The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-03-29
A CHINESE RESTAURANT.
THE EXPERIENCES or A HUNGRY
AND INQUISITIVE REPORTER.

No Oriental Luxuries in Sight-A NIys-
FERROUS Compound Brought to the Table.
Pot of Delicious Tea.
In Mulberry street, near Canal, amid the
noise, hustle and confusion of the busy mer-
chants of the bend, - there is quiet and I'M
pretentious dining room. 1t is presided over
at all hours of the day and night by Wah
Sing Foo, and the business is said to be a
thriving one. Pictures of turtles, pigs,
sharks and several kinds of hobgoblins are
pasted ON the windows and their virtues as
articles of diet, are set forth in choice spider
scratches upon pieces of brown paper. The
most attractive sign, however, reads as fol-
lows: GA good diner cents"
This was sufficient to lure a reporter into
the place recently. There were none of the
Oriental luxurieS in sight. On the walls were
few pictures of flowers, highly colored, and
a certificate that Mr.. Foo or some of his
friends, had attended Sunday school The
tables were of pine and partially covered by
a ragged material that looked like cross be-
tween dishcloth and mop. Mr.. Foo was
engaged in leveling the sole of his shoe with
Ratchet when the reporter entered, and
after glancing up quickly, went on with his
a stool and waited. How long the wait would
have lasted will never be known There was
sudden interruption. A pungent odor stole
in from the back yard, where something was
being cooled. 1t was too powerful for any
nose save highly cultivated one. The re-
porter tried to keep it back, but out it came
"a double barreled sneeze-that set every
thing to jingling.
1t struck Mr.. Foo amidship. The Ratchet
I'll L.
something which looked like a keg of mo-
lasses. There was blood in his eye and there
might have been a tragedy, had not the
innocent cause of all the commotion put on
hungry look and touched his sunken abdO-
men with his finger.
THE BEST IN THE HOUSE
Mr.. Foo smiled SO that no one could tell
whether he was weeping, wailing or gnashing
his teeth as he said:
ewing Foo ah ale go to kiting see BAH
'All right, Mr.. Foo. I'll forgive you Now
just set up the best in the house, up to the
eight cent limit, and all will be we'll"
Mr.. Foo jumped away with the air of a
man who did not understand a word that had
been spoken. He kept out of sight for twenty
minutes and then appeared with a large bowl
of something steaming hot, which he set on
the table and then took a seat close by He
began to whistle a peculiar call and the vel
lowish soup moved restlessly in the bowl. A
spoon came with the stuff. 1t required some
courage to take a mouthful, and it would
take team of horses and derrick to get one
up to the rack for second trial A mixture
Of lard mustard, salt and bilge water may
tempt tagging appetite, but it is just lit
tie surprising to the stomach of man not
thoroughly used to the customs of the Flow
cry Kingdom. Mr.. Foo took the mysterious
compound away and came back in little
while with a large platter and a couple of
small dishes. There were two slices of some
brown material on the platter. Mr.. Foo adj
mitted that it was ''pe-sick-re-aut-i" There
Is no doubt that it was the genuine goods. 1t
tasted SO. One of the slices was filled with
small fish bones, and the other was dainty
morsel which might have been taken, with
little imagination, to be bit of fried mum
my. There were also some beans, cabbage
and rice. Mr.. Foo evidently runs his place
On the touch not and taste not plan Well
It keeps one from being poisoned. A nibble
here and there demonstrated that an ash can
would be a safe place for Mr.. Foo's ''layout."
1t made it easy to understand why a young
Chinaman wears wrinkles and appears like
an old man while yet in his teens.
A SMALL POT OF TEA.
Mr.. Foo removed the dishes He wanted to
bring some more of the MENU but the re-
pOTCST 1uuIcdGoO GnaG ne WOULD prefer a drink
IF some kind. After long delay Mr.. Foo
appeared with tray bearing small pot of
tea and cup that resembled toy. The tea
was revelation. 1t was aromatic and the
aavor delicious, and if there had not been
small family of Croton bugs found in the tea
pot, after the tea had been swallowed, it
would have been thoroughly enjoyable. This
ended the dinner.
''Well, Mr.. Foo, how much do 1 owe your
the reporter asked, simply as matter of
torn.
The remark brought back Mr. Foo's cheer
tulness, and he came near uncovering his
spine with longitudinal extension of his smile.
BE showed for the first time that his English
had not been entirely neglected. After few
marks with a brush, through the wreath Of
smiles came the words soft and low:
'Sixta-nine-a Gen."
''Sixty-nine cents! Go to, Mr.. Foo. You are
:razyI Why your sign out there says that
you give good dinneS for eight cents. What
do you mean by thiS%xtortion?"
"Ah! Excus-a-me. Eight cen for poor China
man. Mclean man richee, no eatee like
Chinaman. He eatee blenty soup, beef and
good tings. Muchee eatee, muchee pay. Belly
good. Sixty-nin-a cen cheapee Chinaman
Eosee money all time. Belly poor"
The bill was paid, and the visitor came
away with the experience and conviction that
Mr.. Foo had mistaken his calling He ought
Inland shaking" act.-New York Tribune
A Cure for WaIxefuIness.
Many middle aged man who is in the
habit of going to bed after eating hearty
meal is OuZZlod when ha finds himca1f Lxinor