The Indianapolis journal. [volume], July 20, 1902, PART TWO, Image 13

About The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904

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PART TWO
PRICK FIVE CENTS.
INDIANAPOLIS. SUNDAY 3IOKNING. JULY 20, 1902.
PK I CK FI V K C i:N"iS.
THE COST Of LIVING
TRACY, THE OREGON OUTLAW,
PARTICIPANTS IN ALLEGED SCANDAL.
t- ? 1 5 S Ä
A MATTER ABOUT WIIICII THERE
are i:nitoi:ois opinions.
31 ANY INDIANA "O LIT ANS AMCITIOl S
IN THIS WAY.
THEY HAVE A WAY OF rnEPAniNG
.v vor y :ns:i::s.
WLalfvfr Incrrasr There Fin nefn
in Five Year Dne Entirely to
Natural Cnne.
ManuxcriptH Iv t!ie Htimlredm flo to
the l'n!IiH!ier. f Eastern Maßn
xlnes ninl I'erlod ir:i1.
A Vott DltTerence in the Food Enten
by th Rleli und I'oir Claf. ill
the trleiit.rl Cnantrj.
SOME COMPARISONS MADE
MANY OF TIILM COIIE BACK
M0Y KEE HAS A UEi7 CHE?
SUNDAY
PAGES
IM Jii
LONG TO
BE AMT
TI!C "BOGEY MAN" THIS YEAR IS
the rnici: of nccr.
Coat of Men nnd "Women's Clothfnjc
Vnrlen According to Cnprlce
Other Fenture.
It 1 the general Impression that the cost
cf h'.ung has materially increased In the
last live ears and especially iii tho last
year, and inquiry .us been roada
to ascertain to what extent thli
idea is jurtlrd by farts. Men who
have been Ken.ti.1ed with the leading busi
ness concerns of ths city for a number of
years and who have perfect knowledge re
garding such important branches of the
subject as the rat:? of rent? for houses and
apartments, the friers of the leading table
supplier and the tot of clothing c'aira that
"while there has been a material increasa
In the last five years it 13 due entirely to
natural cause. They further say that
ever since business houses have been in
existence during a period of every fire or
tn years the aggregate price of everything
v hen reduced to an average will show an
i.-.crtase. The principal reason for this Is
that the population of the country is stead
l'y growiig. the uninhabited regions of the
West are continually being settled and ev
ery country village is now spreading out
and taking on the ways of a prosperous
tewn and every small town has the aspect
of a city.
"With this growth in population the de
mand for the necessities of life naturally
becomes greater and the prices, of course,
increase accordingly, for it is through the
d?mand that all market prices are regu
lated. It is also shown that people are buy
ing a better grade of goods and buying
more In every line than they lid five years
ago; in fact, this can t.5 sala or as short
a time as last year. Merchants generally
say although this is always looked upon a3
the dull season It has not proven so this
y?r, for they are now selling as much as
during any time In the year, and consid
erably more than for the last ten summers.
"With this increased demand it takes more
men to handle the business, and it is
shown that wages have also increased over
what they were five or six years ago, and
this likewise tends to raise the pricc3 of
things mostly in demand.
NO TENEMENT HOUSES.
Indianapolis has no tenement houses for
Its laboring people, but most all that class
live in small cottages consisting of from two
to six rooms, for which they pay $5 to $10
ci month. These kind of houses are mostly
situated near the outskirts of the city, but
for those centrally located a higher rent is
demanded. The rents for these cottages
have practically remained stationary for
the last three years. There Is an excellent
demand now for new flats and medium
sized houses that range In price of rent
from $10 to $15 per month. The call for the
better class of flats Is always good and a
very good class of tenants is obtained. For
families to live In flats has become so popu
lar in this city in the last few years that
It is seldom the case that an apartment in
one of them 13 every found vacant. Most
all of the flats in this city are contrally lo
cated, and the rents paid for them are com
paratively low when considered with those
of other cities. About the average rent
paid for these apartments Is $T60 a year,
while for the larger and more desirable
$7 a year is charged. There has been a
great amount of flat building here, and with
it an Increase of conveniences and luxuries,
for Ttfhich people in the recent prosperous
times have been willing to pay.
