Tombstone epitaph., 1890-05-31
CHICAGO'S NIGHT COOKS.
Queer Characters Who Furnish
 Food for Street Prowlers.
Peripatetic Restaurants Which Do a Good Business from Ten P. NJ. Until Dawn A Pretty Fair Lunch for Five
 Cents-Waiking Cafes.


 Acting on the facts given him, Chi cago News reporter selected Detective Morgan Thomas, of the Harrison street station, and at eleven o'clock started put 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 lively scene. The usual throng of painted women, white and black, alleged sporting men, with barber-pole pants, bill-poster shirt-fronts, and dance-house neckties, were to be seen.
 There comes one of t.,e 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 the other hand he held what looked like hotel. 3onsomme boiler. It was made of cop per and it shone like a full moon. He cried in sing-song voice: "Hash and wieners, gut wurst."
 ''This class is the most common" l" said the detective. "See, he sells hash, bread OA]~ U oouSoSC, ACo-AO6.
 "Vill de shentlemens haf some red hots und brod?" asked the cook, as he placed his copper kettle on the curb. In a twiukling 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. The red-bots were generally cut in two o1ongitudinally and smorhered in mustard. The mer- chant willingly told how he made his living.
 daytime, cause de beeblers what wants mine stock dey be sleepin, too. Mine woman, she cooks de hash efery after noon und 1 cook de red-hots vile I carries dem. Lots of fellows make money init dis business. See, in dis part 1 keeps de hash, and here are de red-hots. Under is de lamp what keeps de place hot. In dis box I carries the brod und mustard. I shust walk me round, und de peoples what is hungry dey buys. Dey be peoples what only some gamblers, some policemen und odder ting. Oh, yes, make more money als vorkin' in a restaurant"
 "He is only a 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 snowfakes done up in pretty paper bags. During the warm autumn evenings every good nook shelters nocturnal sweet corn cook. He gives you big, fresh boiled ear of corn wiGh plenty of butter, such as it is, and seasoning for nickel.
 It 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 gro tesque shapes fitting about their ovens in the darkness, now and then crying: "Come on, brethren, an partake ob de feast. Choice cuts heah. All yoh wants fer 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 their booths is left by daylight, for as dawn appears they pack up and go home. e oI,;n oA 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 small cost"
 Leaving the darker portions of the levee, and upon reaching State street, the itinerant night-cook is supplanted by the all-night restaurant. These itinerant merchants do not like the lightest streets, because their custom srs are found only in the darker streets.
 Speaking about variety actors as 'ham-fat song-and-dance artists,'" said a theatrical manager, 'I think the man who first called them by that name must have seen them about midnight on the levee, getting away with plate of eggs and ham just prepared by one of these 
 These cooks know every tough and bad character in the locality, and very often supply such men with the only meals the latter get when in hiding from the police, so they are very often used to advantage by the police as stool- pigeons. They are necessity in this locality, and if they were prohibited from doing business every rounder would strike.
 The Extremity of Politeness.
 It does beat all, as the good country people say, how polite some people are. A Boston lady tells of gentleman, so He'd, who asked permission to smoke a cigar in her presence. She does not at ;-1s 6o o10 04 ,vI