Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-02-10
CHICAGO'S NIGHT COOKS.
Queer Characters Who Furnish
Food for Street Providers.
Peripatetic Restaurants Which Do n Good
business from Ten Z. NJ. Until Dawn
A Pretty Fair Lunch for Five
Contributing Cafes. ?

station, anu at eleven o'clock started
ont to explore this paradise of intiner-
ant cooks and restaurants on wheels.
AT tho hour when the West and North
sides were silent in sleep the levee was
lively scene. The usual throng of
painted women, white and black, alleged
sporting mon, with barber-pole pants,
bill-postcr shirt-fronts, and dance-house
necktics, wcro to be seen.
"Thero comes one of the cafes" said
Thomas.
Around the corner of Polk street and
Fourth avenue appeared swarthy lit
tie man. He carried a small folding
table beneath one arm, and in the other
hand he held what looked like hotel
consomme boiler. It was made of cop
per and it shone like full moon. He
cried in sing-song voice: clash and
wleners, gut wurSt."
"This class is tho most common" said
the detective. "See, he sells hash, bread
and Frankfort sausage, red-hot."
"Vill de shentlcmons hat some red.
hots und brod?" asked the cook, as he
placed his copper kettle on the curb. In
twinkling the table was set up. His
wares were good. Hot, homemade
hash, with good bread and butter, made
excellent sandwiches for a hungry
rounder or policeman. Tho red-hots
were generally cutin two 1ongitudinally
and smothered in mustard. The mer-
chant willingly told how he made his
living.
"You see, frents, I sleeps me in de
daytime, cause de beeblers what wants
mine stock dey be sleepin, too. Mine
woman, she cooks de hash efery after
noon und I cook dc red-hots vile 1
carries dem. Lots of fellows mako
money nit dis business. See, in dis
part l keeps de hash, and here are de
red-hots. Under is dc lamp what keeps
de blaze hot. In dis box l carries the
brod und mustard. / shust walk me
round, und dc peoples what is hungry
dey buys. Dey be peoples What only
work aroun' nights. Some be tieves,
some gamblers, some policemen und
oddcr ting Oh, yes, make moro money
ais vorkin' in a restaurant"
''He is only sample" said the de-
tective, as the gay fellow picked up his
paraphernalia and departed shouting
his weird sing-song cry.
The waffle man was also encountered,
but merchants Of his kind are too
numerous in the daytime to merit much
comment. A little farther on the pop
corn man held forth his little court,
gasoline torch and supply of buttered
snowflakes done up in pretty paper bags.
During tho warm autumn evenings every
good nook shelters nocturnal sweet
corn cook. He gives you a big, fresh
hni 1n6 ~ y;rl
such as it is, ana seasoning Tor 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
clothed fellows who assume gre tesque
shapes fitting about their ovens in the
darkness, now and then crying: "Come
on, brethren, an partake oh de feast
Choice cuts heah. All yoh wants for
two bits"
A great many well-dressed white mon
stopped to get n lunch of chicken OF sweet
potatoes. These cooks are. patronized
all night long. Not sign of their
booths is left by daylight, for as dawn
appears they pack up and go homo.
'"Those fellows just making meal OF
chicken legs, toast and sweet-potato
sandwiches are actors" said the officer.
''These lunches save them time and
money. On their way to their rooms
they take bite and satisfy the inner
man with choice dainties at a small
cost"
Leaving the darker portions OF the
leveo, and upon reaching State street,
the itinerant night-cook is supplanted
by the all-night restaurant. These
itinerant merchants do not like tho
lightest streets, because their custom
ers are found only in tho darker streets.
Speaking about variety actors as
'ham-fat song-and.danco artists" said
O. theatrical manager, al think the man