San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-16

! declares that ''One-half of the world
! does not know how the other hall
| lives" The CITY man who has never
roughed 1t by travelling IN the outlying
districts Of the country, has no sort at
conception IA to how the people in those
outlying districts live, and but for the
sharp edge which hunger gives the APP
petite would recOil from the food set be-
fore him in n spirit of hospitality that
beggars description. Hospitality Is
oftener found in the log cabin out In the
forest than in the palace, and then 1t is
so hearty and enforced AS to be charm
ing. On the other hand. the deniZen OF
the country il dumb-fOunded at the
dishes y aGed before him when he visits
the city, for none of them are recognize
able by him. They are all surprises to
him, unless he comes across u dish OF
bacon and gree! s or some food that has
been fried. Even the souse TO which he
has been accustomed from childhood,
confrOnts him rs hogshead cheese.
But the adage above quoted has far
wider application. Every nation eats
some article Of food that Ia revolving to
its neighbOrs. The English, several cen
turtles past, spoke Of the ''FrOg-eating
Frenchman" in tone indicative OF con
tempt and derisiOn. The oatmeal of the
Scotch was ridiculed and laughed ut. In
his dictionary, DIR. Samuel johnson
gave the following definition OF oats:
a kind OF grain used in England for feed
ing horses, but In Scotland fol feeding
men," But could he burst the cerements
OF the grave and now revisit the earth
he would be astOunded to see oatmeal
figuring rs choice dish upon the tables
OF families who are able to choose their
food at pleasure. For long while the
~ laI Far hai fnnnnnga
OF sauer kraut, but sauer kraut has been
steadily rising in popular favor. The
Chinese are forced by their Overdense
population to devOur rats. mice, etc,
and | have heard that earth worms,
cooked in milk, are esteemed most de-
licious dish. Many African tribes es-
TEEN bugs, eaten raw, as soon as caught,
without bread or condiments, splendid
meal, while the inhabitants OF the in
terror OF Africa, and in some OF the re-
mote islands, consider roasted mission
aries decided luxury The cultured
and super-retined people OF Boston re-
gard "baked beans and pork" as dish
fit for the gods. The lAZarOni OF Naples
delight in sweet oil and maccaroni, the
latter of which they swallow by the
yard, with gustO and ENJOYMENT no
language can describe. The Spaniards
have every dish seasoned with garlic,
while the Mexicans "bank" on red pep
per. | have seen persons smack their
lips over pudding made OF blood as
heartily rs SanchO did over COmanchOs
bullets, which he laddled out of the ket-
tie. Other persons sit wOndrOus store by
a dish of Gray-fish, while snails are high
ly appreciated rs food In Mexico and
other countries. "Custom makes ii a
property of easiness in us" Habit con-
Quers our repugnance to particular ar
ticles OF food. Professor Riley last sum
ner endeavOred to induce the people to
utilize grass -hOppers by eating them,
and perchance in 1910 pOtted grass-hop-
pers will grace the tableG of all the ad-
vanced thinkers. whose boast IL is to
have freed themselves from prejudices
of all kinds. Horses are now an article
of food in France, rs mule meat was in
Vicksburg while 1t WAS besIeged. But
mule meat is never likely to be eaten
from choice. II 1t be true that like
produces like" in eating mule meat, one
runs the risk OF becoming as full OF Gus
sedness and ObstinaCy as any mule In
the land.
An interesting article mig be con-
structed out of the likes and dislikes OF
persons for particular article OF food.
One brother has keen relish for NUT
ton, while another turns away from it
with loathing looks upon beef rs
tasteless and eats 1t only from necessity;
the Englishman esteems it above all
other meats. The same is true in refer
ence to the various vegetables grown in
the kitchen garden, Much of this like
and dislike of particular meats and vege-
tables is contracted in childhood from
parents and Is not the outcome OF ex-
detrimental knowledge. But having al
ready exhausted the patience of the
reader as well rs your space, it behOoves
me to close these remarks.
TONEY,