As one real-estate agent said, there Is
always a demand here for a dwelling or
apartment at a fair price, and if one per
son Is unwilling or unable to take It an
other can and will. There has been an in
crease of about 10 to 12 per cent, in the
rents for the better grades of dwellings.
This raise is occasioned by the scarcity of
vacant houses, for landlords claim that
they have fewer of them this year than at
any time during the last ten years. There
has never been as few houses for rent as
this summer. It being next to impossible to
find a vacant house in any part of the city,
and this can particularly be said of the
northeastern and southern sections. Rent
gents say that there is nothing which
shows more conclusively that Indianapolis
13 growing than the fact that the demand
tor houses Is greater than the supply. The
medium-sized house that ranges in the
price of rents of from $10 to $13 a month
Is the most popular, and of this kind there
are hardly any vacant. About the only
dwelling that can be procured now is the
large modern house that the fiat takes the
place of, and there is not an overabundance
cf ihem. It Is said that the slight increase
of rents in the better clae-s of dwellings and
apartments is not wholly due to the de
mand, but to the people's willingness to
roy more .or better accommodations.
ADVANCE IN REEF PRICES.
The advance in the price of beef this j ear
and the controversy connected with it are
familiar to all. Under ordinary conditions,
according to reliable authorities, beef aver
ages about two-thirds of all of the meat
consumed, and its present dearness is the
chief cause of the high prices for other
meats and poultry. It is difficult to find
trustworthy average figures of the cost of
meats any cons! Jerabl number of years
ago. but they were generally higher in HOI
than in 1'1. This year the difference is
very marked. As compared with a year
ago, by the figures of an extensive and
hieh-class retail butcher firm, beef is high
er by from Z to ä cnts a pound, mutton by
from 1 to 2 cents a pound, lamb by 2 cents a
pound, fresh pork and all pork products by
about 2 cents a pound, while veal is sellfng
the tame as last year. Since the rise In the
price of meats has gone into effect the
trade has fallen off about one-third. The
demand for smoked meats has greatly in
creased, and. therefore, the price of ham
has advanced 1 cent a pound, while bacon
v. l.as gone up 2 cents, but the Increase In
are always in favor during hot weather.
All salted pork likewise has slightly gone
up in price. Foultry ha undergone an ad
vance over what it was a year ago. Full
grown hens are now selling 2 cents a pound
higher than they did lau year and spring
i.'.f'c-"-?: it H?;i .r-A W
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Harry Tracy and David Merrill escaped from the Oregon Tenitentiary on June 9, by killing
three guards and wounding a prisoner. After numerous encounters with citizens, militiamen,
sheriffs and deputies, they crossed the State into Washington on June 2$. Tracy killed Merrill
in the forest near Napovine, Wash. Since then he has eluded the vigilance of his pursuers,
sometimes shocting his way to freedom and at other times tricking them with all the craftiness
of a hunted stag. He is credited with having killed fourteen men.
chickens are from 3 to 4 cents higher. The
reason for this is that on account of the
bad weather there was no early production
of spring chickens. The principal reason,
however, that poultry has so generally ad
vanced in price is because of the large de
mand for it and the scarcity of the supply.
Eggs and butter are higher than they have
been for some time. On the former the ad
vance has been 3 cents a dozen and on the
latter from 1 cent to 2 cents a pound. When
the prices of meat rose the demand for eggs
Increased, for many used them to take its
place. Those who are prominent dealers in
poultry, butter and eggs say that the sell
ing was never heavier than now, and that,
while the prices have so materially gone up,
trade has not fallen off a particle and the
demand greatly exceeds the supply.
TRICE OP GROCERIES.
Wholesals grocers. unite in declaring that
there has been no considerable advance in
the cost of groceries in the last few years.
In fact, many of the staples are now sell
ing for much less than they did a year ago.
During the Spanish-American war, of
course, there was a great demand created
for canned beans, meats and for such sta
ples as sugar, coffee, flour and so on, which
made the prices rise to a certain , extent,
but as soon as the war closed and the mar
ket again became normal, the prices set
tled back to where they formerly were.
In the grocery line the principal advance
has been in canned goods, and the reason
for this is the short pack last season, which
was occasioned by the long drought during
the middle of the summer. If, however,
there has been any increase in groceries as
a whole, it Is very slight, being divided up
as It is among so many different commodi
ties, some of which have not advanced,
while others are lower than usual. It is
said groceries all through, as purchased
by the ordinary individual, have not been
as cheap in eight or ten years as now.
