The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-05
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS IN
THE OLD FRENCH MARKET.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPuBIIc.
In the homes Of prosperous West End
citizens the fowls for the Sunday dinner
have long been dressed and tucked away
in Ice boxes and the crisp vegetables stored
away In cellars. when the older French
market. away down on South Broadway,
wakes up on Saturday night. and Its patrons
come from far and near to make their pur-
chases for the best meal Of the week-the
4 Sunday dinner.
The citizens OF the North End and their
wants well supplied by the Union Market,
hut from the far South End there come
Rocking the patrons OF the old French mar
ket. though besides these there are resi-.
dents from other localities who seek the
market because they know that there they
can obtain wares not offered for sale else
where in the city.
What a hubbub and stir there Isl
The conductor OF the Broadway line
shouts Convent street" and out you
scramble to jostle with baskets that viii
soon be filed to cverfiowing.
The call OF Convent" street gives Just
the association needed for the French mar
ket- 1t requires no great stretch of i'm
aginstion for one to fancy oneself in old
81. Louis-French ST. Louis-with the gentle
sisters coming and going from the convent
that then stood a stones throw from the
site Of the market-when Main street was
still called by many La Grande Rue" Sec
80 0NAN~N AN1N NC 81 aI& II
street Rue des Oranges" with August
Chouteau's big house standing IN the center
OF the st~one-inclosed square between Mar
ket and Walnut. and Cadet" Chouteau's
house a few blocks further to the south
than Augusts.
From Convent street south to Rutser
street the French market runs
II market building proper IS Just where
you leave the car at Convent street-a long,
dull building. dimly lighted by gas
Along each side are the meat and fish
stalls. The butchers and hshmongers laugh
and whistle. and chop and wait upon the
querulous housewives with q dispatch that
brooks no Interference.
Experience has taught them that II IS
mere force Of habit on the part of many
OF their patrons to try to drive n bargain.
1t IS a waste OF time and they will not Weld
an inch. although there L. a show Of the
greatest good humor among the czars Of the
scales and cieaver.
But It Is along the street. on the east
pavement Of Broadway. from Convent
street TO Rutger that the market trade
thrives with briskness.
The sights and the sounds remind one of
q street fair. but more particularly to one
who has travelled abroad there Is a sugges-
ton Of a foreign town with peasants and
flower vendors calling their wares. The pur-
ehasers do not come to the French market
until after supper Is done and the dishes
cleared away. Every evening the street.
Just IA the space mentioned, presents
busy scene. but Il Is saturday night that
marks q gala occasion
The laboring man has been paid his v.xep.
A long week OF toll has come to an end. To
morrow there viii be spread at midday an
ample dinner with leisure In which to sat
It.
The hardworkinE wife and mother throws
a shawl over her head. takes q basket On
ner arm and with. perhaps. 4 fodder or
TWO hanging to her skirts. starts for the |
II the children are too tiny to walk she
pus them In 6 little cart and trundles It he
fore her.
All along the curbstons are the farm
wagons. backed up to the pavement There |
are eoops with squawknE geese and cack-
ing hens.
On the little tables. benches or stan, at
The edge Of the pavement. with Pickering !
uncertain light from the oil Iar1p. or
torches with cotton wicks. there are fowls
AL picked and ready for cooking fresh
eggs and country butter: cheese OF variety
door enough to tempt the German
shopper heaps OF deep yellow oranges at
pale bananas and pineappies for othera