The record-union., 1898-09-04
PAUL NEUMAN'S DINNER.
THE JUICE OF A PLANT MAKES
OLD FOWLS YOUNG.
How Butchers Could Do Well by
Buying the Hawaiian Pa
paya Fruit.

Forecasts of magazine articles, as
we'll as a perusal of leading newspa-
pers, show that there is great interest
| in everything pertaining to the new ac-
cessions Of this country-Hawaii, Porto
| Rico, ETC., etc.
The 'Record-Union" has already con-
tributed several original articles on the
legends and literature of Hawaii, as
we'll as on its natural wonders, such as
| the great living volcano and the great
dead crater. This contribution, like the
present one, is due to the fact that the
writer spent year in the islands at
the time Queen Liliuokalani was de-
throned. But to the point.
No newspaper or magazine has yet
touched on the wonders of the papaya
plant, marvellous tree that shoots up
twenty feet and reaches maturity with
| in six months. Though it is we'll known
to scientists the masses of mankind
| never heard of it, though it is allied
to the pawpaw tree of this country.
The wonderful thing about the pa
paya tree is that it produces a fruit
that looks like a musk melon, slightly
more oval in shape. This papaya ap-
pie also smells like musk melon, but
1t has more acid and pungent taste,
being filled with seeds and juice. 1t
is the juice and the leaves that perform
a service unequaled in the realm of
plant life. They will almost immedi-
ately soften the toughest meat, will
| render old fowls sweet and tender, and
will disintegrate the tissues of all sorts
Of meat. Many wonderful stories are
told OF the power Of the papaya to
| transform old, tough meat into a most
delicious morsel
The books on botany, the encyclope-
dias and like works all tell of the pc
culiar action of the juices of the fruit
and leaf of this marvellous plant They
| explain that the reason 1t makes meat
tender is that it contains a vegetable
papain Of pepsin, which is even more
powerful than that in general CONNER
cial use, made from the stomachs of an
imals
Among the natives the fame of the
tree is widespread and ancient If one
visits native hut the host will offer
him poi and chicken, or roast pig. Trav-
elers tell of the delight with which they
have partaken of young chicken in the
islands, but it is often old chicken
they have eaten, prepared by soaking
1t in the juices of the papaya fruit or
leaves.
One day in 1893 Paul Neuman, the
we'll known Bohemian and former San
Francisco lawyer, invited a few friends
to his house to dinner. 1t was very
difficult to obtain young chickens, and
chickens were considered rarity at
| that season. But Paul had an ancient
| rooster that had roamed for years in
| the space from the Punch Bowl vol
| cano to Waikiki, the famous beach. One
or his guests was Joseph Altschiler edi-
tor of the New York Weekly World -
who was very fond of tender chicken.
so fond in fact that he said he was Of
! ten called Methodist preacher.
Il shall have fine young chicken for
you,' said Neuman, but you will be
startled at it's size. 1t is a native breed
and one of these chickens is as large
at four months as an American chicken
at maturity"
Altschiler was greatly interested, and
Neuman was pleased that his ingenuity
was hiding the age of the fowl that
would be served.
How do you like it cooked?" asked
the host.
Young chickens fried are the finest
eating in the world replied the New
York journalist.
| The Hawaiian servant killed the old
| rooster the night before, soaked it in
papaya juice for two hours and when
| properly cooked it was brought to the
| table.
THAT is the largest and sweetest
| chicken l ever ate," exclaimed Alt
| schiller when he had partaken of a lib
eral share Of the bird
During his sojourn in the islands Alt
| schiller tried in vain to buy eggs that
would produce chickens of such re-
markable size at the age claimed by
Neuman for his native bird, so one day
Altschiler called at the office Of his for
mer host and asked: will you pardon
the curiosity that prompts the question,
but the fact is I have longed for some
| more Of that young chicken ever since
I ate dinner with you. Will you tell
| me where I can get some to take
home?'
Il will confess the truth" said Neu-
man. IF you will forgive me- 1t was
an old rooster you ate at my house,
A full explanation followed, after
which Altschiler began to investigate
the plant with a view of having a
chemist extract some Of the active salts
| from the Juices so he could take them