Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-05
PLAGIARISM AND PUDDING
The Rival Cooking Lecturers at Odds Over
aOopyright Question
Charges Made I'm Mrs. Rorer's Interest
Charge From Miss johnson.

so FAR as known no one ever obtained q
patent on a pudding. but recipes for pud-
oinss have been copyrighted and an alleged
violation of copyright in this city has
brought about interesting controversy.
The two food expositions which have been
held in this city had. In each case as an at
traction, a woman distinguished in her art
as a lecturer on cooking At one Mrs s. T.
Rorer held forth and gave daily Instructions
In the higher culinary mysteries. At the
other the same service was rendered by
Miss Helen Louise johnson; and the women
of Washington profted greatly by the pres
ence in the city of the two lecturers Natur-
ally there was considerable rivalry, ana the
coming together Of the two fair professors
Of modern cookery IN this city. Il seems win
result In a small war. Already, metaphor
ically speaking. the air is being darkened by
Kitchen utensils. hurled at each other by
these two doughty champions OF good cook
ing.
|. All About q Pudding.
In The Star Of January "A. in a report Of
Miss Johnson's talk at the Convention Hall
exposition, appeared the following recipe for
''Montrose pudding"
Montrose Padding.
Scald one cup OF cream; beat the yolks OF
three eggs very light, with half a cup OF
graduated sugar; add to the scalded cream
ana sur and cook for one minute or until
II thickens. Take from the fire; add one cup
OF cold cream, one teaspoonful Of vanilla
and stand away to cool; freeze; take from
the freezer; line an ice cream bowl with the
mixture; fill the center with an orange water
Ice; take the remainder of the frozen cream
and put it over the top. Put on the cover of
rh1 fa..1-1
hours before serving.
The Star has received from an attorney.
acting for Mrs. Rorer, q letter calling atten-
ton TO this recipe used by Miss johnson
and inclosing copy OF the recipe for
Montrose pudding from a cook book ed
TIED and published by Mrs. Rorer, known as
The Philadelphia Cook Book" The recipe
from Mrs. Rorers book is as follows:
One quart Of good cream, one cup of
graduated sugar, yolks of six eggs. one
tablespoonful Of vanilla. one pint of straw
perry water ice. Put one pint of cream on
to boil In farina boiler. Beat the yolks and
sugar together until light stir them into
the boiling cream, and cook and stir until IL
thickens about one minute). Take from
tne nre; add the remaining pint of cream,
and the vanilla: let stand until cool and
freeze. When frozen. pack into a round
mold, or bomb. leaving a well in the center.
Fill this well with the strawberry water
ice, cover IL over with some of the pudding
you have taken out. Pack in salt and ice,
and let stand until wanted mot less than
two hours. Serve with the following sauce
poured around it
BY looking over the two," writes the at
torney you will see that they are practi-
cally identical, except being divided IN hair.
Mrs. Rorer has been at great trouble ana
expense in getting up her recipes. ana they
are her stock in trade and extremely val
liable. ana in order TO protect herself she
has had them copyrighted
As will be seen, the language used IN the
two recipes differs, though the formula Is
substantially the same, Miss Johnsons.
however, providing for a smaller pudding
Miss johnson Makes Reply.
Miss johnson, who was asked about the
claim that Mrs. Rorers copyright had been
violated. writes to The Star as follows:
IF you will kindly compare the two
recipes You will see that while she talrs.
Rorer) may be able to say that they are
practically the same. copyright matter was
not used. The recipe as given by me was
not taken from Mrs. Rorers book; ana
even If it may seem quite like her recipe.
am not right in saying that one can only
copyright the wording OF an idea, not the
idea itselfy IL this be true 4 have not even
touched upon the borders of a copyright
even while using a recipe called Montrose
pudding. not by Mrs. Rorer alone, but by
numbers OF cooks ana cooking teachers.
who may not even have ever seen her
cook book" Miss johnson adds that the
recipe was known before Mrs. Rorer's pub
ication came into use. and appeared IN
publications in existence before Mrs. tsor-
er's.
Miss Johnson's Counter Charge.
Mrs. Rorer having, 50 to speak. flung o
pot at Miss johnson. Miss Johnson replies
with the kettle, for she says that the recipe
used by Mrs. Rorer on January p, ana
published in the report Of her lectures un-
der the heading Of French Paste" is prac-
tically the same as the recipe appearing in
No.
johnson IN her talk Of that date. called
Puff Paste" and which. Miss johnson as
serts. is copyrighted by Table Talk"
So the padding and paste war has opened.
and its progress will be watched with in
terest- Housekeepers may benefit by pick
ing UP an odd hint or two. revealing some
secrets Of their art, while these two ma
g.cians of the rolling pin wage royal battle.
PHILADELPHIA. January 81, 1894.
Editor of The Washington Star,
Dear Sir-Mrs. s. T. Rorer, who is deliver
ing lectures at the pure food exposition, w.
J.. i. armory. Washington. ID. c.. forwards
To me a clipping from your paper OF jan
uary "A. in which you report Miss Johnson's
talks at the Convention Hall exposition.
Mrs. Rorer has edited and published a cook
book known The Philadelphia Cook
Book. On page 400 OF her book, she gives
a recipe for Montrose Pudding. which
have had typewriter, and inclose here
with i have also had typewriter tbs re-
port which you published of Miss Johnsor's
Montrose Pudding. By looking over tho
two, you will see that they are practically
Identical, except being divided in half. Mrs.
Rorer has been at great trouble and ex-
pense in getting up her recipes. and they
are her stock-in-trade, and extremely val
liable, and I'm order TO protect herself she
has had them copyrighted.
1t is not necessary 10 state IN this con-
nection what action We propose taking
against Miss johnson. So far as you are
concerned, We respectfully ask that you
give such credit to Mrs. Rorer as is her
due under the circumstances. This might
be done by publishing the two recipes side
by side, or by making correction. and
stating that the recipe published Miss
Jonnsons, was, in fact, Mrs. Rorers.
Trusting that you will make this amend
for an error into which you were unwit-
tingly drawn, i am, yours respectfully,
CARROLL X. WILLIAMS.