The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-06-16
AN AMERICAN TEA.
Mate" is It's Name, and South
America Its Home.
Curious Manner of Preparing
1t For Consumption.

a New York Tribune reporter the
other day, as he handed him cu-
rionsly shaped bowl, full of thin,
brownish liquor, with something that
looked like tobacco pipe resting in it,
bowl downward. The reporter put
his lips to the stem Of the pipe and
| sucked at it cautiously.
.What is itP' he asked. "It tastes
like weak tea"
"Thafs just what it Is" answered
| the merchant, "but it is a brand of
tea Pm pretty sure you never tasted
before. That's a genuine American
tea; grown in America, cured in
America, indigenous to America and
consumed in large quantities for
for years by hundreds of thousands of
Americans; and yet Pll be bound yon
1 you never heard of it."
"Perhaps not" admitted the re-
porter guardeily. "What state is it
raised IMP Is some four-story brick
tea farm down here in Water street
responsible for it? Willow leaves.
arsenic and patent essence of theme,
or something of that sort, eh 7"
Mot at ALL" said the merchant, a
little indignant. "Its perfectly
genuine and unadulterated article. Its
native state is Paraguay, and that
country raises enough for its own con-
sumption, and about s, 200. 900 pounds
annually for export TO other South
American Countries
"Oh, South American" exclaimed
the reporter. "You misled me by
saying American"
"Did II" said the merchant sar-
J castically. "And why, pray3 That's
one of the annoying peculiarities of
this people. They're too conceited to
get themselves distinctive name, but
in lordly way dub themselves Ameri-
cans. They speak of Brazilians, Cana
dians, Chilians, Paraguayans and the
other millions of Americans as if they
had no right to that title at ALL"
"But about the tea," Interrupted
the reporter apprehensively. "What
do You call It'll"
"Mate is the name of it," replied
the merchant, pronounced match Z
And many South Americans are very
fond of it. You have just had the
pleasure of drinking it in the native
manner. That curious bowl is not
made Of papier-mache, as you might
think, but is gourd, trained into that
shape while growing. The natives
are experts in that line, and by bind
ing the green gourd here and there
with cords, or bending it one way and
another, they make it take diversity
of shapes before it becomes ripe
enough to be cut, dried, ,scooped out and
used as an utensil. 1t will not stand
fire, of course; but the mate is first
put in the gonrd, and then boiling
water is poured on it. After few
moments pipe or tube is inserted,
and the liquor is drawn off by suction.
"What looks like the bowl of the
pipe." continued the tea merchant, as
he lifted it from the liquid and allowed
the reporter to examine it, sis in
reality stralner, which prevents the
grounds from reaching the mouth. 1t
is made in the shape of bulb or ball,
and this one is a curiosity in its way,
for it is all woven by hand, in very
fine meshes. frop species of dried
grass. Metal ones are more common,
and the rich have silver strainers.
This is an old-style one, and l value it
! on that account. 1t is called bonn
billa. The natives like their mate, as
we would say, red hot. Its effect is
much the same as that of the tea you
are accustomed TO, stimulating and
restorative. and, of course. has its
enemies, who pronounce it slow poi
son, and its friends, who call it the
Paraguayau equivalent for Nthe cup
that cheers but not, ETC."
ais it real tea, botanically con-
sidered?" persisted the skeptical re-
porter.
"Well. if You come down 70 bot
any," admitted the merchant, otis
really species of holly, Hex Para
guayensis, bnt it contains in large
proportions the constituent which
makes other teas useful, that of theme.
Its leaves and green shoots are col
laetad dried and s,round mn unevanlv.