Flour is in the neighborhood of $! a barrel
ana It was about this price last year. All
sugars have been greatly reduced, and this
can principally be said of granulated, which
Is selling for 1Z per cent, less than it did a
year ago. Coffees are lower than they have
been In the last ten years, and every grade
is now selling for about 10 per cent, less
than a year ago, while tea is slightly high
er. Oatmeal is a little higher than it was
a short time since, while tapioca is said to
be lower than it has been in the last twenty
years. All farinaceous foods, particularly
oats, show an advance. Maple products
and honey are cheap. So are prunes and
various other things used as relishes.
There Is such a variety of food in this
county, It Is remarked, that if one falls
short another takes its place. One reason
why such an exaggerated idea has got
hold of people who think that the prices
of groceries have greatly Increased is that
they are no longer content to buy fresh
vegetables and fruits when they are in sea
son; they want them out of season, and so.
of course, have to pay dearly. The principal
reason, wholesale grocers say, for the ad
vance in price of articles that do show a
slight increase is that the people are de
manding a better class of goods, and they
also want it prepared and put up in the
best style. They claim further that there
is a much heavier sale of high-classed
goods than there is of the interior, and that
people each year are wanting a better tints
of groceries.
CANNED GOODS A FACTOR.
Canned goods are becoming one of the
greatest factors in the grocery store, and
every household as well, for they afford
people the opportunity or having fruits and
vegetables at all seasons of the year lor a
small sum. Even alter fruits and vege
tables become seasonable they are held at
such prices for the first month or so ufur
they make thfir appearance on the mark t
that if it wasn't for the canned goods the
man in moderate circumstances would sel
dom taste anything ut the kind until late
in the season. Canned goods, which in scl
eral are growing in importance as a fea
ture in the food supply and there is an
especially large demand for the btUr qual
ities on'account of the remarkable increase
in consumption show an advance of prob
ably 10 pt r cent. This can princ ipally be
said of corn and peas. For tomatoes the
price has Increa.w-d greater than for an
thing else, which, however, is wholly 0:1 ac
count of the disastrous season lact ear.
In the last few years t lie re has been a
great Improvement in the average quality
of many of the articles canned, and some
of them may be classed amcng the luxuries
of food. Dried fruits show no change over
last year, except in some of the small
fruits, which have recently advanced on
account of the damaged crops of the last
two months, which has reduced the marüet
to such an extent that the prices have risen
on the products which are now on sale.
In the wholesale markets for fruits and
vegetables it is said to be almost impos
sible to strike an average in prices and
compare them for any number of years, as
the rates for such perishable commodities
vary so frequently, according to crops,
weather, the general conditions of sup
plies and demand, and owing to the fart
that some s'i'or.s some things are very
high and others low. Moreover, the prices
vary sharply according as the market is
flooded or short in consequence of the action
of shippers. In the vegetable Market the
greatest change may take place in prices
.within the short space of three hours. It is
an ordinary thing for a change of 25 per
cent, to occur in wholesale pr?ces within
twenty-four hours. If the receipts are
heavy tho telephone and telegraph carry
the news over the country in a very short
time, and most shippers then send to other
points, with the result that the supplies
here are scanty and the prices quickly ad
vance. Then, too, products which are dear
at the beginning of the season are vastly
cheaper later on. This city is as favored
by shippers as any in the country and the
very best of everything is received here.
The ample railroad accommodations and
the quick transportation from all points at
all seasons of the year make it an easy
matter for shippers from all over the coun
try to get their products hera before they
have lost their freshnss.
APFLES ARE FINE.
The commission merchants says that ap
ples arc somo higher this year than last,
but they are of a much finer quality.
Watermelons, cantaloupes and muskmelons
are selling for about what they did last
year. All kinds of berries were high this
season on account of the light crops, which
were caused to a certain extent by its being
too dry and hot during the berry months.
One reason that the prices of vegetables
and' fruits keep high is that people demand
them out of season; but unseasonable ar
ticles are not as expensive now as they
were some years ago, because we have
green beans and tomatoes from the South
all the year through, and a number of
other vegetables are only absent from the
market about ninety days out of the whole
twelve months. So that now the novelty of
having green vegetables on the table in the
dead of winter has somewhat worn off. But
for exceptionally tine specimens of unsea
sonable things, such as are brought on the
tables of men who always want the very
best, regardless of cost, high prices always
have to be paid. There is in some lines
such a variety of supplies a shortage In
some particular vegetable is easily made up
by plenty in others. If a customer cannot
afford to pay for what he went to market
(CONTINUED ON ITAGE2, COL. 1.)
