The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-07-11
SPOONS AND FORKS.
Their History from the Time of Prin.
1.-Two Man to the Present Dav.

Their History from the Time of Prim.
1.-Two Man to the Present Day.
The implements of the table is the
subject OF charming article in the
current number of the Revue dc Fa.
mile. Plates, tumblers, knives
spoons, forks. and salt-cellars are
called upon to give an account oil
their creation, or rather OF their evo'
luton. The plate comes first, and a
curious storyis told of the first china
plates, which. in the dark middle ages
arrived in Europe from the east. As
soonas the dainty ware with it's curl
GUS hieroglyphics made it's appear
ance rumors became current that If a
poisonous substance was put upon
them their whiteness became immedi.
atcly clouded. and, as tho fear oil
being poisoned was very great among
the rulers. the china plates were sub
stituted for the more ancient test OF
dipping the tooth of IL serpent or {,
piece OF n horn Of unicorn into the
TODD. This fear ofpoison prevailed
to such an extent that it became
the custom to bring padlocketl
boxes OF the table, which were opened
III" n:;;'nc::::tt >!H:"iia: ;%i;;.s s,:rved, and
which everybody kept his own knifo
and spoon. Thus Saint Simon
writes: The king of England sat
down with the queen on his right and
our king on his lett. They all had
their padlockcd boxes by their side. "
But long before the aristocratic din
nerware OF the Chinese and japanese
came across the sea wooden aud
metal plants had been in use, which
had slowly developed from perfect
ilatncss into the Shnpcly sauces or
gravirs from running off the fiat
plates pieces Of bread were provided
by which the fluids were sucked up.
and which, after the meal. were graz
ciously distributed among the peo-
pleof more common clay.
The sovereign or grandee of the
middleagcs. scntedin front of his fiat
plate. cut his food with Il knife be-
gins in the darkness OF prehistoric
day, when the European savage made
himselfaXes of stone. Each century,
almost each generation, tried to i'm
prove the knife, and the medieval
dinner, whose habits. like those of
Castor lie Folk, were somewhat Pc
culiar. could even indulge in using
his own pockct-knife in preference to
thearticlcsupplicd by his host. Lat
or the knife-handles were adorned
with ianciful carvings, the music and
words of church hymns were cut into
them, their size and shape varied all
most infinitely, and slowly they ar
rived at their present state of pcrfec-
ton.
The palm Of the hand was the
spoons ofprimitiveman. Then came
the reign of the shell from the sea-
shore: but. wilhelm ancient Rome and
Greece and on the banks of the Nile
the full-blown spoon this side of the
Alps. even in the fifteen century.
Gradually the handle grow, became
tiattcr and more shaprly. and behold.
when Louis Nv. reigned over France
the modern silver spoon, with dainty
decorations. had become de rigurur.
The Tocabularies of ancient Greece
lavcno nlmccquivalcnt for the term
fork" nordo later dictionaries sup
ply the deficiency, consequently it
may he assumed that they used
i Fnther Adams fork. only, notwith-
standing the fact that on Il number
of celebrated French paintings de-
picting scenes from Greek history Or
mythology, men and women are
armed with forks which might have
come from the shop of II modern sill
vrrsmith. And so entirely was even
France devoted to it's manner OF eat
in@ by the sole assistance of its fin
gers, where spoon or knife would not
suffice. that the first forks brought
across the mountains mt the end of
the fifteenth century were received
with undisguised repugnance Fruit
only was eaten with forks, and when,
II 1911, Tom Coryat brought some
ofthe tridents from Italy the British
arlooked upon him in utter stupciac-
ton and dubbed him "iursiver"-