2l8 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 



of France were the happiest; of all people in 

 France, those of Issoire were most favored ; and of 

 those in Issoire, the best of all were the working- 

 men, the especial guardians of the Issoire idea. 



Meanwhile the extension of the octroi to three 

 thousand eight hundred and seventy-two articles 

 had greatly increased the wealth of the city, and 

 the city treasurer's strong-box was so full that he 

 had to make a second one, and to hire three trusty 

 Clermont men to watch it day and night, and then 

 three men from Jonas to watch the first three. 

 What should be done with the money to keep it 

 in circulation? For if it remained locked up, the 

 wheels of industry would soon begin to creak, and 

 creaking is a sign that wheels need oiling. 



The mayor had proposed to divide it among the 

 several Equitable Confidence Societies, in order to 

 encourage industry, and thus enable these com- 

 panies to raise still higher the high wages of the 

 men from Jonas, who were now the only laborers 

 employed in Issoire. But this was objected to in 

 several quarters, especially by the followers of the 

 workman Jacques, who did not like to trust the 

 Equitable Societies to make such a division. 



The schoolmaster wanted it divided among the 

 school-children pro rata, in proportion to their 

 raggedness. This was favored by almost every 

 one, because it would benefit the laboring-man and 

 help on the clothing-trade ; but the politicians 

 objected to giving money to the poor, because 

 such giving tends simply to enervate. The very 

 fact that a man is poor shows that he is not fitted 

 to take care of money. Some wanted the city 



