The Brunswick news. (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, September 14, 1902, Image 8

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SUNDAY MORNING. The Mushroom Coves of Paris. By Edouard Charles. WITH most cities Ilf*? begins at the ground floor (cellars, sewers and electric tubes al ways excepted) anil ends at thp top story, but In I’aris, while busi ness is being profitably conducted in the bright sunshine of the loftiest etnge, it Is also being as profitably pursued in the darkness of the depths below, far beneath even the sewers and the famous Metropolitan Railway of wbleit the Parisians are wo proud. For Paris Is honeycombed with sub terranean vaults and passages, it is literally built uion columns and walls, and if one ilne morning the world awoke to learn tlini the bottom had fallen out of the (Jay t'apital and it bad crumpled up like a bouse of cards It would be no surprising thing to those familiar with the underground world of Paris. It would sarin as though the former inhabitants had devoted their efforts to hewing out a place ■wherein they might seek refuge irt case of dire necessity, for, though few are aware of the fact, the entire popu lation of Paris could hide itself be neath the city. To build the city we know so well to-day past generations drived and dug beneath It for the coveted stone. What then were quarries hare now be come oaves, poll lons of which have been converted into catacombs and contain the bones of the dead, while others are used for the very mundane purpose of growing mushrooms—those sweet, tasty little champignons with out which no ragout is complete and which one never fails to find on a French menu. The mushroom is tv comestible particularly favored by the French. Wagon-loads from near and far find their way iuio the central THE PARMER PKSOKNDS TO TUB "LOWER REGIONS. 1 ’ markets of the city every day In the year, and the annual consumption by the Parisians of this vegetable repre sents n value of over a quarter of it million Kterlin.tr. Both bciienlli the city itself and outside it those strange mushroom-caves extend for miles in ail directions; and in them hundreds of men, xvho often never we daylight from morn till eve, puss their lives in cultivating the champignon. 1 was told that 1 should find these "under-boulevards" of the great city well worthy of it visit, and in a weak moment of curiosity 1 accepted the offer of an intliiential friend to obtain per mission for myself and a photog rapher to deseend Into the bowels of the earth and learn something of tin* art of underground mushroom-grow ing. We departed one tine morning, the photographer and l, for Malakoff. on the outskirts of Paris. We found tht mushroom-farmer on his farm await ing ns—a well-built, hltitf. hearty speci men of French fermler, M. Bnrvingt by name. 1 looked around for signs of caves, but failed to find them, nor did 1 see any hills in the neighborhood under which they might tie. In an swer to a question X was Informed that they were just fifteen metres under our fret! "This shaft leads right into them." Raid the farmer, indicating a covered circular hole in the ground l had not hitherto noticed. He pulled the hoards away and l looked down, shuddering, for 1 looked only into fathomless dark ness. How we were to get down pur.- aled me; how the photographic np- A BEND IN' THE GALLERY SUOWLNG "OHAMPitiNONN.STES" AT WORK. paratus was going tn fare worried the photographer. amt wo were both im mensely relieved to learn that this shaft was not the entrance, but only the place where they pitcheu the manure tlowu. 1 still bail hopes of gaining entrance oilier than by de scending a shaft u gentle slope or something of that sort was what I wanted -and I felt convinced that, this would be the case when our guide said we had rather a long walk before ns. It proved a good three-quarters of an hour's Journey, over fields and down country lanes, ere lie slopped suddenly before a small square fence and told 11s we had reached our destination. And we had been following the line of one of the underground passages THE ROUND WHITE DISCS ARE YOUNG MUSHROOMS -THE CKII*- ING HERE IS ABOUT THREE FEET FROM THE FLOOR. all the time! Opening, a gate, the farmer revealed a shaft. After our guide had disappeared over the ledge atal reached the bottom the photog rapher followed him. When tin* prim itive ladder oscillated no longer be neath bin weight I went slowly and silently down, landing safely Iti about three inches of mini. It had been 120 degrees in the situ above, for the day was particularly fine. Down here it was cold, damp, dark and uninviting; so cold that 1 shivered Iu my shirl-sleeves, for I had 1.