The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-11-22
CHINESE COOKS AND PEDDLERs.


CHINESE COOKS AND PEDDLERS.
Ayear in no other place can afford
more amusing incidents than twelve
month in Utah. Mormonism is the first
object of interest to strangers, but it is
too serious subject to long yield
amusement, and one soon turns from
its study with loathing to find diversion
and novelty in the incidents occurring
through the Chinese and Indians scat
tered In numbers throughout the Terri
tory.
To use the word Chinese erroneously
implies both sexes; there are only men.
Many of these keep tea-stores and
china-shops, but they are principally
engaged in laundrying and gardening
Some few find situations as house-ser-
wants in private families, and most of
the hotels employ Chinese cooks; but
any hotel engaging them in this capac-
ity tries to conceal the fact. And If
guests catch a glimpse of them In the
kitchen, and inquire in what capacity
they serve, the steward probably re
plies that they are only scullions. The
prejudice against them is so great that
mine host fears to iniure his house by
acknowledging them to be cooks.
This prejudice is not political, but
arises from suspicion of their cleanli-
illness.
If Chinaman is well taught in
The start he makes an excellent cook.
With them it is, 'sLike master, like
man" if badly trained when first taken
into service the Chinese can never cor
rect the faults they are led into; their
initiative powers depend entirely upon
first Impressions.
The wife of hotel-keeper in Idaho
went one day into the kitchen to teach
her new Chinese cook how to make a GER
tain kind of batter-cakes. The recipe
called for adozen eggs. She broke the
flrstintothe mixture, then the second, but
the third was stale, and she dropped it
into the slop-pail, the Chinaman watch
ing her intently. She supplied the
place of the stale egg, broke a dozen
into the mixture and had excellent luck
with her batter-cakes. The next morn
ing the Chinaman made for breakfast
cakes equally good by her recipe, or
example, and continued to do so
through the winter. His mistress com
mended his skill and entirely forgot the
stale egg until one morning, passing
through the kitchen before breakfast.
she noticed that Yee Sing, making bat
tef-eakes, broke into them one epe.
then two; third, also good, he broke
and threw into the slop-pail. His mis-
aess rebuked his wastefillness, remon-
strated with him and explained that she
haa merely thrown away the third egg
Wnen teaching him because it hap
rened to be bad; that the ceremony
was not part of the recipe; that each
1llia egg was not necessarily stale.
nut Zee Sing could not understand it:
example being stronger than precept
~ persisted In always throwing away
me third egg. He did more; he would
aoid the doomed egg critically for
momentto his nostril and then avert
ms nat nose with a look of disgust. as
y mad offended by its odor, before he
dropped it, pure and clear, into the
aQp-pail, He seemed convinced that
az exact copy of his mistress tactics
upon that occasion was necessary to the
success OF the recipe; and this in place
Mnere eggs sell at Lenten prices the
year round.
20 those of them who learn our al
phaoet our poverty of letters seems
.sfy amusing. Instead of saying: 81
aaoW my c's, they make the State
.sene and then run through the whole
Nenty-six letters at a breath. not so
,hach to prove their statement. as
sscause the twenty-six letters seem like
mere short sample to them, as they
aass 10 their own language three thou
saaa characters to learn.
lucy have thirst for information.
~ aaa are often more grateful for bits of
slst than for bits of coin. This is saw
mucn, Tor they are naturally ava
iney are successful as peddlers. and
later about over the wooden side
,,..a ~a.As N the Western towns, making a
s fassef IN their queer wooden shoes,
llopplng at every door to sell yeoeta-
- out OF picturesque pannier-shaped
sssa sssaets' which hang at their sides from
sesn saea end OF a pole, as the scales are
aa presented on the statues of Justice.
sasg sa.g the Cinnamon carry this pole
~ as.oss the back of the neck. bending
place. A''5 ioi "aru 10 iloid IL IN
sss ene day, one of these vegetable ven
sss, ~ While selling some cabbares at q
Ser; seen door, spied calendar hanging
ss ssaanst the wall He went curiouslR
sl g II: sSamined it closely ffor any-
lsr;s iala Off with mathematical regu-
lass lsaasss interests them greatly, and at
rs-.ss .sssa ne asked its name. The cook
esased slowly and distinctly the word
nosaa ssauar until the Chinaman could pro-
esv vaSe S;.l It and then took out purse to
sss.L lH,n I'm Tor his cabbages; but Aim
hg: asuea mead and grinned, say
he bs,,I ss no TAX, tas-ee pay-ee; yon teach-ee
stu Word-ee," and he refused the