Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-08-02
King Cheese.

NAhS NhNNcOs
"A Story ofths Paris Exhibition otlss7)
Where many a cloud-wreathed mountain blanches
Eternally in the blue abyss,
And tosses its torrents and avalanches
laundering from cliff and precipice,
There is the lovely land Of the Swiss
Land Of lakes and Of icy seas,
of chamois and chalets,
Ano 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 all,
Great and small,
Short and tall,
At the burgomaster's call.
The stout and fat, the lean and lame,
From house and shop, and dairy and pasture,
In queer old costumes, up they came,
Obedient to the burgomaster.
He made a speech" Fellow-citizens: There is
To be, as you know,
wonderful show,
Universal Fair, at Paris;
Where every country its product carries,
Whstever most beautiful, useful, or rareis,
To please and surprise,
And perhaps win prize.
Now here is the question
Which Graves your counsel and suggestion
With you 1t lies;
So after wise
And careful consideration Of IL,
Say, what shall send for our honor and profit p"
Some said this thing, some said that;
Then up rose burgher ruddy and fat,
Rounder and redder than all the rest
With nose like rose, and an asthmatic chest
And says he, with a wheeze,
Like the buzzing OF bees:
propose, if you please,
That we send EN- cheese"
Then 1.-THE little man,
Took the floor and began,
In high, squeaky voice: 81 approve Of the plan;
But l wish to amend
What's proposed by my friend:
BIG CHEESE, l think, is the thing we should
send"
Then up jumped third,
To put in word,
And amend the amendment they had Just heard:
"a ROYAL BIG CHEESE " was the phrase he
preferred.
The question was moved,
Discussed and approved,
And the vote unanimous, that 1t behooyed
Their ancient, venerable corporation,
To send such cheese should honor the nation
So ended the solemn Convocation;
And after due deliberation,
The bur2UmaSter made proclamation,
Inviting people of every station,
Each according to his vocation,
With patriotic emulation,
To JON i'll general tub. .lation,
And get up a cheese or the grand occasion.
Then shortly began the preparation.
OAe morning was beard mighty clamoring,
With sounds Of saving and planning and hammer
ing.
The painters, forsaking their easels and pallets,
Came 10 look on, or assist in the labor;
The joners were there with their Chisels and NAL
Trades of all grades, every man with his neigh
The carpenters, cooperB,
And stout iron -hoopers
Erecting press for the thing to be doneln.
tub Bug enough 10 put ton after ton in,
Aud cutters for rivers of liquid to run in,
March was the month the work was begun in
If that could be ork they nothing but fun in:
Twas finished in April, and long before May
Everything was prepared for the curd and the
whey.
Then the 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 Ia their pretty Dress
From highway and by-way all round, came bring.
ing,
Morning and evening, the milk to the press.
Then it took seven wise heads together to guess
Just how much rennet, no more and no less,
Should be added, to crude and thicken the mess
So, having been properly warmed and stirred,
The cheese was set and, now, at word,
Ten strong men fell to cutting the curd.
Some whey was reheated;
The cutting repeated;
Each part of the process most carefully treated,
For fear they might find, 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 1t,
And tumble and pack 1t
Within the vast vat in it's dripping gray jncket;
And the press is set going with clatter and racket
The great screw descends, as the long levers play,
And the curd, like some crushed living creature,
gives wayS
1t signs IN its troubles
The pressure redoubleg
1t 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 30 was made, as 1 am assured,
The rch-ordered, great-girdled Emperor,
OF all cheese that ever were.
Then, everything ready, what should they have
else
In starting His Ma ajesty on his travels,
But great procession up and down
Through the streets of the quaint old town?