Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-13

Baltimore. Md. June s. Baltimore
has the marketing habit. There 10 no
city in America that puts q big basket
on Its arm more regularly or more en-
Enthusiastically. to 60 forth and purchase
its food In the public square. Few
cities II any, on the other hand, have
such markets to visit. Baltimore's
markets are an institution-an insti.
tuition picturesque and venerable and
Of a size and solidity that commands
respectful attention. Lexington Mar.
ket for instance, IL three squares long,
with twelve hundred stalls, and NIFTY
thousand people visit It on many Sat
urdays.
The markets are one of the sights Of
the town, like st. Peters In Rome or
the white house in Washington. The
visitor Is taken forth to see them 40 he
is taken to see the falls at Niagara.
The streets for blocks around take on
a market day atmosphere. Temporary
stalls are set up on either side, until
there Is only a narrow lane left IN the
middle of the highway where the big
cars nose their way foot at time.
Countrymen and farmers draw up their
wagon loads OF produce along the
curb and wait philosophically for pur-
chasers. scorntng the practice OF the
recent Immigrant who Is wont TO CRY
his wares Candy stands and hover
stands and peanut stands appeal to the
esthetic and the gastronomic functions
Of the olfactory nerve. The street
faker is in his glory. Perched on
coffee box he extols the merits OF q
miraculous invention. ladies and
gentlemen "a combination OF the
South American sapopa tree, the East
Indian senega root and the Mexican
ammonia plant-a combination shav'
ing soap, shoe polish and complexion
beautifier."
The market itself is housed under .
long high roof, like the roof OF rail-
road terminal, subdivided into nun
dreds of little stalls. Everything which
the human race is in the habit OF chew
ing and swallowing finds its place
somewhere. Beef and mutton, PORK
and veal and sausage and bacon,
string Of fruits that would read Ike
the invoice Of a South American
freighter, all the vegetables you nave
ever seen and few new ones. nsn'
nuts, bread and pastry, live poultry;
candy-consult the supply lists OF
Herr Torto!owitz Won Batocki, the new
German food dictator, for partial llst
Of what you can buy.
All this space under the roof De-
tween the stalls Is damned with hu'
,manity. chiefly feminine. It takes an
hour or 80 to push through the three
blocks OF Lexington market. Inc
make up OF the crowd Is surprisingly
HETEROGENEOUS. It may be mistake,
but the visitor gets the impression that
milady OF Baltimore dons her silver
fox set, steps into the limousine, snins
the orchids in the holder. says the
market. James," and sallies forth 70
b,,y a quarters worth Of. wienerwurst
At least, you see plenty OF big cars
sdischarging their inmates at the curb
and have your toes stepped on BY
ladies' who resemble the illustrations
in an r. w. Chambers novel.
AS one Baltimore oficial puts ~
"The market problem is one OF eoucat'
ing the municipal consciousness up 70
the marketing conception" or IN otnef
words of teaching society to carry
basket. These big markets are reali'
a kind OF fruit and vegetable depart
ment store. and the department store
Of course is firmly established as per.
fectly correct hunting ground for all
ranks OF femininity. Baltimore women
make. appointments to meet at Ger
tain stall at certain hour and 90 TO
lunch together. It is not matter OF
record, but it seems probable that they
occasionally stop to buy dozen eggs
on the way to the opera.
The question of public markets IL
coming in for a great deal OF serious
attention all over the country today, as
a POSSIBLE means Of solving certain
phases Of the distribution problem
BUSY markets have been established IN
a score of cities, but Baltimore 10 by
way OF being pioneer in the field apd
her experience should be valuable. In
the hundred and fifty years that mar
kets have been a feature OF the land.
scape, the city has encountered most
of the problems that can arise IN con-
nection with markets. Back In the year
1881. when there were only two dozen
houses in the town, the citizens decid'
ed to start a market, and conducted a
lottery as means of raising the neces'
saryl cash. Lotteries were highly re-
spectable institutions IN those days
The private ledger of George Wash
ineton occasionally charges the price
- fou lottery tickets to profit and