Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-02
FYAP'B DUCK DINNER.


l-s
= Qnsse Dun6ing WaeA D1n1U x1eeEe
Waa1s-A Nset Wa Csnasnns Hls Own
-. -. r..-... 1890 - Ceeaape
I = D. kxDiaansA
..rNA vor .ver cat tn,lad duck cooked
!. r4s,,.ss -,ts, ,,r.c.aIes M strir,r beans!"
ssksd ~ = 8 Tsxker. ~ rsctiaer, Of
.eeter for infnrmetion. II have been In
,st.d - ~ fri.nd Van Wing. at el7
acrth Ft~hth etreeA Il - there and par
~ .r6 von onohf e IN IT," Colonel
Wirr,s rs.tsnvanf 4 inside dingy brick
s.,conh.ons thet rsiafnds one OF those
hrick crave thev build for aristocrats at
the cemeteriee Tor $50 each. One reaches
q m I. ralav stYicken stairway. and as ono
,uaite ~ the door for entry one il confront
ed with : number Of placards with Chinese
chsrscters in black on q red ground.
Translated they run as follows:
"The house Of the eight benevolences
will tonight provide infcrior duck badly
boiled and seasoned with unworthy curry,
together with such wilted and cheap
bought vegetables as may DO required by
those who honor its unworthiness with
their presence. The extravagant price of
this inferior repast will be 25 cents in
American money"
Beside it was another:
"The negro woman Malta in the alley
behind the singing place Is thief. Now
she has stolen So from Fong Plung. The
sagacious will avoid this black woman"
Some Of the placards were wholly un-
printable and deadly libelous. Some were
Of liQht and frivolous character. Some
were advertisements, pure and simple.
Some were poems written in spare mo-
ments and exposed that all might see.
There arc also some calling illusions to
the police and Celestial critiqucs on the
municipal government, but before tho in
terpreter could work through the lot zap
Wing had the little party under his hos
pitable wing and was marshaling it into
the restaurant.
'.No gooda reada Chinaman WRITE" he
said. "Chinaman write when he get mad.
You come eat duck. IT'S vera bad duck
tonight, but how can helpp SIS vera bad
curry. SIS evlything rotten, but you try
him, and then you dam Yap Wing, and
you solly You ever see him-hein?'
"This means" Mr.. Tasker whispered,
"that Yap has an especially good duck for
us and that all other things are out of
sight, 1t ia the Chinese way. 1t is DO
likeness"
The eating room IL a little below the
level of Hon alley. It is scrupulously
Glenn and scrupulously bare. At the table
where the present party was to sit were
grouped humber of chairs. A spotless
linen cloth covered II. and Quaint china
dishes were all about. Others in the re-
fectorv were EATING off delft and tin. and
thev sat on benches. The "hioh place in
the svnaoooue" had two lamps: the other
tables shared one
When the quests were seated. q cody
came In with q large trav that he sat be.
fore Van wing and uncovered. It had the
duck m "a and 70 Caucasian ewes that
d,,ck aid not look like e. had ever been
cooted Mt ali The SKIN had tho fresh an.
nenrnnce Of the market place. The other
dishes cama m ouickIv There was some
kind Of a rnrout. There were string
h,ans tomatoes ana what one wonld take
n i,a s.loii aithonoh Il was really a
cs,,ho =. o o.,, ''-'-' -
The host st,,ck bis fork into the breast
~ tha drct ana then instead ~ carving
We ~ do ha I,arar slicinO RIGHT thronoh
tbo sc,.S tmrr,,,c "a fiaEa aSter fioka as
tho,,rh T. had heon "a much SAUSAGE.
0Ssv - THAT hind - ~ a dncr r. thats"
,,..,s', !. We. st",tiad .,,ast syhn had MAYER
1 ~, !. Ma ",,t cross S ,,efore -
.sti,r, rarss had H,,ct- y Wing stated
..vo,, 80 hs,,," Ana n nortson that
,oot.., ~. .. ch,cran 30, crooretta hnnnd in
"a, -. ,,,t s -, tha Mat. With a snoonf,l
- or, noc "Hs ana = iot 81 rance The other
...s..,.,a, -. 49,. - sSa.a ara tha ,,,,ast
oinmsiiv sd,ustinr His chopsticks, beear,
y. ...n.,: ~. hasrt., .hn,t c,,n,ss+iors T.
SAsSkOVAS.S 40