Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
1ev Erected Monument to a Famous Cheese

their notice. Marie said he was her uncle,
who was helping her while her men folks
fought to keep free the soil of France.
Gradually the ferocity of the revofutionists
became less intense. The priest on the farm
OF Beau Moncel thought Of going back to his
calling. His bishop thought him dead To
Marie Harel his debt Of gratitude was 30 big
that he did not know how he could repay it.
He had no money. He could give her his
blessing. Yet, the dear old man had o sur
prise in store for her. In his quiet country
parish before the revolution he had expert
mented In cheese-making and had succeeded
In producing an exquisiteIy tasting kind Dur
ing his stay on the farm Of Marie Harel he
had MIXED the cows and helped to make
butter, and had made some Of his cheese
As parting gift he gave Marie Harel the
formula for making what was to be known
later all over the world as Camembert cheese.
Marie made and brought this new product
TO market along with the few eggs and butter
from the farm In little while the new cheese
became greatly In demand. So much, that the
old citizen who had kept q dairy Of these
eventful days which gave birth to a new gov
eminent and also a new kind Of cheese thought
appropriate to mention the cheese and all the
happenings leading TO It's making The for
mula was kept ever q secret and Is still IN
the family Of Marie Harel.
In reading this, DR.. Dentu the mayor was
much elated. Here was what he was looking
for. Here was the history Of the wealth and
fame Of the Canembert district. He consulted
with the people Of the town. and It was de-
elded that Marie Harel had been too long
neglected and that IL was high time something
should be done about It. Funds were voted TO
cover the expenses Of the erection OF small
monument near the farm Of Marie Harel Just
o simple stone pyraniid bearing the name and
dates Of her birth and death. DR. Joe Knrin,
who had remained In the village, approved
highly Of the project and contributed check
toward the expenses Of the monument.
FOR while this seemed to be all that was
going to remind the world Of the existence
Of Marie Harel. But the sympathetic mayor
was still thinking of something more betting
not only the memory Of Marie Harel, but also
all the women Of Normandy who have come
after her. and who. by their work and their
attachment to the land Of their forefathers.
have contributed in making Normandy one Of
the richest and most prosperous provinces Of
France.
So the idea of monument, which would
be erected in Vimoutiers, on the main place.
came to DR.. Dentu. He asked several leading
sculptors for designs, which were submitted,
and Eugene LHoest's was chosen as represent
ing fittingly not only Marie Harel, but per-
sonifyng the farmwomen of Normandy.
Some time later the monument was in
augurated by Alexandra Millerand, former
President of the French Republic and the oc-
caSion was feted in Vinoutiers by popular re-
joicing.
Vimoutiers became important. Pathe sent
moving picture men and the mayor of the
town and all the others who had contributed
to the erection of the monument were taken
In reels of films to be shown to other parts of
France. This fame reached the farming dis
trict of South America. People from there
wrote asking to be allowed to pay toward the
erecting of an iron grating around the monu-
ment of Marie Harel.
Although the original formula of Camembert
cheese as Marie made it, has stayed in the
family chemists were employed to experiment
in the fermentng of milk for cheese making
purposes, and they succeeded in producing COM
meroially the Camembert cheese which we eat
today.