The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-03-21
A CHINESE RESTAURANT.
THE EXPERIENCES OF A HUNGRY
AND INQUISlTVE REPORTER.

No Oriental Luxuries in Sight-A oIys-
FERROUS Compound Brought to the Table.
Two Slices of Observation-Disclosures
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 a 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 q
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
iows: "A good diner cents"
This was sufficient 10 lure a reporter into
the place recently. There were none Of the
Oriental luxuries in sight. On the walls were
4 few pictures of flowers, highly colored, and
a certificate that Mr.. Foo, or some OF his
friends, had attended n Sunday school Tho
cables were of pine and partially covered by
ragged material that looked like a cross be-
tween dishCloth and a mop. Mr. Foo waS
engaged in leveling the sole of his shoe with
a Ratchet when the reporter entered, and,
after CHANGING up quickly, went on with his
work. The reporter dropped careleSsly upon
a stool and waited. How long the wait would
have Taste viii 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 a highly cultivated one. The re-
porter tried to keep it back, but out it came
"a double barreled sneeze-that set every
thing to juggling.
1t struck Mr. Foo amidship The Ratchet
fell on his foot and the shoe dropped int,,
something which looked like keg of mo-
lasses. There was blood in his eye and there
might have been tragedy had not the
unocent cause of all the connection put on
hungry look and touched his sunken aldo
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 ldting see bah"
"Al right, Mr.. Foo. I'll forgive you. Now
just set up the best in the house, up to the
eight cent limit, and all viii 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 seat close by. He
began to whistle peculiar call and the yell
Iowish 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 a second trial. A mixture
Of lard, mustard, salt and biIge water may
tempt a 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 a little
while with a large platter and couple of
small dishes. There were two slices of some
brown material on the platter. Mr.. Foo ad-
mitted that it was ''pe-sck-re-aut-i." There
IS no doubt that it was the genuine goods. It
tasted so. One of the slices was filed with
small fish bones, and the other was a dainty
mOrsel which might have been taken, with q
little imagination, to be bit of fried num-
my There were also some beans, cabbage
and rice. Mr.. Foo evidently runs his place
IN the touch not and taste not plan. Well
It keeps one from being poisoned A nibble
1ere and there demonstrated that an ash can
would be a safe place for Mr.. Foo's Layout"
1t made it easy to understand why young
Chinaman wears wrinkles and appears like
An old man while yet in his teens.
SMALL POT OF TEA.
Mr.. Foo removed the dishes. He wanted TO
bring some more of the menu, but the re-
porter indicated that he would prefer drink
If some kind. After long delay Mr.. Foo
appeared with tray bearing small pot Of
Tea and a cup that resembled a toy. The tea
was a revelation. 1t was aromatic and tho
aavor delicious, and if there had not been
small family of CrotOn bugs found in the tea
poe, after the tea had been swallowed, it
would have been thoroughly enjoyable. This
eIded the dinner.
''Well, Mr.. Foo, how much do owe your
he reporter asked, simply as a matter Of
form.
The remark brought back Mr. Foo's cheer
,ulness, and he camO near uncovering his
Tpine with longitudinal extension of his smile.
de showed for the first time that LIS English
uad noJ been entirely neglected After a few
marks with a brush, through the wreath OF
smiles came the words soft and low:
3 'Sixta-nine-a cen"
s ''Sixty-nine centsl Go to, Mr. Foo. You are
crazy! Why your sign out there says that
you give good dinnSS for eight cents. What
10 you mean by thisTxtOrtiongn
'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, nuchee pay. Belly
| good, Sixty-nin-a cen cheapee. Chinaman
! !osee 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
! % double up with Hungry Joe and do the
| "hand shaking act.-New York Tribune.
a Cure for WakefuIness. d.
Many a middle AGED man who is in the