Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-09-27
TEA GROWN IN SOUTH AMERICA
A Substitute for the Chinese Article Used
by Thousands In This Countr..

by Thousands in This Countr,.
"Taste that" said a tea merchant
to New York Tribune reporter the
other day, as he handed him a curl.
Gus shaped bowl. full of q thin,
browniSh liquor, with something that
looked like a tobacco pipe resting in
1t, bowl downward. The reporter
put his lips to the stem of the pipe,
and sucked at it cautiously.
what is it?" he asked. "It tastes
like weak tea"
That's just what it is" answered
the merchant. "but it's a brand of
tea I'm 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
years by hundreds of thousands OF
Americans; and yet I'll be bound you
never heard of it." /
perhaps not" admitted the re-
porter guardedly. "What state is iO
raised in' Is some four-story brick
tea farm down here in Water street
responsible for it? Willow leaves
arsenic and a patent essence Of
theine, or something of that sort,
eh2"
mot at ALL" said the merchant,
little Indignantly. Its perfectly
genuine and unadulterated article.
Its native state is Paraguay, and that
country raises enough for It's own
consumption and 5000, 900 pounds
n ri tn nth \,
American countries"
''Oh, South American" exclaimed
the reporter. "You misled me b.
saving American.
Did T." said the merchant sar,
castically. "Any why, pray? That's
one Of the annoying peculiarities OF
this people. They're too conceited I'd
get themselves a distinctive name,
but in lordly way dub themselves
Americans. They speak of Brazllians,
Canadians, Chileans ParaguayauS
and the other millions as If they had
no right TO that title at ALL"
''But about the tea?" interrupted
The reporter apprehenslvely, What
do you call it?"
'Mate is the name of it." replied
the merchant pronounced match
And many South Americans are very
fond Of It. You have Just had the
pleasure Of drinking 1t In the nativd
manner That curious bowl is not
made Of papier -mache, as you might
think, but is gourd, trained intd
that shape while growing. The ma
tives are experts in that line, and by
binding the green Courd here and
there with cords, or bending it one
way or another, they made Il take
diversity Of shapes before 10 becomes
ripe enough to be cut, dried, scooped
out and used as a utensil. 1t will
not stand fire, Of course; but the
mate Is first put In the gourd, and
then boiling water is poured on it.
After few moments a pipe or tube
is inserted, and the liquor is drawn
)6 by suction.
"What looks like the bowl of the
pipe" continued the tea merchant, as
he lifted it from the liquid and al!
lowed the reporter TO examine IL, ''ij
in reality strainer. which prevents
the grounds from reaching the
mouth. 1t is made in the shape Of a
bulb or ball, and this one is a curl
osity In Its way, for 1t is all woven by
hand, in very fine meshes, from 0
species Of dried grass. Metal ones are
more common, and the rich have sil.
yer strainers. This is an old style one,
and / value it on that account. 1t Is
called bombilla. 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 It's enemies, who pro-
nOunce it slow poison, and its friends,
who call it the Paraguayan equivalent
for the cup that cheers, but mott
,tc.'"
as 1t real tea. botanically con-
sidered?" persisted the skeptical re
porter,
"Well. if you come down to bot.
any," admitted the merchant, tits
really species of holly, Hex Para
but it contains in large
the constituent which
makes other teas useful, that OF
theinc. Its leaves and green shoots
are collected, dried and ground up
that Is, some Of it gets TO
be fine powder In the rough method
of preparation, and then again you
will find twigs in 1t an inch long. A
large number of people get employ
ment in its growth, preparation and
export, but l am not aware that it
finds a market in any but South
american countries"