The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-07
Facts About the Origin
of Table Utensils.
Where Kraemer Found His
Lost Diamond.
How Modern War Balloon Is Made.
The Ham Fair of PariSianS.


into the misty past has been engaged In
nm effort to trace the origin of table
ltensils and the result of his labor Is
very interesting. The Romans. he de-
,lares took their meals lying on very low
,ouches, and 1t was not until about the
time Of Charlemagne that stand was
used, around which guests were seated on
cushions, while the table made It's appear
ancs in the middle ages and with 1t came
benches with backs. The Greeks and
Romans ate from kind of porringer, yet
during a portion Of the middle ages slices
of bread cut round took the place OF
plates The spoon is very ancient ana
many fine specimens arc in existence that
were used by the Egyptians in the seven
teenth century B. G. The knife, though
very old, had not come into common uso
as a table utensil in the tenth century.
The fork was absolutely unknown 10 the
Greeks and Romans, appeared only q
curiosity in the middle ages and was nrst
used upon the table by Henry III. Drink
ing cups-in the middle ages made from
metal more or less precious-naturally
dated from the remotest antiquity. The
use Of glasses from Venice began to be
general I'm the fifteenth century. The salt
cellar appeared at very early date and
occupied the place Of honor at the ban
Duets of the Greeks and Romans, many
Of them being made of gold and silver
and richly chased.
Who was the poppy cutting emperor OF
the Romans, asks an inquirer who says he
recently encountered a reference TO such "a
parsonage, but his name was not given.
Tarquinius Superbus who ilourished about
five centuries B. c.. is the character re-
ferred to probably. The story OF the poppy
cutting is that having repeatedly ut
tempted, but always in vain, to conquer
the city of ,Gabli bv siege and open war
fare, he finally determined TO try strategy.
To this end he caused his son Sextus to
counterfeit desertion, giving as reason
the severe and unjust usage OF his father,
and to seek refuge among the Gabli.
There he soon rose to eminence and was
made governor of the city and general OF
its army. Finding himself fully In the
confidence of the citizens he sent trusty
messenger to his father for further in
structions. To the messengers repeated
questions, Tarquin returned no other
answer than To walk with him into the
garden and there he cut down before him
the tallcst poppies. Upon the return and
report OF the messenger Sextus understood
the hint mt once and began, under various
rretexts TO cut of the leading men OF the
city. A similar aneodote is told both by
Herodotus and Aristotle Of Thrasybulus
and Periauder. According to Herodotus
bulus gave IL, but according TO Aristotle
the parties to the transaction are reversed.
In both of these accounts it was tho
largest and highest ears OF corn which
were Topped off and trampled under foot
Henry Kraemer Bayonne barber, is
greatly puzzled over strange experience
In which his $50 diamond ring his Brahma
setting hen and setting of alleged
white Leghorn eggs figured as potent
factors. Several weeks ago he bought
the hen and eggs. In due time the hen
acquired the maternal fever, and was
allowed to hatch out the eggs. just
about the time Kraemer bought his
embryo flock of poultry he lost the dia-
mond from his ring, and was almost dis
consulate. A day or two ago Henry's hen
left her nest with brood Of dozen
downy little chicks The 18TH egg had
failed to hatch. and Kraemer decided To
investigate its contents. He broke the
shell In the presence of John Windass of
West Thirty First street. and To the sur.
prise of both found within the larger end
Of the added egg the missing diamond
of his ring. Henry is not positive that
the egg Is one Of the setting which he
purchased, his belief being that his hen
found the lost diamond while foraging
about his back yard and swallowed the
stone which in due time was laid within
the unmatched egg by Biddy His neigh
bors think that the hen might be "a yerit-
able diamond mine, but Henry says that
he has read the fable of the goose which
laid the golden eggs, and he scouts their
advice to kill his hen.
The famous Delcourt balloon, made in
1892, according 10 Mr.. G.. l.. Walsh was
composed of 20, COO pieces Of very thin kid
pasted together, and specimens of these
are still retained by the Germans for cx-
hibition, but the German nation has Ak
perimented more with pongee silk In the
manufacture of their war balloons and
several Of their best ones in use to-day
are made of this material. Every inch OF
the silk IL tested by experts and then it Is
cut into sections for girls to sew. No
machines are used in finishing the seams,
but everything Is done by hand. After
the sewing is completed the varnishes are
applied TO the seams to render them alb
solutely air-tight When the balloon
proper is finished the work of rigging IL
10 the car SO that it will be strong and
light begins. and this is no light task.
Al Aldershot the rigging is made of the
bsst italian hemp and weighs one pound
20 the hank. So strong is this hemp that
"a yard Of IL stretched round two pulleys
will support 500 pounds without breaking
The English weave into this hemp rig
ging fine thread Of brass which is de-
signed to protect the bag in the case of a
thunder storm while floating I'm the
clouds The car itself Is made Of the
best wicker work. strung around ring
Of American hickory.
Every year, on the four days Immediately
preceding good Friday, the foirc aux jam
bons. or hamfair, is held i'm Paris. 1t Is
not easy TO say why the parisians should
require special facilities OF this kind for
the purchase Of saltcd pork, but at any
rate the institution enjoys considerable
popularity. IL occupies nearly the whole
of long, wides thoroughfare, the Boule-
vendors are peasants and small farmers
living I'm the country around Paris. The