The Washington critic., 1889-04-03

anu inc SUES were uOtteu WIFI IL, Dul bHe
fungi growing from the bottom was differ
ent from the other The foot-wall fungi
had in several instances raised stones
weighing from fifty to one hundred aud
fifty pounds, and some were held IN the
air at height of over three feet. Some of
the fungi resembled human hair, they were
so fine; some were five or six feet long and
rs large as a broom handle; another kind
terminated IN sort OF bulbous BLOSSOM;
others hung from the roof aud looked like
serpents, The heaviest growth was In the
darkest parts.
An ola Maids Money.
In 1850 some thirty young women in Ber.
lin started an Old Maids Club, with pro-
vision for q fine OF 1000 marks upon every
one who married. The club was great
success, but suddenly an epidemic of mar
riage set in, and at the annual meeting this
year only one member was left, and she found
herself called upon to dispose of 2s,0O0
marks, the accumulation Of the fines paid
by the former members. She took the ad-
vice Of the ex-members, and It was decided
that half the sum should go to q hospital
and that the solitary old maid should have
the rest for herself.
The Cardinals PIacidity.
Cardinal Haynald, the Hungarian prelate,
was leaving his hotel TO go TO his carriage,
few days ago, when child begged him
FOR aims. He felt In all his pockets without
finding coin, and, seeing a richly dressed
woman passing, beckoncd TO her, asked for
her purse, and taking from II liberal sum
bestowed 1t upon the child. Then he
thanked the woman gravcly, and, entering
his carriage, was driven away.
Mississippps Population.
The constant increase of negroes in Mis-
sissippi, for they seem to be flocking to that
State from all parts of the South, is causing
much uneasiness down there. A news
paper of that State gives the negro ma
iority In the population rs 60,511 in 1870,
III ,S2S IN 1880, and estimates that the
census of 1890 will show 356,92I more
colored than white persons within its
borders.
Treated to a Lynching.
As the north-bound express train pulle
out of the station at Norman, /. T., on
Tuesday, the passengers were treated to
the sight OF a lynching by the citizens of
that town. The people had captured a
horse-thief and taken him to telegraph
pole near the railroad to hang him. 1t was
daylight and none of the lynchers were dis
guised. Just as the train started the man
was strung up.
A Small Young Person.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cassons of Rockland,
Me-, have girl baby which weighed just
two pounds at birth, February 27, and has
not grown much since. She is, however,
physically perfect, very bright and In ex-
cellent health. She lies In cradle made
from q grape basket about a foot long and
elegantly upholstered In silk and satin of
bright colors. ~t
snails for Food.
"Do you mean to say you have much of
a trade In those things ?' asked Press re-
porter Of Fulton Market fish dealer,
pointing to a peculiarly-shaped box lined
with shelves, over which crawled hundreds
of snails.
"They don't go off very rapidly, that's
fact" replied the dealer, "but there is
always a steady demand for them, so l
keep them in stock. Most of the snails
brought to the New York market arc
raised In that land of red mud and mos
quitoes, Jersey. There number Of small
farmers do nothing else but raise and fatten
them. 1t is no new thing, you know, to de-
vote time and money to the snail culture
abroad, for both in France, Germany and
some parts Of England, these lazy mollusks
are much admired by epcures. The taste
for them in this country has scarcely be-.
come popular as yet, although there are
more restaurants than one would think,
especially down town in the vicinity of
Wall street, where snails are regularly
served.
''Did you ever eat any YOURSELF"
~ have, many time; and properly
cooked, q ripe fat snail is delicious. BY
ripe mean that condition In which the
snails are when about to retire into state
of torpidity for the winter. Like all hiber-
mating animals, snails then lay on thick
coating Of fat, and 1t is when IN this con-
dition that they are considered best. There
are number Of ways In which snails may
be cooked to advantage. One IL to broil
them and season with pepper and vinegar.
Soaked In salt and water and then served in
the many ways in which oysters, scallops
and periwinkles are eaten, they are excel
lent. In general,n continued the dealer,
launching into snail history, at may be
said that the Kentish snail, so-called be-
cause first found in the County OF Kent,
England, is upon the whole the finest edible
variety yet discovered. This snail has
a rosy lip and delicate blush, is of good
size, takes ON fat readily, and has de-
licious flavor. In England snails are not
used so much as an ordinary article OF food
as for a delicacy at stated feasts. For in-
stance, at Newcastle the glass manufac-
tnrers, at their yearly banquet, are famous
for their snail dishes. The Dartmoor NUT
ton, the finest in the world, is supposed to
get It's rich flavor from the snais eaten by
the sheep. II is a well known fact that
snails were common dish with the Ro-
mans and that the epicures OF that nation
raised them Of an enormous size. On many
parts OF the continent snails are commonly
eaten, and from certain snail farms near
Ulen, in Wurtemberg, no fewer than 10,-
GOO, 000 Of these creatures are sent yearly
TO other gardens to be fattened before
they are shipped for the use of the Aus
trian converts during Lent. From
Troyes alone II has been calculated
that snails to the value of 100000,
the wholesale price being four sous PEI
1ua1 fs,,. Ia1 IN ha pl M ni