The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-12-28


tucks up the little ones in the rear end
of the wagon, gives them their toys or
some candy and then turns to
assist her husband in his sales; he
having in the meantime been busy
setting out his wares in those delusive
piles, and placing his produce to the
best advantage.
1t is among the groups of colored
hucksters of the curb, that you will
find the unique and picturesque groups
that suggest the West Indies. At this
time of the year you see some of the
old crones of the fast departing slave
darkies huddled over their fire, muf-
led up to their black piercing eyes,
smoking an old pipe, but never miss
ing sale, glib and suave with their
compliments and beguiling few pen
MES out of your purse by their skill
full knowledge of the weak side of
human nature. Or if by chance one
should show anger, you are reminded
of the witches who you have imagined
over their pot of magic herbs.
Here you can find, also, the up-to-
date cakewalk coon, but the majority
of the colored curbstone merchants are
q mixture of the three. The most in
teresting of the old time darkies are
the sellers of herbs. They will tell you
how to make all kinds of connections
for all kinds of ilk. Snake-roOt-sasa-
fras, poke-root, herbs to make you
thin, roots to make you fat. Leaf to-
bacco to keep out the moth when you
put away your winter cloths, all the
old-fashioned things that our great
grandmOther's knew so we'll how to
administer without the aid of doctor.
1t is on these stands that you will find
the first spring flowers, for these old
crones forage through the woods in
their hunt for their roots and herbs,
and they find these spring blossoms,
and they know that the city people of
Washington always welcome them.
Nearly all the year around you can
find on these stands some of natures
wild flowers. Through the winter
there is the holly and other crimson
berries, and the favorite here is the
partridge berries" with their bright
crimson blossoms and long graceful
running vines.
For five or ten cents you can pur-
chase good size bunch which if kept
in water will live and grow for months,
making very attractive center piece
for the table either in a low open bowl
or tall vase with the long trailing
vines twining aronnd it.
The housewife going to market at
the present time does not take with
her basket, large or small. She
gowns herself we'll, for she knows she
is sure to meet a number of her init
mate as we'll as formal acquain-
tances, and after her marketing is
finished she usually goes to the store
to shop. Many of the very wealthy
60 to market often with their buffers,
and many and elegant are the teams
in the north side that await the
pleasure of their owners.
The housewife does not need the
basket, she relies usually upon her
butcher to send her marketing home.
The produce merchant in the market
will gladly do this for her, but that
necessitates her buying her principal
supplies from him and then the
pleasure and profit of marketing is
spoilt, for one should 60 to the stand
where the best for the least money is
offered and while the price of a re-
quired vegetable is usually the same
at all the inside stands, those of the
curbstone faction are able to sell a
little cheaper as their expenses are
less and of course there is the quality
to be considered and the best you will
not find on the outside for the farms
in our immediate vicinity are worn
out years ago, and our best come to
the town from distance and to this is
added the expense of freightage. In
side or outside of the market, from q
five cent purchase to a five dollar one
the merchant puts your purchase in a
neat paper bag, writes your name and
address on it, and sends it in to your
butcher or dealer who usually sends
your marketing home for you.
Such is glimpse at Washington
largest retail market under ordinary
circumstances, varying only with the
seasons, but to see it in its glory you
must go to it on the day before
Christmas. Then the streets leading
to it in every direction are filled with
yule-tide green. All around the tri-
angle that faces it on the north are
grouped the sellers of Christmas
green's. All the colored country
darkies, too old or too young for daily
attendance at the market, now come in
with loads of trees and garlands,
wreaths and buuches of mistletoe
until one can imagine that the Druids
of old have arisen and flocked to the
city with their emblems of mystic
worship. All along the country roads
they come with armsful, wheelbarrows
and wagons, and on trains. Every