Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-14
QUEER STUNTS OF cHINK COOKS
ceIestiaIs Mako Good Servants, But
Some Tricks Are Embarrassing.

| SOn0 NTo
At a small dinner given recently in
Washington by a western senator and
his wife the conversation, toward des-
sert, turned on the servant problem,
and one Of the guests announced she
had determined to employ Chinese SER
wants.
MY dear Madam" said her host,
you will be jumping from the frying
pan into the fire. Two nights ago
dined with Rear Admiral Blank. He
has a Chinese cook, whom they brought
with them from California Well, the
dinner was given to celebrate the ad-
mirals seventy second birthday. The
Chinese cook had shown the greatest
interest about preparing the good
things to eat, my hostess told me, and
had particularly requested that he be
allowed to make the cake, instead of
getting it from Rauscher's.
1.-The dessert arrived and after the
ices were passed the butler came in
carrying an enormous, white frosted
cake. It was simply delicious, as well
as ornamental Before 1t was cut, we
all examined the decorations. The GEN.
ter, done in chocolate, was the date
Of the admiral's birthday; under It the
date of the day Of the dinner; and
right around the cake he had put in
large lettering.
Prepare to meet thy Cod"
well, that reminds me of a some
what similar story" said another
guest when the laughter had subsided
"A friend Of mine employed a China
man who had not been in this country
very long. He was a devout Sunday
school scholar. 1t was his one dissi-
patton. In fact, he dragged his relig-
ion (or what he professed to be his
religion) into everything he did. He
had a most disconcerting habit Of put
ting texts on iced cakes, and on any
thing else that came handy. For in
stance, he was particularly fond Of lay
ing chops on a dish in the shape Of a
cross.
"The family did everything they
could to stop him, as these constant
reminders of immortality were getting
on their nerves. One night he brought
in a large cake covered with pink and
white icing. Right in the center. In
pink, were the two initials j. c.
The limit had been reached, and
John was sent for Immediately.
John. this has got to stop. You
perhaps don't mean it, but this Is sac
rilegious. 1t must never occur again.
Johns face never changed. Me, no
sacglious. Me no mean Jesus Clist-
letters stand for Jelly Clake.'"
You may laugh at the heather
Chinee,'" said the senator's brother
But he has his good points. Chinese
cooks have one popularity; they never
forget a recipe: once show them a
thing and they will remember it for
all time.
In Vancouver, where l have lived
for the last ten years, there are moth
for love or money. They tell this story
out there to illustrate that a Chinaman
proves himself an apt pupil.
"One of the consuls there and his
wife had a very fine Irish cook, Brid-
get, whom they trusted implicitly.
She went with them to Vancouver
Well. two years later Bridget told
them she was going to get married,
and they must find another cook. 1t is
easier said than done. Finally, they
came to the inevitable-a Chinaman.
On his arrival the consul took him
into the kitchen and introduced him
to Bridget, saying:
teach you. So do exactly as Bridget
does"
THE Chink turned out to be a good
cook, and the consul and his wife con-
graduated themselves on their find.
Three weeks after Bridgets departure
the consul went into the kitchen to
look for a duster, which could not be
found. When he looked into the closet
he was surprised to see a row of neat
paper packages on the shelf
Look here, Ling Sing, what are
these things?"
Me do like Blidget did. Twelve
eggs come, me take six eggs, tie in
bag. put in closet. Six pounds sugar
come. me take three pounds, tie In bag,
put i'm closet. Ten pounds -four come,
me take four pounds, tie In bag, put
in closet. Slaterday night, little girl
come, me open closet, take all little
packages, put in little girls blasket,
shut door, go home
"The Cinnamon are like the nur-
sery rhyme, when they're good they're
very. very good; and when they're bad
they're-devils.' When you give an
order to Chink 1t is extremely diff
cult to find out If you have made an
impression. or to discover in what
spirit your words are taken. Their
yellow. parchment-lke faces are u.s.
ually immoblle, eXpresslonless masks
that betray nothing.
Il had a Chinaman once who nearly
drove me to madness. If told him to
be in at a certain hour he invariably
answered:
ME no sabe. Me clon back bi meb-
be leven, mebbe tleve o'clock tomol-
low
when l had friends to dinner Chow
was just as apt to begin In the mid
die and end with the soup. Again,
with malice aforethought, he would put
the roasts in front Of my wife and the
sweets before me. He knew better,
ter If you demonstrated with him he
would simply say: No sabe.' He
would get perfectly furious If we were
late for meals and If our guests asked
for second helping Of cake (Which,
like most Chinks he made deliciously)
he would mutter:
Me makee cakec too cheapee; me
want more mOnee."
i Il remember that on one Christmas
day Chow poured the pudding sauce
over the boiled salmon, and had raisins
scattered through the potatoes. Still.
we could not make up our minds to
discharge him. There are few honest
Chinks in the servant world, and he
was one of them. But shortly after
ward he reached the climax by pro-
lviding us with mutton chops nesting
in pure tobascO sauce,
| when | had recovered from the
large piece which l had unhaDDily
swallowed Git burned like a red-hot
coal all the way down, and was
highly nauseating) l went quietly in
to my room, and from there into the
kitchen. had hatchet in one hand
and my revolver in the other. | didn't
waste words.