-tl my coat above. Our guide shout ed, and his voice, being In keeping with his stature, lillist the blackness, rumbling away down the ninny arteries leading from where we were standing and coming back again from a dozen different directions. In answer to his call there presently danced In the dark void ahead of ns a couple of lights. They heralded the approach of a couple of ehampignonnistos, who, emerging from their habitual gloom, disclosed themselves as short, dark Individuals, of none too prepossessing appearance, attired, with but scant re gard for the temperature, in blue cot ton trousers, blouses mid wooden shoes. “ Provided with light—small round eolza-01l lamps fixed on the ends of slicks—and encumbered with the photographic materials, we moved for ward. anil then the real torture of the experience began. We formed a weird and ghostly pro cession as wo moved forward through the inky blackness, the silence broken only by our footsteps as we splashed along through the puddles, the solemn drip, drip of water front the walls anil roof, an exclamation now and then from myself as I nearly tripped over one of the mushroom-beds, and strange mutterlngs from the man who was to work the camera. The famous mushroom-beds were at our feet. We were, in fact, walking iu the narrow space between them—a path perhaps a foot in width. They ran along the caves iu rows, two against the sides and a pair down the centre. They seemed to lie banks of sand some two feet iu height, and in clining up front a two-foot base to a rounded lop. The soil was clammy and crumbling to the touch, and inlaid with round white discs, varying iu circumference front tin* dimensions of a shilling to a small-sized saucer—the precious champignons. “is there much of this?” 1 asked of the former leading us. who seemed prepared to walk on forever. “Seven or eight kilometres.” he an swered. unconcernedly. We had arrived a; a bctul. How long 1 bad be u creeping onwards, bump ing now my head and now an arm. stumbling. sprawling and saying tilings. 1 know tie : but my back ached frightfully, and 1 appreciated more than ever before the comforts of being a short man. It seemed we had walked for ages. “We will take a photograph here,” j said, which brought the party to a halt. A blue, blinding glare went up. illumining the space around with such a light as It had never seen before, and showing up plainly the trio of champlgnonnistes crouched down as they worked, and scaring a million flies and spiders and goodness alone knows what other insects anil vermin. The light died down and went oat, and again the lamps sprang into life and shed their flickering, welcome gleams around. After securing some pictures we gladly sought the upper world again. I had no amliition to explore the eaves in tlielr entirety, but oniy to get my cramped spine once more into Us nor mal position, to sit down and gather mushroom knowledge from the lips of the grower himself. Fifty years be fore. lie told me, these caves had been open to the broad light of day. They were (he scene of great activity, re sounding continually with the explo sions of gunpowder, for there men were quarrying the stone that helped to build I'nrts. latter on they itad been abandoned and covered in, to be finally taken over by tin- cultivator of mush rooms. This is the history of most of the caves which are now used for this purpose, not only in the neighborhood of the* capital, but throughout France. Rut all are not of tin* g-nre I have just described. The famous caves of lssy-les-Moitiineaux. owned by chain - pignouniate Sauvageot, are in decided contrast to those previously visited; as large as the others were small—thirty feet in height ar least. And there was no ladder to descend; one walked straight into the tunnel from the day light. for it pierced a hill, a chalk hill whence had been quarried thousands of tons of chalk of tin* quality that makes acquaintance with the tips of billiard cues. The main tunnel, cutting clean into the hill for a distance of not less than 250 yards, would have easily admitted a carriage and pair carrying another vehicle on top. As mushroom eaves go it was certainly a handsome one, but just as cold uml | . BASKETS OP FRESH-GATHERED MC3H KOOMS AWAITING COLLECTION. damp as any other, with a switchback sort of road loading front the entrance to the bottom of the caves. Here there was space for six linos of mushroom- Neds to wend their irregular ways sid in' side, as w ill he seen itt our photo graph. There were