The Carlisle independent., 1917-03-08

weekly press of the state came by on his way home from Wash ington, where he has been en- gagged in an investigation of the seS-all1 ged and true of the high cost of paper. And there were no few other men and wo- men representatives of the daily and the weekly newspapers of this state.
 Last year was begun the GUS
 tom of entertaining the newspa- per people of the state at a ban quet during their stay in Austin. Learning of this, L. A. Petit of The Beaumont Enterprise con ceiyed the idea of havinE a rice l dinner for the newspaper people
 and thus killing two birds with one stone. On behalf of the pa per which he so ably represents
 and of the Southern Rice Grow
 CTS association which entered eagerly into the plan, Mir. Petit asked that the newspaper people and their friends to the number Of 150 be his guests on Thursday evening The invitations were eagerly accepted-for Jack" " Petit,s fame as a dispenser of rice has gone abroad in the land And the rice supper which was served in the university cafete- ria last Thursday night was the result.
 Now a good cook is one of the dearest possessions in all the world-and the world lost a sure enodgh good cook when Jack Petit entered upon newspaper work. The fact that he has be come one of the foremost news paper workers in this state does not alter the fact that one of the best cooks in all the country has lost his real vocation. For that Banquet on Thursday evening
 was d work of art for which Edi tor Petit was entirely responsi ble And it was indeed a rice dinner The soup was rice, the bread was rice, the desert was rice, and every dish that came in between was rice. The sugar and fruit and coffee were not rice but the host admits that he is experimenting in a lauda ble endeavor to produce substi> tutes for the edibIes from that cereal, and those who enjoyed the banquet will not be disposed to question his expected success
 Dean Will H. Mayes of the de partment of journalism of the University of Texas, presided as toastmaster. There were short speeches by the host and by a number of the guests The eve ning passed all too rapidly and it was unanimously voted that the thanks of the Texas newspaper people were due to Mr. Petit, to The Beaumont Enterprise and to the southern rice growers for one of the most appetizing and satisfying repasts that has yet been spread before them
 The United States uses less rice per capita than any other country on this earth. That is another proof of the lack of thrifd among our people-for rice at present prices is the cheapest food on sale at any store It costs one forth as much as Irish potatoes. It is corre- spondingly cheaper than any meat. And the high cost of living is unknown in those homes where the housewife knows how tempt ingly ice may be prepared in all the many forms which it takes under the direction of an able cook.
 Mr. Petit knows how to cook rice just 625 different ways. He vouches for the truth that in eV- cry one of those 625 forms rice is wholesome. nutritious ana pala- table. He says that he has by no means reached limit in number f ways in which the delicious ce real may be served Indeed he thr atens to some time give a dinner and serve it in 2500 entire ly different forms. That may seem entirely a threat and not a promise-but the newspaper people will not be afraid to at tend when the invitation reaches them. They have absolute faith in Jack Petit and his every meth od of serving rice.
 This is not the hrst rice din ner which Mr. Petit has forema nized Frequently in times past he has been the host at such af- fairs. And every one of them has no-ul+a1 i,, m al,ipu ,aaur Prie n ..