The Washington herald., 1907-03-17
ADisputed edAnniversary
Paris About to Celebrate the Invention
of Table Forks.

lonna, while seated at table with Carol
nal Bessarion, is made 10 say; But
father. I see not the Oifurcal daggefs
with which men say hts exceliency armeth
the left hand Of man" WhereuntO Fra
Colcnna replies as follows, with con-
tempt: Nay It's Cardinal Orsini who
hath invented yon peevish instrument,
for his guests to tumble their meat
withaL One, being in haste, did skeWer
his tongue 10 his palate with IT, ] hear.
. tenpora. o mores. The ancients reclin-
ing, GOdlike at their feasts. how had
they spurned such pedantry."
How little forks were known in Eng
land in the days Of Queen Elizabeth and
Of Shakespeare. IS apparent from the fol-
lowing passage contained in Bea jon
sons play. The DEVILS an Ass, pro-
duccd for the first time in 1916
Says Meercraft: ''Have [ deserved this
from you? For all my pains at court 20
set you a patent?"
Gilthead: For whst?"
Meercraft: lyon my project Of the
forks"
Ggthead: Forks? What be they?"
Meercraft; The Iaudable use OF forks
brought into custom here. as they are in
Italy. % the spaHng Of napkins"
The only reference to anything in the
nature OF a fork that I can find in
Shakespeare. is where Falstan. ridicui-
ing the figure Of Justice Shallow, lillens
il 10 a "fOrked radish." But this as
suredly does not in any way convey the
idea that the bard was familiar with the
use of forks as table utensils.
As for Scotland. forks were even still
later IN becoming known among tine peO-
pie For DIT. Johnson. the great leXi-
cogTapher. in writing Of the Highlausers
of the Jacobite insurrectiOn period. states
that the men Were accustomed 70 cut
the meat into small mouthfuls for the
women. who put them into their mouths
with their fingers.
II the more enlightened Of the Orientals.
such as, for instance. the japanese and
Chinese. men Of birth and breeding. who
have received "a portion, II any rate. Of
their education abroad. continue TO pre-
fer their chopsticks TO our table forks
and manifest ii prejudice against the lat
ter. it is due 10 a couple Of reasons.
which are worthy OF our consideration.
In the first place. they insist that contact
Of metal. no matter whether it be gold,
silver, or steel, injuriously affects the
taste. not alone of fruits. but likewise Of
meats and fish We all Of US know how
different an apple munched whole tastes
from one which has been sliced and peeled
by a knife, TO matter what the metal.
There are probably few Of my readers
who have ever tasted meat which has
not been pierced by a fork. or cut with
the knife OF butcher, cook. or carver.
But in view OF the number OF American
tourists who now visit Egypt and Turkey
every winter / would suggest TO some OF
them TO cause their dragOman 10 have
the traditional Oriental "chavermah' pre-
pared for them when out pIcnickng. It
s a lamb roasted whole in its hide by
means Of heated pebbles The interior of
the animal is stuffed full Of rice, currants,
and all kinds OF highly favored aromatic.
and 81 the same time delicious herbs The
dish is served Uncarved. and those who
partake Of it are expected TO use their
fingers in plucking bits Of meat from the
roast Thus eaten. il is the most sUCCu-
lent dish which it is possible TO imagine
and furnishes a convincing demonstration
Of the extent TO which the taste of meat
IS injuriously affected by the use of metal
knives and forks.
With regard to the plea Of cleanliness,
the Chinese and japanese are manifestIy
right in claiming a superiority for their
chopsticks over our forks The rich are
apt 10 carry about with them chOpsticks
made Of ivory. But even in the humbIest
tea house the host would never dream OF
setting before his guests wooden chop
sticks that had ever been used before.
In fact. the pair Of chopsticks still form
part of the same piece of wood when
laid before the guest, who. splitting them
asunder, has thus an assurance that they
are entirely new. II IS difficult 20 dream
of any such guarantee of cleanliness in
the case of forks. and in hotels and res
taurants especially. the speed which is
exacted in wrinsing them and in prepar-
Ing them afresh for use precIudes the
idea OF their being carefully Cleansed. In
fact. japanese travelling abroad and stay
ing at hotels may frequently be observed
quietly and unobtrusively, yet ConsCien-
tiously. passing the edge Of their table
napkins between the pronss OF their fork
before using il 10 convey any food from
their plate to their mouth.
While my japanese and Chinese frieads
have undoubtedly a certain amount Of
justice in their contention as to the dis
advantage OF forks, I should be extremely
sorry to think that anything that I have
written above was Of q nature 10 dis
courage the employment of these table
utensils. For, since il is hopeless TO dream
OF our adoption of chopsticks, for which
our cooking. our mouths, and our fingers
are equally untitled, it might lead to
more universal recourse TO the knife.
which, when substituted for the fork. Is
anathema. EX-ATTACHE.
Washington. probably early next week,
to visit her daughter. Mrs. G. Stanley D.