six of tlmse large galler ies, from which numerous others ran off. t w isting and winding about to the length of some seven kilometres. Cut in the sides of the passages were numerous little “chapels," some on it level with tin*' ground, others high up itt the side of the wall. In nil. these eaves contained some sixty kilometres of fine mushroom-beds: spiders and flies we found there iu their millions, the only occupants beyond being rats and the eats that an? kept there to catch them. In no cave of such dimensions are all the ntushrooui-lipils in the same stage of advancement at once. While some thousands of metros are in full bloom, others arc not so far advanced, and in some passages the beds are only jtist being laid down, while in others the work of clearing out old and useless bods is being carried on. Scrupulous cleanliness is an absolute sine qua non ere anew bed ean be laid down. The cave must he cleared of the old bed entirely: not a particle of it must be left, for with all the mushroom's aptitude for lightning growth it is something of a dandy iu the vegetable world. New beds are laid down every live or six months, and as they do not bear until throe months have passed the harvest need be a rich oug. for the THE BRUNSWICK /DAILY NEWS. average cost of a bed ere it shown sigg* of produce is two and a half francs per metre. First the manure has to be secured, and then, ere It can be used, it has to be prepared, the work taking from three to six weeks. When ready It is carried into the cave or shoveled down a shaft as occasion re quires. The building of the beds is a peculiar and laborious process. .Silting astride the portion of the bed he has lirst made the worker gathers armfulls of manure and presses the material down to an even height In front of him. Thus he is always provided with a seat . Ere the spawn is sown the temperature of the beds must have reached about twelve degrees to fourteen degrees Fab. Tie- spnjru sown, the manure is covered wirii sand, and then every two or three days the beds must be liberally watered. At the end of three months the "buttons” poke their heads through, then gradually the beds become cov ered with white hoods, which on at taining the required size are collected for market. Unless, however, a metre yields four kilos of mushrooms at Un icast the proprietor of the cave lias little- occasion to be cheerful, for its creation and care account for an out lay of three francs, while tile harvest only fetches a franc per kilo. Winter is the best ‘season for the champignonniste. Then. M. Sauvageot told me. he sends to market no fewer than one hundred baskets a day. which means 1100 kilos, while during the other seasons of the year forty baskets ot 440 kilos is the daily output. In the production of tiiis perennial harvest thousands of workmen find employ ment round Paris alone men who pass their days in damp and darkness, with only spiders and flies to keep them company, and yet seem to experience no evil effects as the result of tli“ir strange surroundings.—The Wide World Magazine. A Goftftlp’ft r.ridlc, The brant was practically n scold's or gossip’s br UJUkJoi ving for its object the suppression of idle and abusive language, says the Golden Penny. This instrument of justice resembles a rude helmet, opening at the sides to admit the head, and fastened by a padlock at tic back. Other varieties show a plate iu the front, and some times titled with a knife blade, which was secured in the month, effectually restraining the movements of the tongue. Thus gagged, the wretched the brake. culprit was paraded round the town, and perhaps chained to the market cross to be scoffed at by one anil all. The earliest mention of the brank is in 15i>7, and it was tlieu used iu Edinburgh. The instrument here pic tured is datsil li;.'"!, rnd being such a rare and perfect specimen, it is very carefully preserved in the vestry of the parish chinch at Watton-on-Thames. Indeed, it is the oldest example iu ex istence at the present time. A Keinarknhle Fil. A most remarkable specimen of fish is iu the possession of Gasper 11. Kroeger, of Milwaukee. It was brought to tills country by a soldier from the Philippines. From the for motion of its teeth the fish might be said to belong to the rodent family, if such a classification could be made u* fish. Its teeth project from the front of Its mouth, exactly as do those of rats and squirrels, and its head is de void of gills. There arc no scales upon its body, but it is covered with small, rough ossicles or bony plates. At the base of the tail are seven lance-like spines on