The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-08
Cooking q Dinner--hew NcnnesSec
Girl Croascts q Sensation.


IMerphss correspondence of the Conr'cro'r"r"a'i
] heard of young lady the other DAY up
In Middle Tennessee who, as river men sly:
has taken another chute. The story told
about her did my soul good, and for the com'
fart az other hali.starved dySreptics like my
SAT- whose tardy sustenation Is effected by
n,asns of fried chicken, soggy biscuits.
rreasy hash. and sole-!eather frittcrs, III re-
lats Il. For years past, as mere matter OF
forna-something handed down from remote
antiquity--the officers Of the county talr hcid
in the neighborhood where this young lady
lived have been In the habit OF Offering
premium to the lady (unmarried) cooking
the best dinner. 1t was dead letter. Nobody
had contested for the premium within the
memory OF the oldest inlabitant THIS year,
however, the Young lady Of whom am
speaking determined to compete iof inc
prize. Her name--I wish could Immortal
3ze twas Kate Japaway. The fair men
set up q stove for her. stretched canvas 10
shield her from the sun, and about n O'Clock
of the last tlav she went to work. The mat
ter had been talked about by every one In The
peIghboyh0od, and curiosity was on ttp-toe.
\ crowd collected around the place where
the stove was set up carly In the morning,
and kept increasing. but when Miss Kate
herself, q buxom. handsome girl OF nineteen,
daughter Of the eX.mayor Of the town, np-
peared on the ground, and, putting OH a
white apron and rolling up her sleeves, com.
,nencedorerationS, all other attractions were
nothing. Every one was eager 10 see
so novel a sight. There was tree
near BY, which soon became black
with spectators who had climbed up
10 get better view. The branches
were finally so burdened that one by one
they broke, precipitating those upon them
TO the ground, until only one man was lett
in the tree. BE sat In lofty fork, with eyes
riyeted on1the scene below. No amount OF
persuasion by those beneath, cnyious OF his
better view, could induce him to come
down.. Even bride Of $40 failed. He said
he was bound to see or die. Meanwhile
the dinner preparations went on apace. The
sayory smell Of the cooking food seemed to
intoxicatc the crowd, which pressed nearer.
1t took all the police force on the grounds
to keep order. The time arrived for the
trotting.match, announced rs the sport OF
the day, but the amphitheatrc WAS empty.
The Judges with the exception of one
grabbed old widower). the timers. all were
missing, and so nothing could bc done.
at halfpast O'Clock the dinner was an
nounced ready, and The judges, happy
men, seated themselves at the tabie-the
crowd regarding them with ill-dlsguiscd
envy. "A roast Of beef, delicately done, was
put steamiDg bot upon the table; then fol-
lowed corn-puddipg, whose delicate aroma
fell upon the oiactories of the excited crowd
"iike breezes Of AIuby the blest "; prolt!-
sion Of vegetables cooked to perfection fol-
lowed next. The judges ate and ate, prais-
ing the flavor of the food and the skill OF the
cook at every moutbful But when deS-
sert of piping-hot apple-dumplings made It's
appearance the forbearance OF the crowd was
at an end. They broke through the ropes
into the ring with one accord, and the dump
!sngs disappeared in trice.
One old fellow, proprietor Of q store and
owner of @ big saw-mill, proposed to the
young lady on the spot; but he was quickly
Collared and led off the grounds by two
younger aspirants, who made common cause
against the aged sutton, saw-mill and all.
That young lady was the centre OF attiac-
ton in her town after the cooking feat.
She received twenty-five offers Of marriage
the first week, and her fame spread through
all the country round. An old bachelor
fellow down In Grundy county, with farm
so big that it takes him all day to ride around
IL, euu Csttic oH u uuiitilcu NiiIS 'eu u VI Nv
and made pilgrimage all the way to that
town to learn the truth. He got the girl,
too, although some Of the young men of the
place sued out writ Of hobe0S corpus to
prevent her being carried out Of The county.
They were too late.
This is, an aware, rather sGdending for
so good story. but devotion to the truth
compels me to give nothing but the simple,
uuvprnisiled reality.
She ought TO have married that fellow who
set up there in the crotch Of the tree 50 long
and ut such fearful discomfort. He wanted
her, and he was poor, bilious dyspeptic.
whom her splendid cooking would have soon
restored to usefulness and society, but he was
poor. All!