The national Republican., 1867-09-26
How Paris In Fed.

Some hours before daybreak the market
gardeners OF the suburbs Of Paris begin
to throw into the town, and converge, with
the great noisy drays which bring in the
provisions, sent up by railway from the
provinces, TO the great market, the Halles
Centrales.
Situated in front Of the beautiful Church
of st. Eustache, the Halles Centrales are
connected with the Pont Neuf by the new
street which bears that name.
The twelve pavilions Of this magnificent
block Of buildings are entirely constructed
to some special branch of the business
Thus one Is set apart for the sale Of meat
by auction; another for traffic in meat by
retail, or by private contract; q third for
fish, and fourth for butter and eggs.
There are several other markets in
Paris Most Of them are built on the
same model as the Halles Centrales, and
they are nearly oil supplied from there
with provisions.
Some notion of the amount of animal
food consumed in Paris may be obtained
from the following figures In the year
1866, besides 100000 kilogrammes Of
meat sold by auction at the Halles Cen
trales, 10000 oxen, $4,000 cows, l69, 1000
calves, and $4,000 sheep were sold at the
cattle markets. 1t Is to be remarked that
although more than $4,000 cows are con
sumed in Paris in year, yet no one will
own to buying or selling the meat.
The official returns show a sale of ten
millions and half kilogrammes Of butter
and 100000 eggs passed through the
hands Of the sorters, who, at work all day
in the cellars Of the markets, gain from
three to four thousand francs a year by
their occupation, which is, briefly, to pick
out the good eggs from the bad ones. The
consumption of this enormous number oI
eggs may be better understood when the
vast quantities bought by the econfectioner'
are taken into account. M. Guillout, fol
instance, the manufacturer of Reims bis
cults, uses $4,000 a day.
Everybody has heard the complaint oI
the gourmand that there is no more Of the
cheese called "Fromarge de Brie." Last
year four hundred and forty thousand oi
these cheeses were sold in the Halles Cen.
trales, which, with about million and Il
half cheeses of other kinds, and an equal
number Of Neufchatel cheeses, make total
Of nearly three and half millions.
Three hundred and fifty-three thousand
cart loads Of vegetables came into Paris
last year, and fourteen millions kilo.
grammes of fresh fish, OF which one-fourth
was imported from abroad; England send
ing salmon, trout and Holsters; Holland
sending salmon, shrimps, cells, pike and
carp; Switzerland, trout from Lake Gene.
va; Prussia, salmon and trout; and the
rest Of Germany enormous quantities ol
prawns.
Last year two hundred and sixty millions
of oysters were eaten in Paris, and there
was great cry about the increase in their
price. Their Wholesale price had, how.
ever, only increased twelve centimes q
dozen on that Of the previous year, and
the public may imagine what the retailers
must have pocketed out of the exorbitant
charges asked at the restaurants. Add to
this enormous mass Of eatables twelve
and half millions Of grapes which Paris
eats annually at dessert
The poultry and game market, called
La Hdrche de la PdLlee must certainly
not be omitted. Perhaps nowhere is SO
much care taken about the preparing and
trussing Of poultry for the market as in
France, and here you. will find rabbits and
hares packed with the utmost neatness in
clean straw, and ready for the spit. Game
is carefully put up, and no pains are spared
to keep II sufficiently fresh for the French
taste.
Pigeons are brought in alive generally
from Piesrdy, and being shut up in bas,
kets, are very much exhausted when they
arrive at their destination. Food, too
they are greatly in want Of, as there ID
usually great difficulty in supplying them
with IL on their way. They are given over
to boys called JaVe,irs, who fill their mouths
with grain, and allow the pigeons to take
il from between their lips.