The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-06-24
s'art.ian Fair for she sale OF Gingerbread
Children.

By the way, talking Of slavery and OF the
buying and selling of the human species,
this week has been marked by our annual
Gingerbread Fair, which is held at the Bar.
rere du Trone, on Easter Sunday, but this
year was put off on account Of the elections
|. is singular institution, perhaps unique
in Europe, and well worth visit on the
part Of the foreigners. The fetes olampe.
tres, which, from the first Sunday in May
to the last Sunday in October, are given at
every village in the environs OF Paris, and to
which such crowds resort for the purpose OF
dancing and other amusements, are furnish
ed almost entirely from this fair. 1t is here
that the possessors Of all curiosities repair
for the purpose Of exhibiting their different
attractions, which this year have been many
and vaious. The fronts OF the booths those
which alone are accessible to the public,
are occupied by wholesale gingerbread and
cake merchants, from which the smaller
tradesnlan buys his wares for the approach
ing fetes. Some of the wholesale dealers
come from the furthermost parts of France;
from Rheims, whence comes the gingerbread;
from Verdun, which supplies the com6ts;
from Grasse, which furnishes the painted
bonbons; and in the covered carts, in which
they perform their slow and weary journey,
stand in circle round the booths, while the
horses Craze quietly amid all the noise and
confusion. Behind these counters for the
traffic Of the eatables, is canvas tent fitted
up for the exhibition Of talents seeking TO be
hired, Of living curiosities Of all sorts, among
which those Of the human kind do not al.
ways obtain the preference. Learned pigs,
literary donkeys, speaking fish are all shown
here, and their various merits discussed,
while the traffic in children here going on
reminds one Of the flesh markets in Abys-
sinia. The purveyors for the country shows
come round during the day and examine
the novelties exhibited in each tent, and, at
night, pigs, donkeys, fish, and children are
all put up to auction and knocked down to
the highest bidder. The greatest novelty Of
the year was a seal which has been taught
to sing the ascending scale with great preci-
sion. This curiosity, | believe, sold for SIX
hundred francs, while poor little girl of
five yeas Of age, who has marvellous tai
ent Of spinning on the crown of her head
with the swiltness Of top, sold, after hard
bidding, for the SUN Of sixty pounds! OIL
course these sales are disguised under the
narne of engagements" but there is no
binding contract, no signing Of articles; the
money is paid, and the child taken away
without inquiry to plenteous food and fair
treatment, or to blows and starvation, as the
case may be. Some die weary and ex-
hausted before the end of their first cam.
paign; others brave out every vicisitude, and
sometimes even rise to enlinence. One oil
the faverites Of Franconi's troop, now in
London, whose fortune is made, whose fame
IS secure, was sold by parents long forgot
ton now at this annual gingerbread fair; |
while one Of our greatest singers owns to |
having been put up for sale two years run. |
ming without being able to find single bid. |
der.--Prris oorvespondea, of the atlas.