Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-12

day are not in universal use Here
and there they are even beginning
to lose ground. as, fer instance. In
the case Of asparagus and salads.
where fashion prescribes the use OF
the fingers. Nevertheless. one can
hardly imagine the time when these
instruments were regarded as super
fuous and often even as d sinful lux
ury. =
Our forefathers, who thought more
Of rich meal. ate. even as the
Greeks and Romans. in the most prim-
tive way: that Is to say. they took
the food with their fingers. The
SPOON too was quite superaOus for If
they wanted to partake Ct the sauce
they simply squeezed the bread into
the shape Of a spoon and dipped II
into the sauce or broth of the com.
mon bowl
Prejudice A-nInst Forks.
The fork Is Of "A relatively recent
date. 1t made its first appearance to-
ward the end of the tenth century.
Peter Galveston. a favorite of King
Edward H.. had sixty-nine silver
spoons and three forks. But the
chronicle of that epoch adds that
these forks were reserved for the sole
use Ito eat pears with" Queen Gle
mentine OF Hungary. in 1923. had tbir-
ty spons and one fork. and Queen An
ma of Bourbon had even a golden one
which was later inherited by Charles
v. of France. The first inventory
where forks appear in greater number
Is that of Rabrielle d'Estrses 1850.
She had twenty forks. which. how
ever. served only 10 toast bread with.
and Gabrielle as well as the Prince
de Condo. the sovereign as we'll as
the subject, all ate with their fingers.
AS strange as 1t may appear. they
con sidered it an Offense against natur-
nj simplicity when, at the beginning of
the fifteenth century. some patrician
families of laly adopted the custom
of using a fork--a custom that. &C
cOrding to some authors, had been
brought to Venice by Byzantine
Princess. A curious pamphlet writ
ton against the favorites of Henry
III. bears witness to the indignation
Its Introduction aroused in France.
Firstly" says the anonymous author
"they never touch the meat with their
hands. but with forks" And farther
on, ut is strictly forbidden in this
country to touch salad with the
hands: but they rather touch their
mouths with this strange instrument
than with Their fingers"
In Scotland the use OF the fork was
n penal offense. Moreover, there cx-
listed before the introduction of the
fork kind n code Of coed manners
to be observed by well educated per-
sons. The famous Erasmus (1467-
1537) recommends this. seize with
three fingers all you want to take
from the table" and IN in 'trnct:on III
the Book OF Conveniency" gives this
practical advice: "Never touch yoilr
nose with the hand IN which you hold
your meat" In England. where the
fork had heen introduced by Carcratc
about 1898. 1t became quite popular
in 4 very short time.
Ancient Natives Had Knives.
The knife can look on longer past
a weapon against enemies
and beasts of prey. 1t soon became
one of the most important tools CT
every day use. Accordingly the knife
was found among peoples Of the low
pa. phase OF development. long before
iron logan TO he used In its manufac-
ture. For want of the latter and 9th
TT metals. primitive man made KNIFE |
like instruments out of hard bamboo.
wood. shells, and the sharp teeth OF
the shark Later. knives were made
of stone. specimens Of which have
been found by the thousands in the
Of prehistoric burial
places.
Considerable progress In this direc- l
ion was attained by the negroes and
,borigines of Siberia. who. though ig
1orant Of the preparation OF steel.
knew how TO employ ircn In the man
fracture Of cutting Instruments. In
his rsspcc, they were therefore much |
n advance Of the civilized peoples OF
Asia and Europe Of antiquity. The
lrt Of hardening iron and turning II
nto steel then raised the knife to an
of universal use. The
,easant. the gardener, the artisan.
be hunter. the warrior. In short. the
Of all kinds Of human
Professions. changed the original and
implest cunciform Of the knife until
be- had predicted an instrument best
dapted to their particular interests.
The Spoon the OLDEST 81 Al.
The spoon. even as the knife, can
ock back on a past lost in the depth
{ the hoar;es, antiquity. The hollow
Z the hand. with which primitive man
arricS the water to his month. may
ave early suggested to him the idea
Z producing an artificial instrument
NJ this purpose Thus In the expo
ations made in Assyris well made
poems Of copper OF bronze have been
,und. Tho Egyptians TOO had arts
csI!y adorned spoons Of wood and
Tory. Which however. seemed 10 have
rrvcd Icss for eating than for other
urposes. snch. for instance. IS the
Drinking 81 incense on the perfum-