The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-11-06
JULES. EGG BOY
OF AsTOR HOUSE
Story of Remarkable Rise OF
Young Frenchman in
New York City.
Developed Great Business OF import
Ing Delicaeies From Europe and
Retired a Millionaire Several
Times Over.
By RICHARD SPILLANE.

| pile known aB the AstOr uouSo, III
lower New York city, was more IA
nous than it is now, there came to 1t
from over the sea a tall, bright-eyed
youth with letter to the chef. AS
the big, fat and usually good-natured
chef read the letter he scowled. 1t
was the same story. Every one in
France who knew him, and some who
did not, seemed bent on recommending
people to him for work. He was over
run with applications.
II can do nothing for you, promise
nothing for you," he exclaimed ex-
citedly. Cooks? Assistant cooks?
Bah! We have moro in America than
we need. We shall have all there are
in France IL this ling keeps up. Ev-
cry steamer bring lot, and such
cooks! Most o. them cannot COO; the
egg."
Il can cook an egg," said the boy.
"Poof!" said the chef. you know
not what you say. To cook the egg is
a gift. Any fool can make the omelet,
shir or boil or fry the egg, but to
cook the egg exquisitely, so it raw
ishes the eye, stirs the feeble appetite
to health and desire, brings joy to the
stomach and makes man feel like a
god-that-that is art!"
Il can cook an egg," the boy re-
peated.
The fat chef shrugged his shoulders.
There are 200 ways Of cooking the
egg," he declared. mo man can say
truly he can cook the egg until he
knows them all"
81 can cook an egg" said the boy
for the third time.
The calm repetition Of the state
ment was an irritation and challenge
to the chef.
I'VE shall see," he declared impul-
sively.
He took the youth to the kitchen
and left him there for trial. That Is
how Jules became egg boy at the
Aston.
Eplcures Appreciated Jules.
There used to be democracy about
the old house that was delightful. Gay
boys Of finance, law and the trades
gathered there to feast or to frolic.
They had the tastes Of epicures, but,
sad to relate, ordinary or much
abused digestive apparatuses. Soon
after the arrival of Jules they discov-
cred remarkable merit in omelets,
shirred eggs and other things that
came from his department. When the
palate said mo" to other food 1t would
appear grateful in its greeting Of one
of his delicacies.
Tell Jules 1t Is for me-" would be
the request of a railroad magnate,
Judge, the head of hardware con-
Germ. The egg boy seemed to learn
the tastes and caprices Of the regular
patrons of the house with wonderful
rap!dity. Maybe 1t was not so much
in catering to individual appetites as
in the daintiness and delicacy, not
only in the cooking, but in the eerv-
ing of everything he prepared. He
would not let thing go from his
hands unless 1t was perfect.
Jules had soul above eggs. The
chef discovered after while that the
youth knew as much about boiling,
baking, grilling, frying, stewing and
all the other ways of cooking meats,
fish and fowl as he did about souffie
that would appeal to the appetite In
way to make the worst dyspeptic be-
lieve there still was joy in living. He
could make a soup that was nectar,
and sauces as prepared by him put on
a new dignity.
Henri, the chef, blessed the day the
egg boy came to the Astor and never
could be dissuaded from the belief
that it was due to his own rare judg-
ment that Jules was secured by the
famous old hotel.
Did Not Work by Rule.
Jules worked by no rule. Why
should he? Back in Alsace, for hun
dreds of years, his forbears had been
cooks. He needed none of the latter
day aids to the lords and ladies Of the
kitchen. He scorned the oven Their
mometer. He knew when all was
right. He loved to teach others, but
somehow the others never could get
the same results &C dles. He could
take the simplest Of foods and do won
ders with them. He delighted in max
ing stews, plebeian though they are
considered. They came to think In
the Aston that steving was an art
unknown until Jules came to them
He was radical. The great secret in
stewing, he always declared, was In
cooking the meat In its own juices.
Next to achieving miracles with the
stew, he did marvels In the way Of
braising, which Is q combination OF
stewing and baking. One Of the pecu-
liarities OF Jules was that he rarely
worked with very hot fire. He be-
lieved that cooking at high temper
AZURE was not only wasteful OF fuel,
but not good for the meats. He
thought It was better and more eco
nomical to cook longer and at lower
temperature. Above all things, he was
scrupulously neat. Cleanliness Is de-
sirable to a superlative degree In the
handling OF the things we eat.