instead of awaiting a removal of the national orzanization in 1888, the government insists upon ineluding appropriations for an in- crease of the army in the next budget, thus, causing fear that the Kuropean situation is pregnant with dangers which are near at hand. The paciticodeclarations in the speech from the throne have failed to remove these feelings, FEARS OF HOSTILE OUTHREAKS, ‘The Cologne Gazette, in a notable article reflecting the views of the people of the Rheinthal, declares that the absorbing topie in family eircles in all the Rhine towns and villages is the probability of an early out- break of hositilities which will shake the con* tinents of Europe to their foundation, iermans who are elosely acquainted with the national lite of France know that the French are consnmed with a morbid desire to despoil Germany. The Cologne Gazette's articles are designed to weaken the opposi- tion to the septenate, but still it embodies accurately the popular convietion. THE POPE'S ADVISE. he North German Gazette publishes the text of a letter from the pope to Bishop Klein on the occasion of the consecration of the latter at Limbourge. The vope advises the bishop, as he is living among protestants, to show himself charitable, devout, meek and affable towards all; to keep himself a stran- ger toall dissensions, solacing the weak and suffering, enduring contradiction patiently and following the best path to gain all hearts —that of christian charity to all, = GERMAN LIFE INSURANCE. The tunds of the German life insurance companies during the year 155 amounted to 911,000,000 marks, an increase of 59,000,000 marks over those of 1854, Two-thirds of the funds are invested in mortgages, Only 49,000,900 marks are invested in German se- curitie: A GOODS EXCIANGE, Berlin, following the example of Hanburg, will open a goods exehange on January 3, The Frankfort merchants are moving to es- tablish a similar exehange. The question is also being discussed in Vienna, but in that city it is proposed to extend the sphere of the existing corn exchange to cover other pro- duce, TIE IRON PRODUCTION, The production of pig iron in Germany for the ten months ending October 31 was 2,780, 319 tons against 3,128,990 tons for the corres- ponding period in 1555, A LIFE PRISONER RELEASED, A sensation has been ereated by the re- lease from prison of an apothecary named Speichert, who was condemned eleven years ago to imprisonment for life for poisoning his wife, Speichert stoutly maintained that he was innocent of the erime charged to him, and after making incessant appeals for merey his friends obtained from the authorities pe mission to exhume the remains of the woman and have them examined. An analysis by six German experts tended to prove the ab- sence of poison in the body, and pending a retrial of the case the prisoner was released. TURNED STATES EVIDENC T'he commutation of the sentence of Sar- auw was due to his revealing the names of lis accomplices. His deposition was the basis for the conviction of Prohl by the reichsgerieht. Sarauw swore that Prohl was the medium to convery sixty-four reports to the Freneh government on the de- fenses of Kiel and other fortresses of Germany. He also swore t the deceased prisoner, Swartz, supplied Prohi with plans for mobilizations of tie forees and diagrams of submarine mines. Prohl, with- ont avail, declared that Sarauw had com- witted perjur. ITEMS IN BRIEF, General Von Bohm, commander ot the ‘Pwventy-first division, kas been appointed to the command of the Sixth army corps in place of General Weiehmann, deceased. Signor Sucei. the Halian faster, is con- ducting negotintions to undergo a fast in Berlin, He asks a guarantee of 40,000 francs, The Goethe society, of Weimar, has pur- chased Colin’s Goethe library, and also a portrait ot the poet painted in’ 1552 by Kolbe. The literary works of the late Prof. Scherer have been collated and edited by Dr, Erich Schmidt. They will be published in December, M RS AND DEPUTILES, A Ked Hot s in Progress in rce's Congress, PARIS, Nov, 27— [New York Ierald Cably Special tothe B, j—Ministers and depu- ties are still hopelessly