Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-19
LEARNING TO COOK.

LEARNING TO COOK.
How Young Ladies are Taught 1t the
Mission School.
The mission cooking school. which has been
In existence for over nine years, ID located in
the ''old chain house." . historic landmark on
H street, opposite the New York Avenue Pres
byterian church. Here, in rooms where the
gayest Of Washington society assembled at
balls three-quarters Of . century ago, classes
are daily instructed in the art Of cooking. This
school is the result Of the efforts Of . number
Of enthusiastic Washington ladies who believe
that girls should be taught how to cook food
economically, neatly and well. They have
devoted large portion Of both their time and
means to this work, which has attracted n
great deal OF attention from persons interested
in other cities in the subject Of industrial edu-
cation. In fact. as one of the ladies interested
told STAR reporter yesterday morning, the
school is probably better known outside of
Washington than il is in the city. although il
has been in successful operation nearly .
decade.
THE SCHOOL.
At present most of the accommodations Of
the school are taken up in giving free instruc-
tons to about 100 girls from the colored public
schools who have been unable, owing to the
great crowd, to obtain places in the regular
cooking classes connected with the school
system. They are under the instruction Of
school, who has been engaged by the trustees
OF the mission school These girls come, twelve
at time, twice each day of the week except
Saturday, the lessons lasting from an hour and
. half to two hours Each girl receives one
lesson week. The reporter was present at
yesterdays proceedings.
PUPILS AT WORK.
The cooking school room is neatly furnished
with the necessary kitchen utensils, a range
and gas stove supplying the necessary heat
One side Of the room is fitted with benches
like q school room, for the course Of instruc-
ton in cooking includes the giving and learn
ing Of lessons. Yesterday the culinary program
consisted of custard and hash. Usually the
classes are given short dictation lessons in re-
gard to the dish they are to cook, but on this
occasion the cooking came first Is the custard
would take 30 long in cooking.
MAKING cusrARp.
The girls were gathered about long table
on one side Of the room and the teacher was
| slowly giving instructions, showing them how
to break the eggs and then to beat them how
much sugar and milk to be added, and then,
after some Vaccinations unfamiliar to the re-
porter, the mixture was placed in a dish and
providing around the lucky one selected to
place the pan on the stove.
As soon as it had begun to rock back and
forth with the heat the girls fled in among the
benches with the regulation air Of pupils about
to listen to a lesson The teacher then dictated
the recipe for making the custard which each
girl wrote in her note book. Then followed
directions for making hash, which were inter-
rupted by request on the part of the lady
who was explaining matters to the reporter.
that the class be questioned as to their bread
lesson.
MAKING BREAD.
The first query was: show much yeast do
you use for quart of four?' Various opinions
prevailed, one saying a whole cake another,
with some indignant establishment, a half cake,
and another. seeing that the end had not yet
come, ventured quarter of a cake. This was
not right and it was finally settled that an
eighth OF cake Of yeast was the amount for
quart OF flour. The yeast question having been
settled the answers came fast: how the -four
was to be mixed, the yeast to be dissolved. the
dough to be allowed to rise, then to be kneaded
and then as to the length Of time required for
booking. The hash was the browning feature
OF the day, and as the reporter and his guide
left the room the choppers were sounding mer-
rily.
The lesson yesterday was not very expensive,
7,
the reporter was informed, cost about Is cents
and the hash perhaps IS cents. yet the meat used
in the hash had been used the day before in les
son on boiling, and therefore the hash lesson
itself cost but half the sum. The expenses for
materials for the entire course this year will be
about eco.
The classes are drilled in a series of lessons
prepared by one of the lady trustees who has
carefully studied every recipe that is read to
the girls. Not only do they cook and listen at
the school but they are given recipes to be
tried at home. They bring reports a. to the
success Of these dishes to the teacher and il
they have not turned out well the fault is dis
covered.
THE OBJECT.
The reporter was impressed with the fact
| that the mission does not aim to be training
| school for servants, but merely to introduce
good cooks into the family; to show school
girls how to prepare food for themselves. how
to be neat in the kitchen and economical in
| their methods. In fact. there is some lite
doubt vaguely expressed by the ladies in
charge as to the feasibility of training schools
and the fate Of the one recently started in
Boston is a matter Of some interest to them
Connected with the mission school are classes
under the instruction of Miss Marion A. Davis,
q certifcated graduate of the Kensington
school, England. These classes are mostly
composed Of young women who want to learn in
order to become teachers themselves Nor is
it uncommon to fud. in the kitchen at the mis-
sion, with her hands doughty and her face
foury. some young society lady who wants to
learn how to cook. Indeed. the reporter was
told, it is getting to be the proper thing for
young ladies to take cooking lessons, regard
less of the necessity for their knowledge on the
subject and in the ranks Of the classes in the
old chain house are numbers Of young people
who are taking life ''in STYLE"
~
CoNDEMNINe THE ANTI-PovERTY SOCIETY,"
Archbishop Corrigan has sent a circular to
all the priests Of the archdiocese, regarding
DIR. McGlynn's anti-poverty society. The let
ter says: 1.-The successor of st. Peter, address,
ing and teaching the universal church, has con-
firmed that the right of property is sanctioned
by the law of nature The founder Of the
anti-poverty society proclaims the opposite
The holy father has branded doctrines Of this
unhappy leader as false and pernicious.' HE
has stated that he will never retract them The
holy father, through his organ, the supreme
tribunal Of the holy Office, of which he himself
is the president. has declared attendance at
these reunions an open and public sim The
rejOinder of the excommunicate / will not re-
peat. In order. therefore, to safeguard the
interests of the souls for whom must render
an account on the day Of Judgment, hereby
make and declare attendance at meetings Of
the anti-poverty society reserved case"