Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-11-30
ALEXA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER,
PUBLISHED DAILY RY
EDG A r SNOW DEN
GAZETTE BUILDING, NO. 40 PRINCE STREET.
How to Cook q Dinner.

La
How to Cook q Dinner.
\ correspondent Of the Louisville Courier
Journal writing from Memphis, says:
heard of a young lady the other day up iu Mid
die tennessee, who, as the river men say, has
taken another chute. The story told about
her did my soul good, and for the comfort
of other haltstarred dyspeptics like myself,
whose tardy sustentation is affected by means
of fried chicken, sogyy biscuit, greasy hash
aud sole leather fritters, I'll relate it. For
years past as mere matter of torm-some.
thing handed down from remote antiquity
neighborhood where this young lady lived, had
been in the habit of offering premium to II 9
lady unmarried cooking the best dinner. Ii
Was dead letter. Nobody had contested for
the premium within the memory Of the oldest
luhabltant. This year, however, the young
lady OF whom | am speaking determined to
compete for the prize Her name-I wish
could immortalizc twas Kate Janaway The
Fair men set up stove for her; stretched a
canvass to shield her from the sun, and about
IL clock Of the last day she went to work.
The matter had been talked Of by every one
10 the neighborhood, and curiosity was on tip
toe. \ crowd collected around the place where
the stove was set up early IN the morning and
kept increasing, but when Miss Kate her
self, buxom, handsome girl Of nineteeen,
daughter Of the ex- Mayor of the town, appeared
on the ground, and, putting on white apron and
rolling up her sleeves, commenced operations all
other attractions were nothing. Every Que
was eager to see so novel sight. There was
tree near by which soon became black with
spectators who had climbed up to 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
left in the tree. He sat in lofty fork, with
of persuasion by those beneath, envious of his
better view could induce him to come down
even bribe OF $40 failed. He said he was
bound to see or die. Meanwhile the dinner
preparations went on apace The saVory smell
of the cooking food seemed to intoxicate the
crowd, which pressed nearer and nearer. 1t
took all the police force on the grounds to keep
order.
The time arrived for the trotting match, an
nounced rs the sport of the day, but the am
phitheatre was empty. The judges with the
exception of one Grabbed old widower) the
timers, all were missing, and so nothing cuuld
be done At half past two the dinner was an
nouuced ready, and the judges, happy men,
seated themselves at the tabe-thc crowd re-
garding them with i-disguiSed envy. A roast
of beef, delicately done, was put steaming hot
upon the table, then followed corn pudding,
whose delicate aroma fell upon the oltactorles
of the excited crowd like breezes Of Araby
the blest;" profusion Of vegetables, cooked
to perfection, followed next The Judges ate
and ate praising the flavor of the food and the
skill Of the cook at every mouthful. But when,
at last, dessert OF piping hot apple dumphngs
made its appearance, the forbearance Of the
crowd was at an end. They broke through
the ropes into the ring with one accord, and
the dumplings disappeared in trice.
One old fellow, proprietor OF store and own
er of big saw mill proposed to the young lady
on the spot, but he was quickly collarcd and
led off the grounds by two younger asplrants,
who made common cause against the aged sui
tor, saw mill and all. That young lady was the
centre of attraction in her town after the cook
lug feat. She received twenty-five offers OF
marriage the first week, and her fame spread
through all the country around An old bache-
lor fellow down in Grundy county, with farm
so big that it takes him all day to ride around
it, and cattle on hundred hills, heard OF her,
and made a pilgrimage all the way to that
town to learn the truth. lie got the girl, too
althoneh some of the young men of the place
sued out writ of habeas corpus to prevent ner
being carried out of the county. They were
too late.
vh,s Is, T am aware a rather bad ending tor
so good a story, but devotion to the truth COM
w neIs me to give nothing but the simple, unvar-
nished reality. GU
She ought to have married that fellow who
sat mn there in the crotch of the tree so long
At such fearful discomfort. lie wanted her,
and he was a poor, bilious dyspeptio whom her
splendid cooking would have soon restored. to
usefulness and society, but he was poor. An !!
TI,an and Now.
Ona of the most marked and alarming evil