GREAT
-jyl -yV .'lAfi - frsil3&tZS Jll r?N
All the cables have been strung on the new susrension brlüi ot-r Lat river. New York,
The bfluge la one of the reat engineering feats of modern time Above la & snap-shot view
THE Sl'CUESS OF A IECI LIAR DUSI
MISS MADE l"OS3!2LE.
Agencies When M.mw-crlpt Are
Rend and Ecvixr:! Drmand for
S'aort Stosies.
"Do you know, it'? my honest opinion
that half the rpie In Indianapolis are am
bitious in a literary v. ay?" rc-nv'r'.ie d one
of the employes of the po; t-'-fflje the other
rfnv vhilr nft rlntv "Voi? wnv'rt Up
tonished to see the vast number of bulky J
envelopes that pass through the local mail
service on their way to the various maga
zine publishers all over the country, and
also the" vast number of bulky envelopes,
with the names of the various magazines
printed in the upper left-hand corners, that
are delivered to people throughout the city
from day to day rejected manuscripts, I
suppose. 1 don't know that all this is a
proof of the city's standing an a literary
center, for the conditions may be similar
in other cities of the same size, but it does
strike me that there must be a wonderful
amount of literary work going on in this
town. The addresses on the envelopes
which are mailed to the publishers are in
all sorts of handwriting, from the bold,
round hand of the business man, to the
faint, careful style of the schoolgirl, show
ing that all kinds of people are having oc
casional literary inspirations"
The postofllce employe was probably right
! in his surmise, for R. J. Graham, who is
associated with a New York "manuscript
reading" concern, and who was in the city
during the last week, says that a surpris
ing number of manuscripts are received by
his company from Indiana in general and
Indianapolis in particular, and that several
magazine editors have rpoken to him of the
tendency of Indiana people of all clasres
to make at least one effort at story writing.
"It's the popularity of the short story In
this country that causes so many people to
tackle literature, whether they are cut out
for that sort of work or not," said Mr.
Graham. "The man or woman that
wouldn't dream of undertaking the writing
of a novel or the composing of a poem will
dash off a Fhort story and re it into some
magazine with perfect -assurance, for
I've discovered 'that six jut of every ten
educated persons believe themselves capa
ble of writing successful short pieces of
fiction. I'll venture to say that the re
jected manuscripts received in this city
within one week's time would, if strung to
gether and printed in book form, make up
as big a volume as Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary. And in saying this 1 do not
cast any reflections upon Indianapolis, lor
It is becoming a well-known fact that there
are a number of very successful story
writers here.
MANY ARE REJECTED.
"For every one manuscript that Is ac
cepted for publication by an editor, how
ever, there are a hundred or two that come
hustling back to their original owners just
about as quickly as Uncle Sam's excellent
mail service can engineer the matter. It's
an ill wind that blows nobody good, and
the fast-increasing army of struggling
fhort-story writers has made possible the
success of a peculiar business that was al
most unknown in the United States ten
years ago. I refer to the business of manu
script reading, correcting, revising, etc., for
the purpose of making salable matter out
of literary stuff that had previously been
a drug on the market. Ten years ago
James Knapp Reeve, of Franklin, O., was
about the only person in America who con
ducted a business of this sort. Of course,
there were manuscript agents, making a
living by acting as middlemen between au
thors and publishers, but there were no
agencies whose principal claim upon exist
ence was the 'dressing up' and 'whipping
into shape of crude literary material. Just
consider how things have changed. There
are a dozen concerns of this kind in New
York to-day, two or three in Chicago, one
in Philadelphia, one In Washington, one in
Detroit and two right here in Indianapolis.
"You musn't think that these agencies
are patronized altogether by writers that
have met with discouragements, however.
On the contrary, there are many literary
people who send their productions to thi
companj', with which I am connected, be
fore even submitting them to the maga
zines. Many manuscripts fail of accept-
BRIDGE NEARING COMPLETION.
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MRS. AIIyENE ElyUS OMALIUY AND WIIvLIAM J. HEARIN.
