Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-12-03

Wnat GneV nave, alJnOugn Inelf IOOu
often appears insipid, sometimes re-
Voting to the foreigner. | don't know
how the Chinese prepare their beans.
| have never seen them boiled or bak-
ed Most of the supply for Hong
Kong comes from Canton, prepared
in what is called "bean-cake." 1t
looks exactly like a mass of stiff
calves-foot jelly, except that it is
very dark brown in color. This is
cut into strings or thin slices and
fried in oil by the street vender.
/ can't tell you whether it tastes like
beans or not, for | never have had
the courage to sample it. l shall
probably always remain in ignorance
regarding this point, because | don't
believe my inquisitiveness will ever
reach the pitch which is required to
make me wiser regarding the flavor
of the Chinaman's "bean cake" In
China rice is prepared in almost
as many different ways as flour in
America. The poorer class of West
erners will eat bread instead of rich
pastry. The same class of Chinese
will live on simple boiled rice and
dried fish. 1t is quite possible for
Chinaman to supply himself with
wholesome food in sufficient quantity
for sum not exceeding three cents
a dav. This proves that no nation
in the world are superior to the Chi
nese in economical preparation of
food for their poor. In America,
where a living is easily earned, there
is enough material wasted every day
in an ordinary household to keep
family of Chinese in comparative lux
ury for a week. You wouldn't get
very fat on the remains of an Ordina-
ry Chinese family dinner, I'll war
rant. Glance at the physical condi-
ton of Chinese cat or dog, it will
convince YOU at once that his life is
not happy one, at least not one OF
repletion, dependent as they are upon
the leavings of their owners. All of
these customs and habits of the peO
pie can be learned by any ordinary
observer after short residence IN
China, inasmuch as a great number
of Chinese coolies live entirely out
of doors. The coolies cannot afford
the time, place or expense of prepar-
inc his own food. His restaurant can
be seen here, there and everywhere in
Hong Kong, travelling about the city
or standing in the street. He depends
on the ssstreet vender" for his daily
food, who carries long square box
at each end of bamboo pole. One
-box contains suitable dishes, chop
sticks and material to be prepared.
The ther has an extremely thin bot
toned kettle set in the top like q ba-
sin in a wash stand and has a steamer
on top Fuel is very scarce and dear {;
this is why the Chinaman makes the
bottom of his kettle as thin as possi-
BILE, so that the flame will take imme-
diate effect the moment it touches the
bottom. Here we have another little
instance of economy that necessity
has taught the Chinaman. Under
meath the street vender's kettle is a
little clay fireplace and receptacle for
fuel, etc. With this portable kitchen
he boils, fries and steams his articles
of food, as the case may demand.
The coole deposits one, or possibly
more ''cash," (tenth part of cent?
according to the value and quantity
of the artic lie ,and receives in exchange
a dish Of some mysterious mixture,
and goes on his way-well, let us
hope. with a more cOntented feeling
in the digestive part of his anatomy.
Many of the shops in Hong Kong
are built out in front so as to form a
veranda. These often form con-
tinuous line on both sides Of the
street in some quarters of the city.
| Beneath these verandas the coolie
sleeps. stretched out on his straw mat
or an old shutter, with square block
for a pillow. l became painfully
aware of this custom one rainy night
soon after my arrival, by falling over
one of these inconvenient sleepers,
greatly to the disgust of both parties.
Ny first impression was that l had
stumbled over some meandering ce
lestial, overcome by too free indul-
gence in the pipe or "sam shu'' (Chi-
nese spirits made from rice). re-
allied my mistake after | had tripped
over three or four more within as
many Yards, and | made hasty tracks
down the middle of the street, regard
less of the elem ents, followed by Wig
orous language, which even in my
ignorance of the Chinese, | recogniz-
ed as oaths of the first magnitude
NY evil star was still in the ascend
ant, for | wasn't long in discovering
that | had taken a wrong road In my
haste. Bruised, and wet to the skin
| finally reached my destination, only
to be arrested by Scotch policeman
for attempting to scale the gates OF
the ''Sailors' Home The min
ion of law and order seemed to doubt
my earnest explanation, and was In
clined to run me in for nights lodg
ing in the ''station house" and le'
me explain the situation to the In
spector in the morning. However,
finally overcame his moral scruples
and induced him to assist me "ovel