writhing amid the Laocoon coils of the budget. Every five minutes incrimmation and counter inerimng. tion resound on every sids All sorts of visionary economics are proposed and the working expenses aie 5o eut down that it the budget becomes law all adminisirations of public service will bo imposs Do Frevemet, president of th ot winisters, and Rony alrman of the budget committee, engage in a duel or words. The reactionaries throw upon the flames an occasional explo- sive comment, whle the republicans squabble like eats and dogs among them. solves and fritter away time. ‘The result is parliam which DeFroyeinet with his p duxterity and great personal authori Il be able to mas- Mtary , may ter. But. as i last resort, ha is ready to pro yose to Prosident Grevy the dissolution of the chamber and appeal to the nation to eleet republican deputics whose first duties shall be to subordinate their own individual caprices aud the axes they have to grind to the real Interest of the republie. The clections inthe n have encouraged Dekreyeinet as Lo the eventual result and have proved that the republican party tolay rests ou a Lirwier busis in Franee than ever bef . DEFREYCINLT THE MASS sent at the chamber of deputle: this evening, and feel convineed more tinn ever that DeFreyeinet is completely master of the situation. Mis budget, es ¥ 1hat of the ministsy of foreign affairs, was vigor ously attacked by M. De La Fosse, ana M Defreycinet responded’ nod won a splendid paliamentary vietors. - When Do i Fosse said thi L : e allowed 10 Lave any Gnd reyein contre is for dissolving the | fore is inclined to | NU] tn affairs, sinco intorests to he wiped Egypt, M. DeFreyetne “No one but a madman conld wish Franeg, toplunge into war at THE GERMAN ARMY, ts Increase Not Prine (Copuriaht 1 Beniy, Nov. @ Cable—Special to the 1 the best possible increase of the G measute of precantion increase of the armed f PRINCE carte blanclhie in prince is described by Know him personally as a broken-down des tle Is physic bauchee, tellectually incapable, cal jokes, and is regar farcenr. The sister of of Achille Murat, who now lives in She was a short, stubby creature, withoug beauty or pre: of which the Empress marrlage for the prince has Ameriean 'nee, but at least, since Murat's mother was an Amerls can—na Miss Fraser, Prore 1 Diple twe Rowe, Nov. N Special to the B - conver: tifi ing ofi al diplomatie holy see and the Geriman empire, as betweon Bismarck and Cardinal authorized to say that have been agreed to: 1, The Prussian minister to the holy be German empire. 2 Certain religions tine: ancient privileges, & The participation ecclesiastical nominations shallbe limited to based upon purely political motives, 4. Questions ot dispute between the goy roment and the chureh to be decided by mixed tribunal of arbitration composed of funetionaries, whom shall be the papal nuncio, who shall be aceredited to the German empire, and ti@ nan minister of public worship. Fulda, a member of the herrenhaus, hasbeen most instrumental ip aboy thongh both Prussia and Bavaria have minig ters aceredited to the holy see, there a veto civil and religious e The bishop of carrying on_the oflicial representative pire, und the only powers having embassag dors at the vatiean are Spain. Dr. Schloezer, the pope, has been the eral oceasions between the pope. HUNGARIAN A;Tl“AlllS. The Election of a the Al ald Cable: minus V lent than eve held by the insurgents, hman is in bad healt weakened. tussian intrigues, PRINCE NICHOLAS 1t is believed by well the Minarelian candid The Bulgarians strongly oppose it. Karavelofl admitted the general sentiment by telling Gadban Pacha that the_election of Prince Nicholas is impossible, because the 1y forbuds €| Berlin t Bulgaria, wh although ethnologi fecling here is strongly lian prince, h was would be Berlin treaty, Count Prince Nicholas would be much more df elected 5. Another speaker intimate wi “Pisza. also opposed sueh an appointment, fears that a refusal might eventually provoke however, think that some concession must be made to Russig, Although the government admits that t&: Beilin treaty allows no excentional posith genc cult to remove if Kaulba war. Many people, to Russia, yet the powers, as history proy a position in Bulgaria, bec saerifices in war, and the Austrianoccupat serlin trealy forbade the clection of prinees. of reigning families of but not subjects of those powers. berg, & German subjeet ness would allow the election ot a Russian subject. 