The record-union., 1895-10-07
a RIDICULOUS PROPOSITION.

4 RIDICULOUS PROPOSITION.
The State Development Committee
proposes grand banquet in San Fran
cisco to prove to the world that certain
things are possible in California which
are impossible in any other State in the
Union"
We concede that as to one feature;
we do not believe that 1t would be possi-
BILE in any other State in the Union to
round up committee that would COM
NIT itself to such an idiotic proposition.
We do not believe that there is another
State in the Union where a reasonable
number of citizens of fair sense could be
induced to think so lightly of the intelli-
genoe of people, whom they desired to in
f1uence, as to evolve such scheme for
the purpose of convincing them of well
established and easily demonstrated
facts.
OF fcourse an elegant banquet can be
served at the fashionable hotel selected
for the purpose. and California products
may constitute the chief. or all of the
dishes. But is there State in the Union
spread from it's own products? The Cali
fornia menu would differ in variety, OF
course, and so far as semi-tropical fruits
and products are concerned, we could
produce a peculiarly local bill of fare.
But what OF it? May not the fact of such
production be more economically, ef-
fectively and reasonably presented to
Eastern intelligence?
The committee informs us through cir
eular letter that the good the proposed
banquet is to accomplish will be through
reports Of the dinner given in the local
press. which it anticipates will be copied
at the East. So then, as usual, the press
is to lift the heavy end Of the log. Sup
pose that it performs It's allotted task,
however, and that the San Francisco
press, with unwonted public spirit, does
1t without coin down, the expected good
results will still remain doubtful guam
tity. That which we print to influence
the Eastern mind with the purpose
boldly apparent Oh its face, as a rule
falls upon barren ground. At least, this
we do know: it is received with very
broad margin of allowance. The average
Eastern reader is quite as capable OF
reading between the lines as any other.
But the humor of the proposition for
the ''free eat" resides In the fact that the
people at large are expected to furnish the
food out Of hand. It might be suggested
that it will concern them to know who
are to fare sumptuously at their cost. OF
course the cook-with whom this whole
scheme originated and whose ability and
high accomplishments we do not dues-
tion-is to be paid, and we are told that
she must be roundly paid. The ban
queters. it is therefore assumed, will meet
that portion of the bill.
There is one product of which the COM
mittee has fears OF q shortage, namely,
bear meat, and it therefore pitiously be-
seeches some bold hunter to step out and
shoot q small bear for the committee; q
very small bear will do, we are informed:
besides, cub will be more tender, and
the committee is solIcitous for its
stomach's sake. If a California bear can
not be had, the Oregon or Washington
product will do.
AS a supplement to the banquet. the
cook is to deliver a series of cooking lee
lures, with exemplifcations. for the bene-
fit of the ladies' in the vicinity of San
Francisco. Women outside that charmed
vicinage will not be able to profit by the
lectures and instruction. unless their
purses are Of sufficient length to enable
them to travel to the bay for the purpose
and pay the fees.
The RECORD UNION is unable to find in
the scheme any higher virtue than good
advertisement and fat fee for the cook.
The whole thing is absurd, ridiculous. 1t
has but one possible redeeming feature.
namely, the suggestion that the cook be
sent on to Atlanta and Chicago to give
public exhibitions OF cooking with pro-
ducts exclusively of California produo-
ton. There is some sense in that. if we
are correct in the assumption that the ex-
bibitions are to be confined to exemplifi-
cations of kitchen preparation of Califor-
mia fruits. etc. It is possible to cultivate