New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-26

WYE
cents for measure containing something less thar
peck This is the staff of lfe or mairisay of The
noorer class OF Mexicans. They soak it in lime
wa,, T, and then, with their hands, grind or smash
It fine be. ween rough stones prepared for the pur
pose slow md laborous process, carried out
mostly by the old W., men and children. This mash
(bran and ALL of course) is then baked in batter.
cakes called tortillas, with or without grease, as
taste or economy may dictate; 1T is also cooked in
other shapes the best of 'ich have seen is this
around little roll of hashed n eat and pepper, not
thicker than clay ppe-stem, IS rolled small
handful of the dough- this is then TO-. ded up close
IN corn-shuck, boiled in pot, and take. out and
eaten hot. These are sold in the market sill in
the shuck, dripping and steaming hot, four for
picayune; and tell you they don't 60 bad with
the morning cup of coffee. The tortllas or batter
cakes are also sold steamng hot at four for a
plcayune. Here and there may be seen on sale
the rough stones used in MASKING the corn.
different kinds of native soap defy recognition
as such by the stranger. Gigantic sausages, thick
as mans leg, stuffed with something white cut
of endwise in slices and sold to numerous patrons
are at first another puzzle. 1t is simply beef fat,
or lard, thus put up for cooking purposes.
Cheaper and darker looking beef fat, for the same
use, is offered in open tubs, and dealt out with A
paddle. Hogs lard and butter are not to be seen,
Another oddly to the foreigner is dark brown
conical thing, weighing about pound, tied up in
strips of corn shuck, and sold at picayune piled
up in heaps on the ground. 1t is native sugar. the
grossest article of that name, / suppose, in exist
ence. Other heaps are composed of round balls
of some indiscribable reddish brown substance
done up in corn shuck, and used in washing
clothes, though it isn't soap. Vegetables are not
very abundant or ford, if I except the big white
onions, which resemble gigantic garlic, and are
very sweet to eat raw. Several of the esculents
are strangers to me. There are great heaps of
dried or preserved shrimps, yellow in color and
very small; and heaps of dried fish and dried
everything else. Fresh fish not very plentiful
chiefly Rio Grande cats.
1t is strange to see to what variety of uses the
natives put the corn shuck. One stall had on sale
corn shucks entire; that is, the pulled out and
the outer leaves taken away, leaving the clean
inner shuck entire. These, looking like small ears
Of corn, are sold four for picayune, to be used
N making cigarette wrappers. For an odd con-
rast the neighboring hucksters, many of them, may
De seen handing out their little picayunes worth
Of stuff, wrapped in sheets of fine white ruled can
a
lion the other day paid seventy-five cents for
'edn' of this nice letter paper on which l write.
In the late Confederacy, during the war, I fire..
luently saw the commonest letter paper sell at a
aollar sheet. What difference! 1t is actually
200 big to think about.
But to return to our market. think its man
'gement admirable. 1t is farmed out for one year
1t time, to the highest bidder The city, after n
he sale, has nothing more to do with the market .
The farmer is its emperor. He let's
'ut all the stalls, collects and keeps
he rents, like farmers of markets in other cities
But then he has his own officers who are respon- N
ble to him alone, and these officers keep things Al
egulated admirably; whilst he in his turn is re.
ponsble to the city under bond of 10000. =
Best of all, this bond requires him to keep the 7
'rlces of meat regulated and unchanged through q
Tut the year, and to prevent fraud in any shape
This year the butchers have to furnish four and
alf pounds of good beef for a bit, or III cents,
nd other meats in proportion. Any tainted meat
n other impure article of food, is seized at once =
nd thrown away. The milk is tested every morn
ng by an oAcer, who carries gauge for that pur-
ose and If the least addition of water be discoy.
red over goes the whole of it into the gtter and Y
IT, Peon goes home wiser if not better man. be
he price OF each article in market is so uniform &c
hat there Is no hagglng about it, and the butchers
nd hucksters whilst compelled to give fair weight St
nd measure or number, know better than to pc
vercharge for anything.
Again, if anything goes wrong the head officer
the market is instantly to be found for he is Y
all and handsome man, dressed in rich cavalry "
inform of black, trimmed with silver, one of the
roadest of Mexican hats with gorgeous cord and GU
Oh embroidered brim, and big silyermoun.ed 81
word and big ditto revolver hanging at his hips ms
e is provided with the tools to settle matters on de-
lie spotconsequentiy it is seldom any one has Sc
ccasion to call upon him. eel
Now, wouldn't you like (prces and all consi. Fss
ered) to have such market as this in New Or st'
ans Thinking hear your doleful affirmative,
ill write no more on the subject-at least not at
resent. LG