one side and nine on the other, and the eyes are set ar the top of the head* In spite of the general piratical appearance of the fish, it is said to be good eating, tin’ average length Icing about eight inches. No fish like it lias ever beet! found in this country, and the species is said to be scarce in the Philippines. >*< Nt>wpa|)r in Korea. The overworked and sufferers from nervous prostration will timl a real haven of rest iu Korea, says Hie Lon don Express. There is no such thing as a novel or newspaper iu the laud. No regular story-writer is known to have lived there for 1000 years. Edu cation consists in a knowledge of the immortal Chinese classics. So sacred are printed books to the Koreans t list they cannot be tossed about or trodden upon without offending the gods. The t*o|e. Should the Tope live till T.)o:> he will celebrate bis diamond jubilee as a Bishop, his golden jubilee as a Car dinal and his silver jubilee as a Pope. \*Hajr Cure. The Territorial Board of Health of Hawaii is to begin a series of experi ments to determine the value ofr X-rays { in the treatment of leprosy. HOUSEHOLD * 9 9 * * * * MATTERS A Dainty l)Uh. Pommes ala princess are prepared as follows: Peel one and a half pounds of cooking apples, cut them up "and cook in three-quarters of a pint of water with four or six ounces of loaf sugar, according to the sweetness of the apples, two bay leaves and the finely cut peel of one lemon. When the apples are perfectly soft, dissolve with them threc-quaters of tin ounce of gelatin and pass tbp whole through n tammy, mixing in a quarter of a pint of cream with tin* puree. Line a charlotte mold with lemon jelly colored pink and pour in the apple puttee. Put to set aud when colli turn out and serve. llouttHioM ‘*(.U Stork.'* A spick ami span housekeeper of my acquaintance rented a small house which, as she herself expressed It. “ougli- to have been rented for a Chinese restaurant, i.- was so well provided with appropriate live stock.” As soon as tip- unpleasant discovery was made itoo laic, of course, to with draw from the bargain! she entered upon a policy of discouragement which hits since rid the house of every in truder. This was done by bottling ail household supplies kept in the clos eis. so that, if they remained, the ani mals (and eel era t mast starve to and -ath. The Id ol occurred fo her while pass ing a -diop v/ite;;’ several dozens of large preserve Jars were offered at bar gain rates, list the spur of ihe moment she purchased Hie entire lot and had them scut home. The litis were pret tily painted with white enamel. Into the jars slit- put everything edible ou tin* closer shelves. Several contained sugar, several breakfast foods, and bread crumbs, rice, beaus, peas, meal, ct cetera, made up the number. Not only w-cre the goods kept fresh and free of dust, hut within a short time the marauders went elsewhere. Jars will be found Iwqter for the discourag ing process than anything else, even including special tin boxes, for the reason that they require no labeling, the contents being always visible. — Good Housekeeping. of Cook ins: Apple*. • Custard Apple Charlotte—Place iu a buttered pit* dish some slices of apple and sugar and lemon juice, two ounces of the former and a squeeze of the latter: fill to the top of the dish. Bake till tender. Make half a pint of'etts tard and pour over the apples in the pie dish, which will have shrunk. Rake till lit custard itas set aud serve ill the pie dish. • • * Nursery Pudding—Take as many cored and pared apples as will till a pie dish; boil them in light syrup; pre pare a quarter of a pound of rice in milk with sugar and salt; put some of Ihe rice in Hu* pie dish, put In the ap ples and til! up with rice. Bake until blown. * * * Apple Fritters Take some flour, a il-tle baking powder and ntix with milk to a thick batter. Have ready some boiling fat. also some -sliced apples; till some deep patty tins with hatter and put a slice of apples iu the centre :>f cadi one. Then plunge into the fat. and when a golden brown takeout and drain ou tissue paper and serve hot with caster sugar. They should be crisp aud light. * * Apple Cake-Grate as much stale bifcad as will till a breakfast cup. a teacupful of finely chopped suet or butter, half a teacupful of sugar, the strained juice and grated rind of a lemon, a hreaktast cupful of finely chopped apples, a little grated nutmeg aril two eggs. Mix well. Rutter a basin put in tit- mixture and steam for one hour anil a half. Serve with sweet sauce. .