Wilmington argus. (Wilmington, Del.) 1880-18??, 1880-01-14

By the Jardin des Plantes, in the old ant
quaint quarter of st. Marcel, Paris, yot
will find, every Wednesday morning, from
spring to autumn, very curious marke
place. From seven to nine A. NJ, YOU
attention is called to an open space o.
ground, separated by boarding from thu
street by noise like unto that which greet:
the ears Of tired Senators when the sun Of
day is meeting the twilight hour, and al
frogdom on the banks of the Washington
canal is chorously joyous and loud We
approach this market place SO full of simp.
licity and sound. Young men in blue
blouses, black silk caps, pert faces, jaunty
airs, big finger rings, dandy boots, greasy
hair-parted down the middle-and prin
moustaches, are the venders In one hand
they hold little stick, and when the
sounds alluded to grow heathenish, whackl
goes the stick on the top of barrel whence
these dlabolioal noises emanate, and silence
reigns. The toads are momentarily dumb,
We know there is great deal of unlovahle
sentiment arrayed against toads yet toads
are full Of love sentiment. A toad carries
all its young in most loving and senti-
mental manner, and why should moi like
beget like, if there be any truth in the doc
trinc Of Aristotle? Much bad blood and
malignity is got up against toads. This
one OF the young men in blouse tells me, in
a foppish, philosophical way. Barrels
of toadsl Think Of it Barrels packed like
barrels of potatoes "Selling at 2 francs
40 to francs dozen, prime toads nice
toads!" Who buys them? Vegetable gar
deners. Why For the reason that toads
devour the insects that otherwise would de-
YOUR the vegetables. Who devours the
toads2 Contrary to some ideas-not the
French people. But toads are being sold
now, not devoured, and it is with the sell
ling we are interested. How do they vend
them2 Young man in blouse bares his arm
and thrusts his open hand into the Shiny
swim and brings up two, three or four gym
nastic toads, wriggling and writhing. He
points out their merits and delivers them in
box by the dozen to the eager market
gardener who takes his choice and pays his
price. The buying and selling is done ex-
peditiously and quietly. The license reve-
nue. to the Government is great, while the
profit to the venders is greater, arising from
this other peculiar Partisan basencss the
selling of toads. addressed myself to one
of the merchants: "Permit me to ask if you
have been long in this business ?' hIerch-
ant looks at me and laconically replies:
"Born in it !" Then resume and say, en-
couragingly: "You know good deal about
it2" He looks at me again and replies:
"All!" l am uneasy as TO his feelings,
therefore change the attack by asking
'Does it pay well ~ BE deigns not to look |
at me now, but replies; SIT doesin 'tDo |
you suffer much loss by death by packing |
the toads all Of mass in barrel2" 81 do |
not !" sis it expensive to cultivate them Yp
sit isl" 'How do you care for them and |
themS" ''We don't care much,
and they propagate themselvesl" "WhereG"
Marshes and rockeriesp' .sDo you ever
feed them2" 'sNeverl" ssHow do YOU |
liye2" ''.Pretty well tHage you large
ssl!ssiuoss Too levsfA ~ Z lse'r, afsa 4.z,s.
as the concentrated assemblage, Of many
Eoads, and l leave him.