The recent arrest of Mrs. O'Malley. wife of Dr. Austin O'Malley. a Notre Dame University
rrofesso.r, hile she was on a train with W. J. Ilearin. a Cornell student, caused a sensation
in Routh Bend. Ind., where she is well known. Her hustand is ill. and it was alleged he had
been poisoned. Enemies of Mrs. O'Malley said Kearin was her lover and accused her of at
tempting to elope. None of the charges has been substantiated, and Mrs. O'Malley has been
released on bond at Philadelphia. She is now with her relatives in New York.
ance because of certain defects which are
r.ct apparent to the authors themselves,
and tome of the successful writers prefer
having a reputable agency criticise and
pcint out these defects, and then dispose
of the manuscripts after the weak spots
have been eliminated and the rough edges
smoothed over. Of courte the ency re
ceives a certain fee for its criticism and a
certain per cent, of the price secured when
the manuscript has been accepted. for pub
lication. There are some agencies that
are not altogether 'on tho square,' and the
inexperienced literary aspirant would do
well to make sure of the standing of the
manuscript concern to whom he intrusts
the fruits of his pen or typewriter. No
reputable agency will even consider a man
uscript that, on the face of it, appears to
tally worthless, but there are some less
conscientious 'literary bureaus" that receive
fees from writers whose work could never
prove marketable, no matter how it might
be corrected, revised and rewritten.
"The purpose of the legitimate manuscript
agency is to ascertain what merit there
is in the story, to point out the defect
which would be likely to cause its rejec
tion, to suggest better arrangement or a
different treatment, to name a probables
purchaser and in whatever way possible to
aid the author in getting his work accepted
for publication. Many manuscripts of real
merit fail to impress an editor favorably
because they are offered to the wrong pub
lication or at an inopportune time. It's
the agents business to become well ac
quainted with the wants of the various pub
lishers, and to closely observe the peculiar
style of work that appeals to them. Some
of the so-called manuscripts that have been
turned over to me personally for consider
ation were something awful to contemplate,
and I have sometimes risen from my desk
after a siege of that sort of thing with the
firm conviction that all the world was mad
and that I was one of the biggest idiots in
it for ever getting into such a nerve-destroying
business.
LITERARY BUREAUS.
"Whenever you see a 'literary bureau
advertising that it will guarantee the sale
of all manuscripts sent in to it for edit
ing and revision, you may just put that
concern down as a fake on the spot. There
isn't any concern of the kind in the
country that can promise without fail to
sell the manuscripts turned over to it for
disposal. If a manuscript is meritorious
the chances are that the agent, or middle
man, will manage to get it accepted event
ually, but even he. with all his experience
in submitting 'the right stuff to the right
editor' is likely to have his troubles oc
casionly. I know of a story written by a
clever Boston writer that is still being
and finishing work will soon be under way.
of the structure as it appeared last week.
offered for examination to different lead
ing editors after a dozen unprofitable trips
to editorial workshops. I would have
staked a good deal upon that story's Im
mediate acentance when I finished read
ing it over, for it impressed me as strong
in every way and written in excellent style,
but it evidently hasn't struck the editors
that have read it in the same favorable
manner.
"There is no doubt in the world that really
good thort stoiies are in great demand, so
why shouldn't anybody that cares to un
dertake the job make a trial at writing
one, if he has any taste or talent for work
of that kind? But there are some things
that novices at story-writing would do well
to bear in mind if they want to save
themselves a lot of worry and postage
stamps. The busy editors of the best
publications who pay good money for what
they want, are net going to put themselves
to the trouble of doing what the author
should do in the first place. Good material
is not so scarce but that editors can sup
ply their needs without involving them
selves in superfluous labor. If you are
writing a story that you hope to have
published, be sure to submitt a correct
manuscript correct in paragraphing,
punctuation, spelling, the use of capitals,
etc., and have a type copy, if possible, with
good wide margins. The big fellows like
Hall Caine can afford to submitt outland
ish manuscripts, but the smaller fry-never!"
WAYFARING WAYS.