10 CONTINUI Kalnoky CLEMENC An Appeal From demned A MBER 163, warlike—~Points on Nicholas, by James uthority that the proposed crman army need not be res garded as a warlike symptom, but is a simple NICHOLAS UNPOPULAR. The candidature of the mingrellan Prince of Bulgaria is not favored here, although Bise warck Is tikely to give Russia practically Bulgarian Murats. O AND BISMARCK, Eelations Established Boe n the Vatican an LCopuright 1553 by Jay tion with the eeclesiastic at the pons al court who has been intrusted with a considerable share of the work of establishe ised toan embassy, representing the franeiscans,oliguorians sisterhoods—are, for the present, to be als lowed to enjoy in Germany of many tholr Absorbing Topic. [Copyright 158 by James Gordon Benmett,] Bupa-Prsri, Nov. 27— New Speetal to the Bek.|—Prof. Are ubery tells we that according to his private information the Ghil Afghanistan still continues and is more vio- . Theeny ain his position. English intluence ‘The professor aseribes ELECTION IMPOSSIBLE, ly he opposition \ garian delegation consider that his election opposed to T ‘T'he debate on foreign affairs will continue in plenary session of the Hungarian delogae tion on Monday, when Count Apponyl, the wreatest Bulgarian orator, will oppose Coung S—— he allows out in | t jumped France's carla and up and saids the present moment' Tordon ennett.] New York Herald i Lam assured oh dictated by a similax orts of France, matters, The wany Germans who liy deformed and fne Ha is fond of pracths ed by liis friends as & the prince is the wife Russin 1ich, in consideration Eugenie arranged the ‘The mingreliap atives, by marriage 1 Germany, jordon Bennett.) ew York Herald Cable 1 have just had a long relations between the Jacobini. 1 amn ow the following points see Lo orders —the benedie- 1l several of the government in among Al negotkations., s Ny of the German ems Austria, Franee and Prussian minister t& intermediary on sey- Emperor William and Bulgarian Prince York Hera i revolt in rons of Ghayn are The Ameer Abdur- ' and can barely main- is greatly this to informed persons that aty will be dropped. Even ircassian an e Inaccurate, against the M in the Hyns to reside in the spirit Andrassy of the said thy than Genaral al consent of ti es, long allowed »u@ use of Russin's as compensation for ion of Bosnia. The the signatory powersy 1t Battens o was admissable, faigs DEBATE, Y ASKED, aris For the Cone narchists, [Capnright 185 by James Gordon 13¢0nett,] Al V. Cable— Spe is the text of petition Lonquet and signed b presidents, secretaries extent altogether of a that will be presented t Lane for transmission United States Lo Mr. Robert M, N 27, —[New fal to the Bik. ) Chicago anarchists, dry members of the municip and of the consul general of the § dinary and Minis York Herald The following for the pardon of the Wi up by M. Charles. the presidents, vies and nearly all the | council of Pagls e, (o the bout fifty signatures, odlay to Minister Mes to the president of the MeLane, Awbissidor - Plenipoten tinry from the United States of America—1eoag Sir: The undersigned wembers of the nunigs ipal council of Faris and of the gencral il of the Seine have the honor to O you for your distinguished intervention s the hiope that it will not fuil thew, in a quege tion which is one of humamty. It is with profound emotion that they have scen am American jury being in ven centend e { death agalost men accused of politiesf erimes, and it is with ne affiction thid they Lave heara ol preparations fop thelr tart ning exe t For lonyg yeans tlias been the boast of 0o great renublig toward ich L ool the Freneh and the Fato lom y vays been t to have k s of v nee and of ré) drenched with blood politica) 1y of $0 magy i of Franes ) ) 1 e mocers ) }