West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-01-17
The Toad Market of Paris.

By the Jardin deS Plantcs. in the old and
quaint quarter of 81. Marcel, Paus. YOU
will hnd, every "Wednesday morning. from
| spring TO autumn, "a very curious market
place. From seven 10 nine ~ NJ, your
attention is called TO an open space Of
| ground, separated 10y boarding from the
street 10y noise like unto that which grcetS
the ears of tired Senators when The sun of
/ day is meeting the twilight hour, and all
| irOgdom ON the banks of the Washington
canal is chorously Joyous and load We
/ approach this market place so full of simp-
liCity and sound. Young men i'm blue
blouses, black silk caps. pert faces, iauntv
airs, big finger rings, dandy boots, greasy
hair-parted down the middlc-and prim
/ mousjaChcs, are the vendors I'm one hand
| they hold little stick and when the
/ sounds alluded 20 grow hcathcuish, whack
/ goes the stick on 'hc top OF barrel whence
/ these dIabOliCal noises cmanatc, and silence
reigns. The toadS are momeutariy dumb.
! We know there is a great deal of unlovable
! sentiment arraycd agains, toadS, vet toadS
are full OF love sentiment 4 toad carries
all its young in most loving and scuti-
mental manner, and why should not like
beget like, If there be any truth in the doc
/ trinc IF Aristotle? Much bad blood and
I
/ one of the young men i'm blouse tells me. in
foppish, half philosophical way. Barrels
OF toads. Think of il Barrels packed like
barrels of potatoes "Selling at francs
| 40 To francs "A dozen, prime toads. nice
| ioads.' Who buys them Vegetable gar
| deners. Why For the reason that toads
devour the insects that otherwise would de
vour the vegetables. Who devours the
toadst Contrary TO some idcas-not the
/ French people. But tOads are being sold
now, not devourcd, and it is with the sell
ling we are interested. How do they vcnd
themf Young man i'm blouse bares his arm
and thrusts his open hand into the Shiny
swim and brings up two, three or four gym
nasllc toads, wrigglng and writhing. lie
! points out their merits and delivers them i'm
| box by the dozen to the eager market
gardener who takes his choice and paws his
price. The buying and selling is done cN-
peditiousy and quietly The license revc-
nue. 10 the Government is great, while the
profit TO the vcndcrs Is greater. arising from
this other peculiar Partisan bascncss, the
selling of tuads. | addressed myself TO one
/ of the merchants: Permit me to ask il YOU
have been long in this business - Mcrch-
ant looks at me and laConically replies:
/ 'Born ia IL !' Then | resume and say. en-
couragingly: "l on know "a good deal about
II = lie looks at me again and replies:
All | am uneasy as to his feelings.
therefore change the attack by asking
DOCS it pay well p lie dcigns not to look
at me now, but replies at does" $50
you suffer much loss by death by packing
the toads all of a mass in barrel - 81 do
no, ~ "ls it expensive to cultivate them 2"
''It is !' Glow do you care for them and
propagate them - ave don't care much,
and they propagate themselves" "Whcrci"
MARSHES and rockcres ~ "Do you ever
feed them ~ "Ncver!' GLOW do you
llvei' ''Pretty well' "Iiave you large
suppy| "Ioo large" | look upon him
as the concentrated assemblagc OF many
tosds, and | leave him.