Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-07-12

gagged stenographer by whose assist
ance l hope to increase and improve
my output. Then to the car again,
which landed me about half mile from
the American section of agriculture
and alimentation. 1t is not easy to find
anything here; guides are few and i'll
informed. There are wildernesses OF
exhibits and no landmarks, and unless
you are careful not to turn around, you
are as likely to be walking away from
your objective as toward it. | had been
to this exhibit often before, but never
from this direction, and | must have
walked mile and gotten direction and
misdirection from people of half doz-
en- nationalities before found it. Then
| discovered that the gentlemen in
charge, who had promised me certain
data, were off on the Jury Of Awards.
By this time, it was one o'clock, ard l
left Paris and France for a half hour
and crossed into Switzerland for lun-
cheon. The Swiss village, separated
from the worlds fair by the width of
street, is decidedly the most genuine
show IN Paris. 1t is section of Swift.
erland most cuHningIy transplanted in
the roaring hub bub and fatigu;ng
splendor of the Exposition. High prec.
ipices shut out on all sides the dazzling,
noisy world you have left, and it is easy
to imagine you are many miles away
from Paris A beautiful cascade falls
from the mountain side, 1t is real wa.
ter. 1t turns the wheel OF an old mill
and flows over stones and amid weeds
and wild flowers through the village.
Chalets are on green patches above You
and the perspective is so skilfully man.
aged that they appear to be full size.
Workmen are making actual hay in the
little valley to the left; here are real
COWS and goats, little church, and a
dozen restaurants, all clean aud pic
turesque. The logs Of which the houses
are built haye been taken from some
old houses in Switzerland for not the
slightest detail is lacking in this most
charming, homelike and restful en-
semble. OF course, the juxtaposition
with the roaring city and the Exposi-
ton without, and the psychological con-
trast greatly enhances the effect. but
seriously, this Swiss village is about the
only thing | want to take home. No
photographs or even paintings can do 1t
Justice, for every step through its wind
inc streets brings to your view a new
and charming perspective. So old, so
rural, and restful is the scene | sit
down under the portico Of Il little vine
matched inn where fresh butter, bread
and coffee, meat, vegetables, cheese aud
strawberries are served by a girl in the
costume of her canton, and all for 50
cents. But | must leave this charming
iAyl and g to the American corn
kitchen, which is up three flights of
stairs in a frame annex, the two lower
floors of which are covered with Nc
Cormick haryesters, Buckeye reapers
and mowers, and other farming ma
chinery Of American make. The corn
kitchen amuSes me. 1t is such seri-
Gus fake. 1t is expensive, too, to our
country, but who cares for expenses"
! 1t is the only free lunch in France. for
they do not do things that way here.
Treating is unknown, and this is whole.
sale treating. The French, male and
female, regard it with suspicion and
approach the lunch counter with fear,
They do this the first time, but "boul-
everse" by the novel experience Of cat
ing without being charged for the nap
kin, the sugar, the plate, the service,
corn soup, corn fritters, corn cakes, and
syrup, all in a long itemized bill, la
Francois, they come again until the
managing American (who by the way
is born diplomat and speaks French)
explains that the kitchen is not in
tended for regular and permanent
free boarding house. Corn in any form
is IA somewhat heating diet, and when a
French woman after eating heartily of
hot cakes and syrup asked for some
thing to drink, the good colored woman
from New Orleans, who stands behind
the counter and speaks French with the
best of them, poured her glass OF wa
ter. She tasted it under the impress
sion that it was corn wine and said it
bit her tongue. Some of her compan-
ions then slipped the water all agreed
that it had curious taste and bit their
tongues, There was nothing peculiar
about the water except that it was ice
cold. This story will appear improb-
able to the American cold water drink
ers, but there is not word of exagger-
alton in it. A rural Frenchman after
his first corn meal said: when | tell