Courtesy is not a. commodity to be reck
lessly distributed it appears, but, In cer
tain walks of life, is regulated according
to gratitude and other fleeting sentiments
known to the practical human breast. The
other morning a lady who has a com
mendable weakness for rising early to en
joy the dewy hours of these hot July days
was surprised by a call at the kitchen door
from a well-dressed tramp. He tipped his
hat very pleasantly and asked the favor
of something to eat. The housekeeper re
sponded graciously, asked the man to sit
down on the porch and then retired to her
pantry, where she buttered some delicate
slices of good bread, placing between them
thin layers of excellent veal loaf left over
from a picnic luncheon of the day pre
vious. Thinking the man might prefer to
carry the food with him, she wrapped it
neatly in clean manila paper and carried
it out to him.
Without any enthusiasm or remarks
whatever the respectable tramp surveyed
the parcel and said:
"Ain't you going to give any coffee?"
"It Is too early for coffee," the lady
answered. "My cook hasn't come yet and
our kitchen fire is not going." '
As the man picked himself up and started
off the now irritated housewife said:
"Haven't you forgotten something?"
"No." he calkd out cheerily over his
shoulder as he went around the house, "I
never say thanks at places where I don't
get ceffee."
Then the courageous traveler sat down
on the lady's curbstone and ate his sand
wiches, leaving the crusts of the bread
behind him as evidences of good faith. On
the stone wall of the rf side nee he wrote
this chalk inscription: "P. H. O N. C."'
which the small boys of the family inter
preted to mean: "Poor handout no coffee.'
July I, 177U.
Landon Knight, in Woman's Home Com
panion. "Th? 4th day of July. 177'.. arrives, and
every mernbtr is in his seat. No. Cae-s.tr
Rodney, of Delaware, dofs not answer the
roll call as his name is ealk-d. A week be
fore he had Rone home to s-'tt inrlunc-s to
b.ar on one of his colleagues who opposed
th resolution. The r.ir.lu before Thomas
Jefferson and Dr. Franklin had sent post
haste for Itodnty to corne if he wish-.! to
save the resolution, for his vote would de
cide it. And now. as the friends of the
measure looked upon his empty sf-at. there
is uneasiness, almost consternation. The
debate begins, and waxes warmer as the
day grows; the noon recess is forgotten;
the calm, telline loic of John Adams, the
quaint, clear sentencs- of Dr. Franklin, the
impassioned oratory of Henry, are all fall
ing upon-attentive ears. Never was such
a scene witnessed as that now being en
acted here. There is no confusion, no ex
citement, but the gravity of the occasion
rests heavily uprn all. Now the hour has
arrived. The roll call has begun. Dela
ware is reached. 'Caesar Rodney, of Dela
ware! calls the Mrk. There is a clatter of
hoofs.1 a clanging of spurs; the door is
thrown open; a man travel-stained and
flushed with excitement rushes into the
chamber. "Caesar Rodney, of Delaware!'
again calls the clerk, and in rinsing tones
the reply comes. 'Caesar Rodney votes aye"
The roll call continues; is finished. The
Declaration of Independence is adopted,
and the United htates of America is born
as a nation upon the earth!"
HF TALIvS AT I.i:Nr.TII CONCEItNING
HIS IMIUFESIOX.
The Chlnete Ue Pork in Munr riaer
ent Forias Tea AIrnot the
Only Ueerai;e.
When Moy Kee. the on Indianapolis
Chinaman of hi;;h ca.-t? nnd education,
started a little Chinese restaurant on East
Washington street he was not thoroughly
convinced that his nw enter pri-e would
meet with success, but. as he says himself,
he decided to give th thins ? trial, any
way, and to trust to his ability as a shrewd
business man to "win out" in the end.
And it seems that Moy Kee is winning cut.
for during the last week be lias had sev
eral Caucasian workmen busily engaged in
remodelir.K the interior of his little eating
house and otherwise improving its general
appearance. One sultry atternoon a few
days ago Moy Kee who, by the way,
greatly resembles the comic opera com
edian, Louis Harrison, as he used to ap
pear in "The Parl of Peking" was dis
covered by a newspaper man hustling
about energetically but noiselessly among
a debris of discarded Oriental lanterns and
other decorations that has just been taken
down from the walls, giving orders to the
workmen high up on the stepladders over
his head, while little Mrs. Moy Kee. the
pride of Indlanapolis's Chinatown, sat on
a high three-legged stool, her tiny fert
perched on the top round well out of reach
of the dusty floor as she surveyed with
wide-open almond eyes the transformation
scene that was gradually taking place.
