Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-06
And the companies can bring about an
honorable peace whenever they have a.
DEsom1xAr1osAL COOKERY.

UNCONVENTIONAL COOKERY.
Some pious epicurean. who does not
think that good food is inconsistent with
true religion. has recently contributed
an editorial on Chicken and Church
Affairs" to the Southside Examiner. Of
Farmville. Tho article. like Its subject
matter. is seasonable, for this is the time
of the year when gr.at religious gather
ings are being held in many parts OF
the Sta and hundreds of gallinaceous
fowls are laying down their lives In the
cause of sin-hating humanity.
According to the chicken-loving writer
of the Southside Examiner. there is a
marked relationship between church mem
bership and the cooking Of the cackling
bird in question. This relationship even
reveals UNCONVENTIONAL peculiarities. For
instance, broiled chicken is mentioned by
our author as a popular diet among Epis-
copalians, as 1t has q certain air OF dis
tinction. which cannot be found IN fried
or stewed chicken or in the bird when
made into pie. In a word, 1t looks arls-
tocratic. is delicate in flavor, and Is
nothing if not appetizing. When served
on tray with a snowy napkin there is
the suggestion of a surplice in the
spread.
Now, as to the Methodist brethren;
everybody knows their feelings toward
fried chicken, and any opposition to the
bird thus cooked looks like an intended
slap at the grand old Methodist Church.
Our contemporary quotes minister OF
this denomination as having said that
vast number of chickens have entered
the Methodist ministry! And it need not
be added that they entered in the fried
state.
The Examiner says that our Baptist
citizens love to rnd their fowl wallowing
disconnectedly in the Ioblolly Of a stew,
or sleeping its last sleep in a pie-crust
sarcophagus. And again we are asked
why. Because. forsooth. since the very
foundation of the republic, chicken-pie,
has been rightly regarded as one of the
outward and visible signs Of sturdy inde-
pendence and democratic simplicity. Ma
poleon once said: Scratch Russian
and you will find q Tartar" 1t might
be said with equal truth: Scratch the
man that scorns chicken pie and you
will find one who squints toward
monarchy" Then, too, both stewed
chicken and chicken pie when being
cooked require a good deal of water-a
thing to which Baptists are not averse.
The Presbyterians, so far as chicken is
concerned, are mentioned by the Examin-
er as persons Of wide and deep taste,
who will cheerfully eat the bird in any
form.
And so it would appear from our cons
temporary-as we'll as from our own opser-
vation-that chicken In its varied forms.
is a popular article Of diet with rellg1ous
folk. Especially is this the case in the
country and particularly at camp meet
;ncs and similar gatherings. In sooth,
fried chicken is the light infantry OF the
rural housewife When suddenly visited
by unexpected guests-the preacher ana
his family, let us say-she calls IN THIS
reinforcement and nobly does it serve its
purpose.
Verify, it is a grand institution. We
were about to say Long live the pullet
and the broiler,'' but that would be ab-
surdly paradoxical, for they couldn't live
and vet serve the useful purpose they do.
At any rate. we hope that their species
will never die and that the processes OF
evolution if they alter the fowls at all,
will add two more legs to the pair they
already possess.