The St. Mary banner., 1910-04-23

The restaurant in question is still
yell known as Peters," in the Pas.
.ase des Princes. The book is, in the
str;ctest sense, a human document
for on each page is the menu of the
fare offered to the clients from day
TO day during the siege of Paris BY
the Germans, beginning on December
Is, 1870, and ending on January %
1871. Opposite each menu are the
observations of the cook as to the
prices he paid for the different Vi.
auds. A comparison Of the cost price
with the retail prices charged on the
npill Of fare is instructive.
~ On the first day recorded in this
little book the only unusual dishes
appearing are:
Saute de chat aux racines. ........5 franc:
Cheval en- daube .......... $3.50. e francs
On the following day variety is in
troduced in the shape Of:
Rosbif de cheval au macaron. francs 3.5G
Carre de mulet. sauce poivrade. francs ;
Scnte dane la bourgeoise. francs 3.5C
On the same day asparagus per
portion was francs $50; plum pud-
ding, francs 1.50, and a pear, francs
l.25.
Among the observations 1t was
noted that cat cost francs, live
sheep from the Jardin des Plantes
$50 francs and mule flesh $50 per
kilo.
Both mule and donkey flesh ap-
pear to have been appreciated. al
though opinions as to their favor diff
fer considerably, and it is amusing to
contrast them.
81 There is an old dining club in Paris
Acalled "le Moulin a Se,," to which
many artists, sculptors, literary folk
and politicians belong. At one OF
their dinners few years ago an in
teresting paper was read by NJ. Full
bert Dumonteli, very we'll known
writer on gastronomics. entitled
"L'Apotheose de Zane" In the
course of the address, which was. OF
course, devoted to the edible quail
ties of the donkey, the author re-
ferred to the trials of the siege OF
Paris.
During the SIEGE" he said, II
was wandering one dull morning
round about the Marche des Ternes.
where beef, veal and mutton had been
replaced by horse, dog, cat and rat,
which were sold at the price Of gold.
Suddenly l was struck by notice
which read: lei on vend de lane.
| entered the shop and spoke to girl
her head to keep off the icy blast.
Where did you get this meat
from, mademoiselle?
Alas! monsieur, we had two
beautiful donkeys, which were the ad-
miration of all Suresnes. But We had
to come into Paris for safety, so they
had to be killed. They were called
Ernest and Joseph. Joseph was
sold
By his brothers,
"'By my father. This is Ernest
before you. Doesn't he look appe-
t!zing? All there is left of him is his
tail. Is francs; this filet, 20; his
brain, 16, and his heart, 10. Very
cheap, too!'
Il will take the heart. mademoi-
selle. What is your name?'
r. "'Denise.'
"And the young girl, smiling with
pale lips, wrapped Ernest's heart for
me-wrapped it up, too, I remember.
in one Of General Trochu's proclama-
tions: Paris ne capitulera past
Ernest must have been very old.
His heart, certainly less tender than
that of Denise, gave me bad attack
Of indigestion-for which l still bear
a grudge against the Germans"
Another donkey eater, the Irish
correspondent Of London paper, is
much more enthusiastic on the sub
ject, and becomes almost dithyrambic
In its praise:
II shall never see donkey without
gratefully thinking Of Prussian. If
any one happens to fall out with his
jaokass. let me recommend him, in
stead Of beating it, to shay and eat
It. Donkey is now all the fashion.
When one is asked TO dinner, as an
inducement one is told that there will
be donkey. The flesh of the obstf-
nate but weak minded quadrubed -
deiicious-in color like mutton, firm
snd savory. This siege will destroy