The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-05-23
CHICAGO's NIGHT COOKS.
Queer Characters Who Furnish
Food for Street Prowlers.


Food for Street Prowlers.
rcripatetic Restaurants Which DO o Good
1susiness from Ton p. NJ. Until Dawn .
A Pretty Fair Lunch for Five
Cents-Walking Cafes.
Acting on the facts given him, Chi
cago News reporter selected Detective
Morgan Thomas, OF tho Harrison street
station, anu at eleven o'clock started
out to explore this paradise OF intiner- :
ant cooks and restaurants on wheels. !
AT the hour when the West and North
sides were silent in sleep the levee was
q lively scene. The usual thr0ng of
painted women, white and black, alleged
sporting men, with barber-pole pants,
bill-poster shirt-fronts, and dance-house
ncckties, were to be seen.
.'Thcre comes one Of the cafes" said
Thomas.
Around the corner of Polk street and
Fourth avenue appeared swarthy lit
tie man. He carried small folding
table beneath one arm, and in tho other
hand he held what looked like hotel
consomme boiler. 1t was made Of cop
pSl buO ~ ohOuo 11hC - AuA4 AlOOus xlo
cried in sing-song voice: clash and
wicners, gut wurst.'
s'This class is the most common said
tho detective. .'See. he sells hash, bread
and Frankfort sausage, rcd-hot."
"Vill dc shentlcmens haf some red
hots una brod?" asked the cook, as he
placed his copper kettle on the curb. In
u twinkling the table was set up. His
wares were good. Hot, homemade
hash, with good bread and butter, made
excellent sandwiches for q hungry
roundcr or policeman. The red-hots
were generally cutin two o1ongitudinally
and smothored in mustard. Tho mcr-
chant willingly told how he made his
living.
"You see, frcnts, sleeps me in de
daytime, cause de beeblers what wants
mine stock dcy be slccpin, too. Mine
woman, she cooks dc hash efery after
noon und 1 cook de red-hots vile
carries dem. Lots of fellows make
money nit dis business. See, in dis
part keeps dc hash, and here are de
rcd-hots. Under is de lamp what keeps
de blace hot. In dis box l carries the
brod und mustard. shust walk me
round, und de peoples what is hungry
dcy buys. Dey be peoples What only
work aroun' nights. Some be ticves,
some gamblers, some policemen und
oudcr ting. Oh, yes, make more money
ais vorkin' in a restaurant
.'EIc is only sample" said the de-
tcctive, as tho gay fellow picked up his
paraphcrnalia and departed shouting
his weird sing-song cry.
Tho waffle man was also encountered,
but merchants Of his kind are too
numerous in tho daytime to merit much
comment. A little farther on tho pop
corn man held forth his little court,
gasoline torch and supply of buttcred
snowflalScs done upin pretty paper bags.
During the warm autumn evenings every
good nook shelters a nocturnal sweet
corn cook. He gives you a big, fresh
boiled of corn wioh plenty of butter,
such as it is, ana seasoning for a nickel.
1t was not until the negro quarters
were reached that the night cook was
seen in all his glory, with his little
movable stall, where he displays appe-
tizing roasted tidbits of chicken, opos-
sum, corn and sweet potatoes. Who
could resist stopping to see the white
shapes flirting about their ovens in the
darkness, now and then crying: "Comc
on, brethren, an partake OBJ dc feast
Choice cuts hcah. All yoh wants fe,
two bits"
A great many well-dressed white men
stopped to get lunch Of chicken or sweet
potatoes. These cooks are patronized
all night long. Not sign of theil
booths is left by daylight. for as dawr
appears they pack up and go home
.rhose fellows just making meal o.
chicken legs, toast and sweet-potatt
sandwiches are actors," said the officer
"These lunches save them time ant
money. On their way to their room
they take bite and satisfy the innc
man with choice daintics at small
cost"
Leaving tho darker portions of tn
levee, and upon reaching State street
tho itinerant night-cook is supplante'
by the all-night restaurant. Thes
itincrant merchants do not like tn
lightest streets, because their custom
ors arc found only in the darker streets
s'Speaking about variety actors a
.ham-fat song-and dance artists" sal,
theatrical manager, 81 think the maj
who first called them by thatna mus
have seen them about midnight on tn
levcc, getting away with plate of egg
and ham just prepared by one of thes
night-cooks.
These cooks know every tough an
bad character in the locality, and yer
often supply such men will. the onl
meals the latter get when in hidin
from the police, SO they are very ofte
= used to advantage by the police as stoo
pigeons. They are necessity in thi
locality, and II they were prohibite
from doing business every rounde
would strike.
Tho Extremity Of Pollteness.
. 1t does beat all, as the good countr
people say, how polite some people ar
>. a Boston lady tells Of a gentleman, s
called, who asked permission to smoA
cigar in her presence. She does not;
all dislike the odor of good cigar, an
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