The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-11-28
COOKING A DINNER.
How Tennessee Girl Created Sen
cafinu

sation.
Memphis Correspondence of the Louisville Courier
Journal
| heard OF a young lady the other day
up in Middle Tennessee who. as river men
say, has taken another chute. The story
told about her did my soul good, and for
the comfort of other half-starved dyspep-
ties like myself. whose tardy sustenation
is effected by means of fried chicken, sog
gy biscuits, greasy hash and sole-leather
fritters, III relate it. For years past, as a
mere matter of form-something handed
down from remote antiquity-the officers
OF the county fair held IN the neighborhood
where this young lady lived, haye been in
the habit of offering premium to the lady
(unmarriedD cooking the best dinner. 1t
was dead letter. Nobody had contested
for the premium within the memory of the
Oldest inhabitant. This year, however, the
young lady of whom | am speaking deter
mined to compete for the prize. Her name
Il wish could immortalize twas Kate
Janaway. The fair men set up a stove tor
her, stretched a canvas to shield her from
the sun, and about eleven o'clock of the
last day she went to work. The matter
had been talked about by every one in the
neighborhood, and curiosity was on tip
toe. A crowd collected around the place
where the stove was set up early in the
morning and kept increasing, but when
Miss Kate herself, Il buXom, handsome
girl OF nineteen, daughter OF the eX- Mayor
OF the town, appeared on the ground, and,
putting on a white apron and rolling up
her sleeves. commenced operations, all
other attractions We're nothing. Every
one was eager to see 50 novel 4 sight.
There was Il tree near by which soon be-
came black with spectators who had
climbed up to get n better view. The
branches We're, finally, SO hurdened 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 a lofty
fork, with eyes riveted on the scene be-
low. No amount of persuasion by those
beneath, envious of his better view, could
induce him to come down, even u bride of
ten dollars failed. He said he was bound
to see OF die. Meanwhile the dinner prep
arations went on apace. The savory smell
Of the cooking food seemed to intoXicatc
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 announced rs the
sport of the day, but the amphitheatre was
empty. The Judges with the exception
Of one grabbed old widower), the timers,
all were missing, and so nothing could be
done. At halt-past two the dinner was
announced ready, and the Judges, happy
men, seated themselves at the table-the
crowd regarding them with ill-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 oltactories of the eX-
cited crowd "like breezes of Arahy the
blest;'' a 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 mouth |
full. But when, at last Il dessert of piping
hot applc-dumplings 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 dump
lings disappeared in 4 trice.
One old fellow, proprietor OF a store
and owner Of a 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 COM
mon cause against the aged sutton, saw
mill and all. That young lady was the
centre of attraction 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 n farm so big that it takes
him all day TO ride around it, and cattle on
Il hundred hills, heard OF her, and made y
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 a writ OF hobeas corpus to
prevent her being carried out Of the county.
They were too late.
This is, am aware, q rather sad ending
for so good II story, but devotion to the
truth compels me to give nothing but the
simple, unvarnished reality.
She ought to have married that fellow
who set up there in the crotch of the tree.
50 long and at such fearful discomfort. He
wanted her, and he was poor, bilious dys-
peptic whom her splendid cooking would
have soon restored to usefulness and so
ciety; but he was poor. All