The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-20
Butter Stores In Paris.

While waiting for our breakfast one morning
in cTen1erie in Paris much frequented by for
eigners, my friend Madame B. said, 81 can
point you out every American breakfasting
here"
looked around at the people seated at the
different tables, aud wondered if she were
speaking seriously. In these days when fash
ion reduces costume and coiffare to such uni
formity, and when the blood of every civilized
race is mixed to great extent with that of
every other, distinguishing nationality at sight
appeared impossible. L asked my friend her
secret.
"Oh, it is no secret" she replied, smiling.
81 don't pretend to tell except when they are
taking breakfast. They oil put salt on their but
ter"
"Your acuteness applies only to breakfast,
them" said. cat dinner it would not serve
you, suppose" I said this in kind of saw
age way. having the common weakness that
makes all people abroad defend their country
men.
''No," she said; 1--WE never PIT butter on the
dinner table"--a fact Isshad at the moment for
gotten.
1t is true that the only salted butter you ever
find in Paris is the American butter (beurre
QnlSric0in) but there this is used only for cook
ing, and is never sold In butter stores, but in
groceries. 1t is our common tub butter. The
French butter, the finest possible product of its
kind, is sold in the butter stores scattered all
over the city, which furnish nothing but dairy
products and eggs. These stores are generally
models of order and neatneSS. Young girls or
women ia snowy caps and aprons, courteous
and obliging, serve the customers, while are
sponsible looking matron sits at the desk, super
vising the business and keeping the books. In
Paris women seem to have mon0polized the
occupation of book keeling.
One of the butter stores of Paris remember
especially and will briefly describe it. 1t was
near the grand market (La HALEY. The large
window on the right of the entrance always
contained large loosely arranged bouquet of
rural garden. There was nothing else in the
window except glass-c0vered stand contain
lug Bondon cheeses and the double creme suisse.
Inside there was a long horseshoe counter or
table, where eggs and cheese were sold, and on
either side marble tables, each containing about
four huge masses of butter, shaped like an in
verted butter firkin. Over each mass was hung
delicate silver wire about two feet long, both
ends terminating in piece Of cork. With this
wire the sales woman would cut, almost always
exactly, any amount ordered, from a den,i-
quart (half aarter) to pound. 1t being .
costly product, and always purchased daily.
small quantities are the rule. To separate the
quantity ordered, lay it on square of delicate
white paper on the little scales, weigh it, pinch
the corners of the paper together, and place 1t
on the cool lettuces in your basket, is the work
of very few seconds with these expert sales
women. Lettuces you would be sure to have in
your basket, for no one goes to market in Paris
fresh; and naturally you would purchase butter
after everything else, that it might reach home
in the freshest possible state.-1fdrie HO1cgdRd,
IN Hd1per'S Magazine for October.