National Republican., 1883-07-21
AN oMELEr MATCH.
A Contest Between Two Famous Cooks
ia s1O.
San Francisco Bulletin.

San Francisco bulletin.
When / managed the Isthmus house.
/ said Capt. Scott one of the pioneers Of 40, 81
made a speciality of omelets. knew nothing
suited better men who had been accustomed
to rough it. Eggs plain are very we'll, but
for dish that strikes right at mans
stomach there is nothing like an omelet. 1t
must be good, however; stale fruit won't do
| ! knew that, and gave nothing but u first
class article. It cost money, though. Fresh
oggs were 50 dozen, and hard to got at that
Still, there was big margin of profit. Each
omelet brought SO; sometimes when eggs
were scarce rising as high as SO and So.
There are men, you know, who are bound To
have luxuries, cost what they will.
had u Frenchman as cook, who consid-
cred himself as without an equal in this
branch Of cookery. He was little sallow
tnoed chap, wore a paper cap, and sang the
Marseillaiso' so frantically that some people
swore he was crazy. But he was good cook.
His omelets ran up the namo of the house,
and made money hand over fist / have
sold as high as sixty omelets day, at an av-
erage profit of 50 apiece, price not bad for
one article.
but success breeds envy. The California
hotel, on Dupont street, had German baron
as chief cook, who also proposed to register
number one rs an omelet constructor. His
employer set him up as tho champion omelet
maker of tho Golden State. / couldn't stand
this; claimed the title for my cook, and
offered to bet $1,000 that Frenchy could
beat the baron all hollow and have a
vacuum tospare. Moreno, who ran the hotel,
accepted the challenge, the money was put
up, and arrangements made for tho match.
1t took place in big tent pitched for the
occasion on an open space now covered by the
Hibernia bank. 1t called out all the epicures
in the city, and was an event in every par
ticular. Three noted gastronomists were APP
pointed judges-one being Cavalier, afterward
u banker, and who, at later period, was shot
at by crazy man, went to France and died.
Both cooks appeared in white suits, the
baron wearing Prussian flag as apron; the
Frenchman French one. | made him also
wear the American colors as q sash around his
waist, and a bear flag across his shoulders.
| meant him to typify this country, and he did
it; for he rode over all opposition. Well, to
chip off, his omolets were simply magnificent
The judges said they had never tasted any
thing like them, and proved it by slowing
away $3.50 worth of Frenchy's' gems to $6C
worth of truck manufactured by the German
nobleman.
81 was justified in feeling happy. My
champion had come out winner; rival
house had lost its biggest card, the stakes
were mine, and the gate money ran up tc
$4,000. 1t was clean sweep. Poor Moreno
couldn't stand misfortune. He cursed me as
Maldito Americana jumped ON q jaclast
and rode OFF, as he said, to Pescadero. He
may be riding yet as he never reached his
destination. The next man was the German
baron. Meeting 'Frenchy' at the fandango
he called him n coward. The Gaul couldn't
stand this; he sent u cartel TO the baron who,
after finding that his opponent was also a
nobleman by right, accepted swords being
the weapons-with the privilege of using
shields.
81 shall never forget that duel. 1t wa.
amusing to degree. Each man came Oh the
ground armed with saber and round tar
get made Of sheetiron. The combat tool
place in Binney's gymnasium, in the presence
of about u hundred persons. Old Capt
Seidenstrothicr acted as second for the Baron
and Ronout dc Boullon, afterward shot in So
nora, served in the same capacity for tn,
Frenchman. The combat lasted nearly fifteer
minutes, when it came to an abrupt termination
by the appearance Of Jack Hays, then sheriff
with posse of deputies, who jumped th
principals and scattered tho spectators. No
a drop of blood was drawn, for, though tn,
contestants thrust and cut at each other will
an energy decidedly conn endable, the.
failed to score point the shields, as the.
both remarked, being always in the way
So much for making the best omelets in Sai
Francisco thirty years ago."