Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-17

as hell" Chemists assert mat mate
contains both cgiiolnc and thome, to-
eelher with cp0oo-tHunic acid ana
wherever procumhc 20 is especially
recommended by physicians for me
cure " dyspepsia and other ills of
the digestive organs
II is admirably adopted TO this ellie
mate having O cooling effect In hot
weather and the reverse during the
chilly dampncss Of the rainy season.
which here answers for winter, and Is
always drunk al soalding tcmpera-
tme which brings tears 10 The eyes Of
the unlophstlcated lts bitter herb
al favor not unlike that Of strong cat
nip tea. ~ generally dlsliked al first
taste. but foreigners soon become as
devoted 10 lts use as natives 10 the
manor born I'm Paraguay, mate Is all
ways offered 10 YOU In little gourd,
which is perhaps four or i've inches
deep and nearly the shape and size Of a
goose-egg, having "a small hole az one
end The dried and powdered leaves
are crowded iu through This hole until
the gourd rs nearly full, and then boil
Ing water Is poured In TO the trimming
point Then q homhilla rs thrust in
a long tube of silver brass, glass, reed,
straw, bamboo (auythlng hollow viii
serve the purpose) which does duty
as spoon for stirring up the beverage,
and also for drinking AZ lemonades are
sometimes taken through straWs. The
better class bombIlla has rounded end
punctured with tiny holes, which act
ils q straIner TO Keep the powdered herb
out Of the throat. The little gourd holds
opI F.t ~
son has emptied It. Il is redhed with
more hot water and handed In turn to
each Of the others In the company.
When Il has gone lhe rounds once,
fresh mate rs put into the gourd. and II
starts on a second circuit around the
room and so on, again and again a
servant being constantly employed IN
attending 10 H. Wealthy people have
the mate g0urds deliberately carved.and
their silver bomblllas ornamentcd with
figures OF plants and birds. Generally
ono Sourd and one tube answers for
the whole company, however large.
passed from mouth TO mouth, like the
'lovng-cup' IN certain German circles
but resident foreigners have set up prl-
vato bombillas, so TO speak. which they
carry about In their pockets our par
~ fcll In with the latter conservative
custom before Ve had been week IN
Paraguay and each Of us goes armed
for every emergency with a tube half
"a yard long
The ycrbalcs, or matc fields Of this
small republic alone are said to cover
an area Of something over 100000 |
acres and in their present state 10 pro-
duce an annual crop Of not less than
NOO00 cwts Although It grows wild !
I'm great thlckets Ike hazel or cranber- |
ries, II is greatly improved by cutiva- |
ton In quality as well as In quantity !
OF leaves The early Jesuits-those |
shrcwd fellows who pried as deeply into !
secrets Of nature as into the secrets Of |
state and the souls OF men. were well |
acquainted with methods dong since
lost or forgotten) for securing It's con-
slant reproduction All around their !
mission settlements were vast planta-
tons OF Hex paraguarlensls, which sup
piled their own requirements and those
OF their converts, The secret OF the
propagation Of mate disappeared with !
the expulsion Of the Jesuit fathers. and
though rewards have been offered from
time to time to any who shan rediscov-
or II, II remains lost art" During
the reign Of the tyrants. Francla and
Lopez, father and son. the expectation
OF the herb was monopolzed by the
government, and every citizen was
compelled to pay taxes each year by
handing over a specified amount Of il |
Tor the benefit Of the despots After
the wars and the tragic death Of tho
last dictator when the Impoverished
government was absolutely penniless
It was Induced In It's hour Of need ia
lease the tea forests to an Argentine
ilrm, which paid to tho treasury a row
atty Of 81 per ton--a considerable rove.
nue. yet an enormous sacrifice for a
little cash In hand OF what might no
MADE q much more productive source
OF income n the markets Of Ruenos
HyIea mate brings from $3.50 to $500 !
sne arroyo or 25'pound package. This !
y .le export price with the additional |
oosl ol carriage II retails like other
staples, according TO the conscience Of
'ne 'tIler ana the credullty OF the pur-
'naSeL AT Asuncion for local use. the
average pilce l9 $3.50 the arroyo Moth.
ing IN Paraguay is more interesting
man me preparation of this herb Tor
market ana Tho Yerbalos where II
ls prepared. The working of the i'm
dustry consists Of four distinct opera.
tons gathering the shrub, drying the
young leaves, packing and conveying
mem 10 the head depot and transport
ing to the various markets. The gath
erlng In the woods is done by men
called mineros. the pay Of each being
% cenJavos tabout seven cents tho ar
orya, for leaves that have had the
hrst singing. Next. the leaves must
be dried over a slow fire in which pro-
cess they lose half their weight. The
Wotkmen who superiuteud the drying
are paid 10 centayos for each % pounds
Of dried leaves. IL costs five centayos
moro TO reduce the herb TO powder by
beating and perhaps As centayos Tor
transportation In bullock.Carts, includ-
ing the necessary sacks Making
liberal allowance for the expense OF
conveyance from denot 10 market and
q margin for accident aud damage, the
net cost of the leaves from their pick
Ing in the forest 20 place of sale I'm the
form Of tee U.s. less than tl2i per 9j-
pound package, These figures CONF
pared with tho selling price. dhmon-
strate the commercial value Of Yerhl
Mate. and shows how the Company
Industrial Paraguaya' were able to pay
its shareholders O dividend NJ over 60
per cont, during the very first year OF
its existence, Hundreds Of mmeros are
employed IN the gathering. ana even
at the small wages above named, an
industrious laborer can earn from iva
to three dollars a day
now iERBA MATE Is CURED.
As 10 tho details al the business. the
ierbalero, having selected his location
and matshaled his men, proceeds first
10 erect the necessary buildings via,
"a long shed Tor storing goods. provi-
sions and tho Yorba TO be gathered
number OF huts for the Vorkmen. and
darhracuas, or frames upon which 90
dry the leaves. Sheds and huts ate
constructed In the ulost manneE moor
legs and thatched with dry grass hut
The frames perhaps 20 feet squaremug,
fe more substantially built oi poles