Sentence:  I have tried many times, but always without success, to ascertain the average daily ration consumed by the Chinese railroad laborer, as a means of comparing their value with that of Americans. The reason this cannot be obtained is because they eat so many oily <WSD>gallimaufries</WSD>, alliaceous stews and indescribable vegetable hotchpotches, of which the ingredients are principally brought from China and have Chinese names. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A hash of various kinds of meats, a ragout.