Yes, business had been good, Moy Kee
was happy to say. Indianapolis people had
taken kindly to the novelty of eating real
Chinese dishes and drinking the right sort
of Chinese tea. He might" have added that
they had also shown considerable good
nature in paying the high price that he
asks for a dish of "chop suey," but he was
silent concerning that subject. In San
Francisco, Chicago or New York, wheie
this famous Chinese culinary preparation
has become very popular, you can get your
dish of chop suey for IS cents, and the tea
is given you gratis for good measure. Moy
Kee asks double this price, and gets it.
But then he has no opposition In the Ori
ental restaurant business. Besides, busi
ness is business.
A NEW COOK.
And then, In the course of conversation,
Moy Kee let out the great secret, while
Mrs. Moy Kee smiled brightly from ner
"topside" scat, as one of the Mongolian
employes called it. The restaurant had a
new cook! "a professional Chinese cook
from San Fransisco," as the proud little
proprietor explained, "and one of the best
in the country." And the new cook was
produced on the spot brought forth from
the mysterious kitchen with the cuiors of
a thousand fries and boilings and bakings
clinging steadfastly to his loose, blue
blouse and his spacious white trouserh.
His name was Moy Hon, he said not the
Chinaman of similar cognomen that used
to live in Indianapolis oh, dear, no! but
another Moy Hon, "and a much better
one," his eyes teemed to add. He had
cooked in San Fransisco's Chinatown, at
one of the best restaurants on Dupont
street, he went on to say (in his own way,
of course,) and he had cooked for private
families up on the hill3 where the rich
people lived, and where he was paid a
salary of sixty dollars a. month. And now
he had come East to cook lor his old
friend, Moy Kee, and to show Indianapolis
leople what an art Chinese cooking really
is. Just why he had given up that sixty
dollar job he didn't say. But he has his
good reasons, no doubt. The Chinese are
too mercenary a people to neglect pecuni
ary r pportunities. It's safe to say, though,
that Moy Hon doesn't get his tdxty in these
parts.
With the valued assistance of the res
taurant proprietor, who speaks as good
English as does any merchant prince in
Sin Francisco's Mongolian settlement,
Moy Hon gave out some information re
garding Chinese cooking that proved in
teresting. The three-cornered conversa
tion cannot be set down here just as It
took place, without getting the compositors
into trouble, and will have to be recorded
with the rich Canton dialect left out. In
the first place Moy Hon says that It is
all a mistake for Caucasions to assume
that, all Chinese eat such things as rats
and lizards, as there is a vast difference
existing between the food of the several
classes of Chinese society. In variety and
abundance, he says, the diet of the v.tll-to-do
Chinese will compare with that of the
people of any other country, while, on the
other hand, the poorest class will eat some
things tint ar looked upon as garbage
and refused by Americans.
CULTIVATED GRAINS.
"The grains which are cultivated In Chi
na." continued the little cook through his
interpreter, "ar principally rice, wheat
and millet, althouch rye and maize are- to
j be found in the markets of Canton at ccr
j tain seasons of the 3 ear. Oats and barley
i are raised in very small quantities, as tha
! Chinese do not regard them as tit for hu
man bongs to eat. All Chinamen are fo:.l
.f garden plants and cultivate most of
! th'm. There are many varieties of cabbage
' grown in China, and th neop'e give more
j attention to this than any other garden.
! vegetable. The most common is called
! 'pin tsae." or white greens, on account of
its being tlanched. It more rcsemt Is ka'e
! than cabbage, and doe? not form a head,
j Thes plants sometimes weTt-,h fifteen or
j twenty pounds and grew to be three feet
j high. When eaten raw thi.- cabbage Is not
j inferior to lettuce as a snlad, and when
boiled the taste res nib! s asparaqus.
Sometimes we 1 ickl it like th" German
sauer kraut, but mere often fry i! in oil. I
wi.-h we had some of these vvf tolles her
in Indianapolis ta offer to our patrons, as,
next to rice, they form the f.ixcnte foo4
of China among all rUsses.
"Onions and garlic we use abundantly In
our cooking, prepared In many was. as
pickling, frying and boiling, besi.l being
used in the preparation of such dishes as
chop suey and fur seasoning purposes. Our
people are partial to the preserves of fruits
cf almost all kinds, and these, together
.A