The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-08-09

In can, which she tells you ''schmech
gut;" but when uncovered they are as
yellow as gold, and ''smell to heaven;''
yet these her German customers prefer.
This thin.faced Italian has wagon
laden with game, all killed close by.
Mule-eared rabbits and "mollie-cotton-
tails;" squirrels, red, black and gray,
some skinned, some not; lunches of
partridgcs, braces of prairie chicken
and dozens OF snipe tied together by the
neck; some wild geese; ducks Of all
kinds, from canvas-back to didapper;
and here is q single sand-hill crane
fine eating the bird is, too, and hand
some fellow to shoot. The owner is q
good salesman and an eager. He calls
to each passer-by, and knows we'll how
to praise and show his stock. Small,
swarthy, 1.-the and dirty, he is a type Of
his class, always asking higher than he
will get, and dropping little by little to
the offered price at last
Many others are in line, but they are
but repetitions Of these, IL we except
the strapping brown virago, with her
poultry and eggs, turnips and cabbage,
who is too busy joking coarsely with
the colored men and abusing the ven
ders around her to pay much attention
to her trade.
Within the building stretches a quad
ruple row of vegetable stalls, all tended
by women, German and Irish exclusive
ly, clean dressed and hatless. Their
wares make a pretty show; no hot-bed
products are here, no garden truck from
other States, but all home-raised. The
fresh green and white Of the succulent
spring vegetables are seen in the midst
of December, the pale pink radishes
lying in the crisp, curly leaves of chic
ory; the purple kohl-rabi against the
piles of creamy, wax beans; the long,
slim pods of Carolina okra" are heaped
next to golden carrots and red spring
beets; piles of purple egg-plants are
ranged between cabbage heads, pro-
verbally hard; while great punches
of cool, white celery keep company
with baskets Of fresh green pease and
pink-skinned new potatoes The women
are very artistic in their arrangement
of these things, and they make fine
display of color; but fruit they do not
touch. Here again the Dago comes to
the fore. You find him in stalls stocked
with West India, Northern, and Cali
fornia fruits; only what other States
draw from the Antilles, Mexico supplies
to Texas.
"Lemona tawenta centa dozna; ap-
pelay, banan, grapa-all cheepa," they
assure one as he goes by.
Very foreign they look, with gold
rings in their ears, men though they be,
and red mufflers around their throats.
They seem to give endless amusement
to the respecta ble-loolking colored man
and woman opposite, who keep stall
where they sell cold food-fried catfish
and tender chicken, hard-boiled eggs
and heaps of golden corn-bread and
roasted potatoes, with thin-sliced sand
wiches, all appetizing indeed, and
where many darky stops to eat meal
and treat his dusky ''Dulcinea."
Beyond is the meat market, the
butchers nearly all Germans, with
Frenchman and an American or two, to
mix the nationalities. Passing through
that, we enter what may be called the
bazar--little stores of ready-made
clothing, both male and female, tin
ware, cutlery, baskets, fancy articles.
candy, all separate, and the last-named
stalls presided over by handsome Italian
and pleasant German girls. 1t is very
ola p0drida of merchandise.
Back of this again, the fish-market
and game of various kinds; and here
once more does the Dago find an occu-
patton. There are shrimps, crabs,
oysters and all sorts of fish, but the cat
fish, in infinite variety, stands out in
marked prominence, for it is the favor
ite of the negro race, and they are rare
good customers.
In and out of the building surge the
crowd, for all of Houston is here. 1t is
a singular custom, this making a FASH
ionable promenade of the market, yet
it obtains, and the fine ladies' do not
seem to mind the mixture of peoples or
the place itself, but dress in purple
and fine linen" for the occasion. The
dude is in force, and the ''masher" is
not waiting; the men who stare and
the girls who love to be stared at;
sober matrons on housekeeping
thoughts intent; firtatious maidens
who push through the crowd, and seem
to have no idea that their manners are
not of the best; natty negro wenches,
pert of tongue and loose of demeanor;
colored "maumus." ample
of girth, in spotless white aprons; strap
ping negro men and saucy bootblacks;
lawyers and physicians;
and cooks, the haute-v0lee
and tho f1et1i-JnOn6e and both in their
best attire; policemen and tramps; old
men on crutches and babies
in arms; black, white, brown and vel.
low-negroes, Americans, Mongolians,
Irish, Dutch, French, Germans, Italians
and Spanish-they are all there, laugh
ing, talking, quarreling, gesticulating,
gossiping, staring, keeping
and making new ones, be-
Ing proper or improper, polite or rude,
as the case may be. And this goes on
from four to nine in winter, from five to
ten in summer Every Saturday even
ing 1t Is re-enacted; the people never |
tire, it seems. but congregate weekly,
year in and year out, in an endless
repetition Of the same thing. 1t Is a |
wonderful scene, bustling moving
picture of contrast and characters, and |
helps the traveller to better understand |
The prosperity Of the State, which at.
sracts one, and its rudenesses. which re.
peL--Lee c. Hardy, in Harpers Maga.
line.
The Board Held In Reverence.
The ancient Britons, like the Gauis,
hnphu hat ri