The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-07-17
Musings by tho Ocean.

In bright and glttering bands,
Like little children, wild with glee, -,
They linked their dimplcd hands
They linked their hands, but ere Gu ught,
| Their sprinked drops of dew,
They kissed my feet, and quick as thought,
Away the ripples flew.
The twilight hours, like birds flew bv,
As lightly and rs frcc
Ten thousand stars were in'the sky,
Ten thousand in the sea; H
For every wave with dimpled face
That lcaped upon the air, =
Had caught n star in its embrace
And held it trembling there
How the Price Of Bread is Managed in
Paris.
Every bag Of wheat, flour, or meal that
comes to the city must be brought to the
hall au bic, or grain hail. This is an i'm
mcnse area, enclosed with circular wall.
and covered with Il huge dome; SO that it
presents vast, unbrokcn hall, of grand
and beautiful proportions, lighted from the
top. Various stalls, with desks, from the
Offices Of the clerks and employers. On the
floor Of this hall arc piled up, coLhousc fash
ION, Ill large piles, ten to twenty five feet
high, the bags of grain, presenting to the
visitor striking panorama OF solid plenty.
ll!e city OF Paris is surrounded by wall,
not for defence, as it is comparatively slight,
but simply for police, revenue, and other
municipal purposes, of which is the renula-
ton Of the bread market. BARRIERS, that is
gates, with police attendants and revenue
officers from the only entrances to the city
except the river Seine, Which has also its
guards. Every buslcl Of wheat or grain
brought to the city for sale must Le regis
tered and stored at the grain hall, under
heavy penalties. This regulation is rigidlv
enforced, which is easy to do at the barriers,
with So bulky article especially as the
bags must bc Of uniform size.
From the register of the daily supply the
government OF The city know at any hour
just how many pounds or peaks Of grain Of
any kind there are in Paris. From accur-
ate statistics required to be furnished, they
know how much flour or meal is baked daily
at each bakery, and how much bread of ali
kinds is consumed. They are therefore
able to fix the weight and price of loaves,
each size and shape of which has its appro-
pirate name, according to the ratio between
supply aud demand, allowing a fair and Just
profit to producers, traders and bakers; no
more, nor less. This price, thus fairly grad
auated, at short intervals, is fully proclaimed
to tho public, dealers, the bakers and the
police.
The police are authorized to drop in at any
time into any bakery, or bread shop, whcr-
ever bread is exposed for sale, and weigh
the loaves. There is also special inspec-
ting officer appointed Tor the express pur-
pose. Ills visits are not stated, that he
may not have things got ready for exhibi-
ton instead of inspection, according to the
English and American fashion OF doing
such things: If the inspector finds the
weight deficient, or the price of particu-
lar kind of loaf too high for the grade, all
the bread in the shop is swept of ut once,
and distributed to the hospitals and other
eleemosynary establishments of the city.
Thus are the public protected against pri-
vate cupidity specializing in the means of
existence.