The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-10


its way at last Maize has long been
raised in various parts Of Europe, and
is used as food for cattle and, with
rigid restrictions, for men, but when
Americans speak of it in the green
state Of which they are so fond the ma
tlves shudder inwardly, if they do not
do it outwardly and visibly, and OBJ
viousIy feel confirmed in their belief
that the American is not far from the
savage. Doubtless they dread that
the next tale will be of eating the roots
of trees and balls of mud.
If the ship took a few watermelons
on her outward voyage, so as to rejoice
the American passengers with them
on the return, it will be found pleasant
to watch the looks Of amazement on
the faces of the Europeans at the
quantity of this fruit which an Ameri-
can eats. In truth slice Of anything
of the size of half a dinner plate and
three or four inches thick does luok
rather alarming to the uninitia.ed, as
the mere finishing touch to an already
good-sized dinner, and the foreigner
does not realize or even know that the
whole edible portion of this could easi-
ly be compressed into wineglass, and
that even of that bulk 95 per cent.
would be water. 1t is curious too,
that the watermelon should never have
been introduced in Europe. But it
could probably be grown only in the
south, and the cost of transportation
might bar it from the nothern coun-
tries. The melons which are eaten in
Europe are generally good, but they
are high in price, and it seems curious
again that some of the many Ameri-
can varieties of muskmelons and can
taloupes should not be cultivated. The
American never knows how good these
melons are till he spends a summer
where he cannot get them. Incidental
ly it my be mentioned that the custom
of beginning breakfast with melon
or other fruit is one of the distinctly
excellent things which are purely
American.
The difficulty of getting good coffee
in Europe is perhaps the most surpris-
ing trouble of ALL On the Continent
the decoction which bears the name is
an especially direful mess. Travelling
Americans have various theories
among themselves as to what German
coffee is made of. That it contains
chicory there is no doubt, but whether
it is all or nearly all chicory or wheth-
er this is merely one of the ingredients
is the subject of many animated dis
cussions. Some say it is largely CON-
posed of dried and ground figs, while
vet others assert that there is some
real coffee in it. This last statement
has never been proved. Everybody
has heard the story of Bismarck's 60
ing to an inn and insisting on hav-
ing all the chicory in the house and
then calling for cup Of coffee. What
throws doubt on this story is the ques-
ton why Bismarck, being himself a
German, should want real coffee, since
the Germans think that their coffee is
the proper mixture, AL drink almost
as much of it as they do OF beer.
The manager of large, fashionable
and high priced hotel in Italy told the
winter this summer that he need not
expect to get good coffee in any hotel
in Italy, making no exception of his
own. The general run of coffee in
France Is almost as bad as in Italy or
Germany. As good coffee as any in
the world is to be had, however, in the
high-priced cafes of Paris and Vienna.
An Eng lishman asserted in the hearing
of the writer that gool coffee was not
to be had in any hotel in England.
This is not absolutely true, for it is
certainly found in few English no.
tells and restaurants, as well as in pri-
vate houses The theory has been adj
vanced that the general run of coffee
in English hotels is made from extract
of coffee, but this merely gives rise to
the new question, "What is the eX-
tract of coffee made OFF"
One of the real and great services
which travelling Americans have done
for Europe is the Introduction of ice.
The subject has been So much discuss
ed that about all that is II 'eded at the
close of each summer, when the travel
ers return, is report OF progress. Eu-
rope is slow in the adoption of new
ways, but the increase in the use of ice
in the la st 10 years is noticeable and
gratif, ing. 1t has been slower in Eng
land than in the more southern coun
tries, for two reasons. England is
usually slower in making changes than
the Continent, and, as it is more north
erlv, ice is less needed there. Still the
consumption has grown, although one
American at home often uses about as
much ice in the course of dinner as
an English hotelkeeper expects te
suffice for his whole dining room. Ii
Italy, on the other hand, though the
couatry is supposed to be sadly BE-
hind the age, you can have practically
all the ice YOU want, although it is not
used so extensively as here. 1t is