The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-16
HORSE MEAT AS FOOD.

The French Began to Eat It Some
Years Before the Siege of Paris.
Bayis Correspondence of Pittsburo Dispatch
Iwouldn;t dare say how many times I
have been told that, according to the sta
,stics of 1891, there are 1874 shops in this
city where horse meat is sold, and that In
that year there we're dealt out to customers
81 23i horses, 81 mules and 275 asses. I
have had it repeated to me at half the din.
ner tables at which / have sat that these
figures meant that the Partisan stomach
had made an effort in 1891 to digest 4, 697. 900
kilos 40, 335. 57S pounds OF horse, ass and
mule.
teal It has been enHvened by personal
"reminiscences Of the siege of Paris, when
the best pstr0nized Of the street hawkers
was be who cried "chevalp and "mulet. u
have heard vivid descriptions Of groups
Of soldiers roasting whole the carcass of
some fine steed which had suocumbed to
German bullets or siege privations. MY
stock of French curiosities has been In
creased by the following novel menu ac>
curately presented IN 1870 at a BANQUET
given BY the members Of O society advocat.
ing the eating of unusual meats. Here il is
translated:
Oonsonme OF morse, with barley.
RELIEVES.
Dog liver, a Ia Maitre d'Hotel.
Cat croquettes, Mayonnaise dressing.
ENTREES.
Fillet of dog, tomato sauce.
Civet of cat with mushrooms.
Dog outlets with green pease.
Ragout OF rats, Robert sauce.
BOASTS.
Dog with pepper sauce
Vegetables.
DESSERT.
Plum pudding with rum and
Horse marrow sauce.
Among the guests who ate through this
dinner was the famous scientist, De Quat-
refages. Once or twice / have encountered
a live hippophagist who has loaded me with
historical facts, contending that the preiu-
dice against horse meat is due in the Orient
10 the Koran, which forbids Mohammedans
70 use the meat, and in Europe to the early
Christian priests, who forbade it to their
fooks because the Teutons and Celts sacri-
feed it to their gods and ate the flesh at
their religious festivals
This same propagandist has proved to me
that IN Germany, Austria, Holland and
Russia the horse had long been an article Of
diet, aud he has furnished me a most enter
tanning account of the use made of this
meat in Napoleon's wars especially of that
QOUaDl6 Jliue WuSu dlbOI buo D6Lblo VI EAS~
sling the French troops were shut up on an
island in the Danube with nothing to eat
and the horses we're ordered killed and
cooked and in default of salt we're seasoned
with cannon powder
These advocates tell with emotion the
story of the modern debut of horse meat in
Paris. 1t was work of PHILANTHROPY, and
oddly enough a woman was responsible for
it. This woman was Mime. Boitelle, the
wife Of project Of the Seine. Mme Boitele
was devoted friend OF the poor. She was
greatly troubled by the fact that the work
ing people could not afford to buy sufficient
meat at the usual prices. She believed
aorse flesh to be nutritious She knew 1t
could be sold cheaply. In 1865 she per-
suaded her husband to allow a shop TO be
opened. The 1914 shops which exist to-day
are a sufficient monument to her good sense.
All this information did less, however. to
make me feel that horse meat was a fact
than the brilliant banquet at which the
hippophagists celebrated the advance of
their doctrine in February. The menu was
characteristic. 1t included horse sausage,
horse de Ia Godfrey Saint Hilaire, mule
brains, smoked horse tongue, filet of horse
la Descroix, mule ham and horse pates.
The menu was not completely equine. The
cheese and drinks we're ordinary. Why
not follow the Arabs and add cheese OF asses
milk and the Russians and make o drink of
mares milkl Consistency is jewel. A
sect which sings the praise Of mule sausage
ought not TO hesitate at mares cheese.