The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-01
VOL. VIII.
King Cheese.

King Cheese.
"A Story or the Paris Exhibition Of 1857
Whore many cioud-wreathed mountain blsnches
Eternally in the blue abyss,
And tosses its torrents and avalancheS
laundering from cliff and precipice,
There ia the lovely land of the Swiss
Land of lakes and Of icy seas,
OF chsmois and chalets,
An1 beautiful valleys,
Musical boxes, watches, and cheese.
Picturesque, with its landscapes green and cool,
Sleek cattle standing in shadow or pool
And dairy-maids bearing pail and stool
That is the quaint little town Of Mule.
There, one day, in the old town-hall,
Gathered the worthy burghers sll,
Great and small,
Short and tail,
At the burgomaster's call
The stout and fat, tho lean and lame,
From house and shop, aad dairy and pasture,
An queer old costumes, up they came,
Obedient to the burgomaster.
He made speech" Fellow-citizens There is
To be, as you know,
wonderful show,
Universal Fair, at Paris;
Where every country its product carries,
Whatever most beautiful, useful, or rsreis,
To please and surprise,
And perhaps win prize.
Now here is the question
Which Graves your counsel and suggestion
With you II lies;
So, after wise
And careful consideration of 10,
Say, what shall zoe send for our honor and profit 2"
Some said this thing, some said thst
Then up rose burgher, ruddy and fat,
Rounder and redder than all the rest,
With nose like a rose, aud an asthmatic chest:
And says he, with a wheeZe,
Like the buzzing OF bees:
propose, If you please,
That we send 'em a cheese"
Then 1.-the little man,
Took the floor, and began,
In high, equeaky voice: 81 approve OF the plan;
But wish to amend
what's proposed by my friend:
BIG CHEESE, think, is the thing we should
send"
Then up jumped third,
To put in a word,
IA ROYAL BIG CHEESE . was the phrase he
preferred.
The question wss moved,
Discussed and approved,
And the vote was unanimous, that 1t behooved
Their ancient, venerable corporation,
To send such Il cheese as should honor the nation.
30 ended The solemn convocaton;
And after due deliberaton,
The burgomaster made proclamation,
Inviting people Of every station,
Each according to his vocation,
With patriotic emulation,
To JON in a general iub ation,
AND get up cheese Tor the grand occasion.
Then shortly began the preparation.
With sounds Of saving end planning and hammer
ing.
The painters, forsaking their easels and pallets,
Game 10 look Oh. or assist in the labor;
The joners were there with their chisels and mall
leis;
Trades OF all grades every man with his neigh.
The carrenters, coopers.
And stout iron hoopers,
Eraa I'M . f,,,t tn. IN In. tnh ha IN
tub big enough 10 put ton after ton in,
And cutters for rivers of liquid to run in.
March was the S onR rR the work was begun mi finn
,,r--~. anisied in April, and long before May
Everything was prepared for the curd and the
whey.
Then TIE bells were set ringing
The milking began;
AL over the land went the dairy-maids singing;
Boy and man,
Cart, pail, and can,
And peasant girls, each in their pretty dress.
From highway and by-wsy all round, came bring.
ing,
Then 1t took seven wise heads together to guess
Just how much renn.t no more and no less
Should be added, to crude and thicken tue mess
30, having been properly warmed and stirred,
The cheese was set ; and, now, at word,
Ten strong men fell to cutting the curd.
Some whey reheated;
The cutting repeated;
Each psrt of the process most carefully treated.
FOR lear they might hnd, when the whole was
completed,
Their plan had by some mischance been defeated.
Now the weavers come bringing the web they were
spinning,
cloth for the curd, OF the stoutest Of linen,
The ten men attack It,
Ana tumble and pack 1t
Wlthln the vas' vat ia its dripping gray Jacket;
ana the press II SGT going with clatter and racket
ine great screw descerds, &c the ong levers nay,
Ana the curd, like come crushed living creature
gives say
1t sighs 10 lis troubles
The pressure redoubles!
II mutters and sputters,
And hisses and bubbles,
While down the deep CUTTERS,
From every pore spirited, rush torrents OF whey.
The cheese was pressed, and turned, and cured;
And so was made, as am assured,
The rich-ordered, great girdled Emperor,
or all cheese that ever were.
Then, everything ready, what should they have
else,
In starting His Majesty on his travels,
But great pro cession up and down
Through the streets of the quaint old town?
So they made
grand parade,
With marching train-band, guild, and trade;
The burgomester in robes arrayed,
Col chain, and mace and gay cockade,
Great keys carried, and flags displayed,
Pompous marshal and spruce yGung aide,
Carnage and foot and cavalcade