(HOVSEHOLD Potato parings dried in the oven make excellent kindlings for the kitchen range. A Mule kerosene applied with a v.oolea rag to tinwato will impart a brilliant polish. A good way to prevent lamp glasses from cracking is to put them in coliL water, bring it to a boil and let thcrifl cool gently. Blotting paper placed lietv.Aßfine elunn plates when it is necessary to pile them together will be fouud useful. Cut the paper iu circles large enough to cover t lie inside of the plates. Avery pronounced revival of the gilt-banded white china dinner sets, so much estcfnied by housewives of Revo lutionary days, lias been brought about by the fad for all things Colonial. J#igv Oileloth may be brightened l.y being washed with clean water with a little borax dissolved in it; wipe it with a ttatitle! cloth tint: you have dipped into milk and then wring as dry as possible. The best way to remove marks made by hot water jugs on polished trays or tables is to make a thin paste of salad oil and salt, leave it on the mark or ring for half an hour. Then polish wiiii a dry cloth and, the mark will have disappeared. " lo taKe out fruit stains, tie up cream of tartar in toe spotted places and put the garment into cold water ami boil it. It the stains ace much spread stir Cream of tartar iu the water. If still visible, boil the garment in a mixture of superearbonate of soda, a table spoonful to a pail of water. SEPTEMBER 11. TO YOUNG LADIES. From the Treasurer of the Young People’s Christian Tea nerance Association, Elizabeth Caine, Fond du Lac, Wis. “ I)sab Mrs. I'ixkham:—l want to tell you and all the young ladies at the country, how grateful I am to you for all the benefits 1 have received from using Lydia 11. Pisikbam’s Vege table Compound. i suffered for MISS ELIZABETH CAIXE. sight months fro-i suppressed men struation, .uiJ it effected my entire system until I became weak and debil it-itcd, and at times felt that [ had a hundred aches in as many places. I only used the Compound for a few weeks, but it wrought a change in me which i fdt from the very beginning. I have been very regular since, have no pains, and find that my entire body ia as if it was renewed, f gladly recom mend Lydia K. I’iukliara’s Vege table Compound to everybody.”— Mist Elizabeth i junk, 5S W. Division St., Fond dn Lac. iris. —;SCOO forfait If ab9"t tg&Ti’vouial it not ;*nuint. At such a time the greatest aid to nature is Lydia K. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound. It. prepares the young system for the coming change, aud is the surest reliance for woman's ills of every nature. Mrs. I‘inkhum invites all young women who aro 111 to write bar for free advice. Ad dress Lynn, M. Malsby & Company, 41 S. Forsyth hr.. Atlanta, Ga Engines and Boilers Mrn Witter HfAtr, Steam Pump* and Paiberthj lnJetor. Manufacturers and Dealer* la SAW MILLS, Corn Mill*, Feed Mill*, Cotton Cain Machin ery and Crain Separator*. SOLID and INSERTED Saw*. Saw Teeth ttuA Locks. Kuifht'* Patent l)os:. Hlrdsall Saw Mill and Kuffhi* Opalr*, Governor*, Orate Bar* and a full line of Mill dnupMes. Price aud quaJlty of goods guaranteed. Catalogue free by mentioning this paper. If more sales ot Ripans Tubules are made daily than of any other medicine, the reason may be found in the fact that there is scarcely any condition of ill health that ts not benefited by the occasional use of a Rlpaus Tabule. and a package, con taining ten, is obtainable from any druggist for five cent*. At druggist*. The Five-Ont packet is enough for an ordinary occasion. Ihe family bottle, ISO cents, contains a supply lor a year. Genuine stamped CC 0. Sever sold in balk. Beware of the dealer who tries to sell ‘‘something just as jjccd.” FreeJTMfjnnßaJmcßj TEfTH f If you bare n faith in raf tn<hod of ifjS® \ send me & of your kjjjfvjß .2) rooming urin* for an*lyt*. 1 will tUn **nd you by maii my opinion or vourdiaA*e>and one *•)(’• treatment * if AU MST. You will tnu doo-inoed tJhut icy trtment cure*. .* A. MtilliagwwMd bftttltfof tiring *f\l tfV wiJiktrN. DW.J.F.SHAPEk, JSM Pc* Ave.. PitL**urg. P. Beadaghe, **. FEVERISH CONDITIONS AND COLDS CURED BY C APU J7> i>’ K Mold by nit Drasglsls. 5 -X %• V* z~, MB e-\ BA s-v MSt M *a -- ss —sa & m 10 CATS' TAIATSENT FH£E E J /p 'Ear* E&'ifl Dtbjtj and it3 con- Efjftfo y xuieatiuss a *j>ecihy tor twensv [ years wita tfc® nost tyonderftU a * A H&73 cured u&27 thona 's^^**l* cos**. I>Z. Z. E. S2X2S'S SCITS, '&r, Tox I* Atlanta, Ga. EPFPRAY honi, 1 I uA 1 mining iTn;lnr#. N'ocao 1 r- filing Th* Horn# RfiArdy Cos., I Ccmfort-chasers swear &y ‘king Bee” (shot co) S 5.50 Shoes. Sm Azst '-vugfe dynip. Tastes Good. Dbc we&Ji ejes, us# Thompion’s lj* Water