The Portland daily press., 1895-07-02
oLo-rlME ENTERTAINING.
The Good Dinners and Elegant Hospitali-
ty of the Early Part of the Century
philadelphia Times. }

1
The year 1S43 witnessed at once the
climax and declension of dinner giving
and national cooking in the United
| States. The failure of the United States
bank was disaster of so wide reaching
that the enterprise and resources of the
entire country were in state of paralysis
for the next 12 years; nor has Philadel-
phia ever recovered the pre-eminence it
then held over other cities. From 1920
our wealth had greatly increased, and
much of this was spent in the exercises
of a refined and elegant hospitality.
Charles Mathews, the comedian, wrote to
his friend Pope in London, noted bon
| vivant: "The better class of Americans
have nothing to learn of us in the art of
providing good dinners. The cooking is
admirable, the wines unsurpassed. " And
he also spoke of the excellence Of the at
tendance, all the servants being blacks.
One curious reminiscence of that time
may be mentioned. We had large trade
in those days with Ireland, mostly in
| flour and meat, through firms in Cork
and Dublin, which was carried on by
|
were Catholics, and formed a society of
| their own, having but little social inter
course with outsiders. They entertained
lavishly and lived up to and as it proved
much beyond their incomes. When the
| smash came all of these firms went to
pieces, and their members disappeared so
utterly that the writer's inquiries have
failed to find but single one, and he
was a pensioner on the Hibernian society.
Indeed. this was the case with many of
the old American firms in trades, for they
were wiped out, leaving no descendants
in this city or state. To go West in those
days was the accepted fate of all who
failed here.
In colonial times the tide water region
of Virginia was famous for its entertain
ments At these great show was made
| by having mob of.-blacks in livery But
Beaumont, the French traveller, who
stayed there a month, describes the living
to have been varied and abundant, but
rough and unrefned. This would GER
tainly apply to the manners of the guests,
as they were given to fist fights and goug-
| ing each others eyes out.
The old Maryland families practioed a far
more cultured and refined style of living,
and were, in fact, quite up to the stand
ard Of the prevailing mode in Europe.
Col. Howard, one of the heroes of Eutau
| Springs, who married Miss Peggy Chew
first excellence and gave dinners that
were attended and prised by many for
eign visitors, while the entertainments at
the seat Of the Carols were the most
splendid given in America. At the
beginning of the present century the in
| PRODUCTION of certain toasts was accom-
panied by a burst Of martial music.
| 1.-THE president of the United States 'swas
ushered in by band playing the "Star
| Spangled Banner ("
| Thomas Pennant Barton of this city
was one of the first of noted entertainers
who introduced French ideas of cooking
and table etiquet into this country. He
was son-in-law of Edward Livingston,
minister to France in 1888, and after liv-
ing in Paris some time became secretary
of legation, and brought to this country
a French cook it was at Bartons table
that mayonnaise sauce first appeared
here. He then lived on the corner of
Juniper and Walnut streets.
Philadelphia markets were renowned
in early times for the variety and excel
lence of their products especially butter
and poultry, and our citiz ems enjoyed
preeminence for good living. Our malt
liquors were especially famous The best
beer was that made by Billy Gray. He
was little round Englishman, with a
capacity for eating that was phenomenal.
Dan Rubicam kept an excellent restau-
rant on Sixth, near Jayne street, and
Gray would order turkey and oyster
sauce, with all the trimmings. and this
he could consume down to the last stalk
of celery, and call for currant pudding,
it in season, otherwise tart; drink a
quart of his old ale and go home.
We had at this time a succession of ad-
mirable eolored cooks and caterers Most
of these had places of their own, and
there were few men of note in the United
States who had not partaken of Prosser's
oysters and ale.
Well, times have changed The florist,
not the cook, officiates first at good din
ners, and although men drink less than
our grandfathers, it is question whether
Bright's disease does not claim many as
did gout in olden times and from the same
cause.