Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22
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orator. with keen politeness and faint
smile.
Don't known" she exclaimed. What
are you here for?'
ITO tell people what I know, madame,
and to send and receive messages"
We'll, why don't you know how much
telegram will cost?"
Because, madame 1 don't know where 1t
1t is to be sent
"Well, you needn't be so smart" she
snapped. 1T Is to go to Washington"
Then 1t will be Is cents"
/ She made no further remarks, but took
the blanks. and in the course Of time re-
| turned with about six pages Of rather
| closely written matter.
There she said. laying a quarter down
with the message; send that"
But. madame" explained the operator,
| at is 26 cents for ten words"
WHAT she calculated. You can only
send ten words for % cents?'
She looked him square in the face she
tried to suppress her feelings.
Are you married MANI" she asked.
l. Yes, madame"
WELL you must be very stupid II you
don't know that a woman can't give her
husband a piece Of her mind in ten words. "
and, without waiting to hear anything more
from him, she glided out of the office, TAX
ing her message with her.
X X X X
Contrary to The belief of many people.
the largest grape-growing region in the
world is not the champagne district OF
France, nor in the sunny valley of south
ern California. for western New York owns
| the title by virtue of $4,000 acres now given
over to grape culture" observed one of the
| largest fruit merchants in New York to the
writer the other day. "In the Keuka lake
region of western central New York there
are 10000 acres in vineyards, and the other
10000 acres are in the Chautauqua belt.
he fyUn Stri> nod nv cOrf
of grape isthmus. which runs down toward
the southwest corner of the state The har-
vest in these great vineyards will amount
to nearly 1900 car loads this year. That
means more than q, 5000 nine pound bas-
kets of grapes, or nearly three pounds of
the fruit for every man, woman and child
in the country.
ITO harvest this gigantic fruit product
will require the services of between 6OOO
and $500 pickers, most of whom are wo-
men. The women are preferred, because
they pick the fruit more rapidly and pack
1t more neatly than the men, who are only
employed to do the heavier work Of haul
ing. lifting and driving. Many of the girls
come from the inland districts of Pennsyl-
vania, northern Ohio southern New York
and even farther away. A good picker
j usually gets from so to 30 cents a day when
she boards herself, or 81 a week and board
lsfor working ten hours a day.
x X X
There is one shellfish, the mussel the
use of which as an article of food seems
to be totally neglected in the United
States" observed an Englishman of several
years residence in this country to a Star
reporter recently. '1n fact, it is so seldom
employed that it may be said to be practi-
cally unknown on this side OF the Atlantic
It is rarely seen in your markets. and near
the salt water bays and estuaries in which
1t is taken it is used, / am told as a ma
| nure for certain crops. This lack Of recog-
milton of mussels an epicurean delicacy
probably arises from the popular supersti-
ton among Americans that this shellfish
possesses poisonous qualities. Such an i'm
preston is, however, rather absurd, for in
England they are largely consumed by the
poor and the middle-class Tnople, and If
they contained any injurious properties
their use would be promptly prohibited.
1t is we'll known that some persons are
unable to eat of particular sorts of she'll
fish-to some oysters, clans Holsters
are more or less poisonous. but mussels are
only 'noMous' to the greater number for
the reason that they deteriorate more rap
idly when removed from the water than
any other species. There are mussel beds
within radius of ten miles of New York
and other eastern cities of sufficient ca
pacfty to supply millions of people with a
clean and nutritious article of food one
that would lessen to a large degree the
exhaustive demands made upon the clam,
oyster and lobster fisheries.
ITO prepare mussels for the table they
should be selected of medium size and care
be observed to wash them carefully and
place them in a vessel of sailed water for
several hours, so that they may clean them
selves; that is, discharge the dirt and grit
found within their shells. When this pro-
cess Is completed the bivalves should be
placed In water and boiled-or steaming is
better in the vapor generated by their own
juice. When they are done they may be
easily taken out of their shells and are
ready to be used in one of the many forms
of which they are susceptible"