Chinese Cook Who Prepared General’s Meals

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 524, 29 November 1928, Page 1

Chinese Cook Who Prepared General’s Meals

Lo Chichin Served Pershing 30 Years Ago LOOKING OVER AUCKLAND Lo Chichin is a happy person. He thinks that there is no finer life for a thoroughly good-natured son of China than roaming the seas on an American cargo steamer. For Lo is none other than the cook on the Golden Cloud, which began unloading at King’s Wharf this morning. Lo had a secret until to-day. It is out now. Thirty years ago, in the Philippine Islands, Lo Chichin cooked meals for General Pershing, the great American soldier. He was in the islands when Pershing went there in IS 9 3 with his family. Even in those days, Lo had a reputation as a cook of merit. He was hired to cook for the general. Happy days, those. Lo likes to sit hack in his galley and think about them. He liked Pershing. Especially does he remember Mrs. Pershing. She was kind. And her babies? Lo remembers them, too. The three of them, with their mother, were lost afterwards in the burning of the Presidio. Of course, Lo recognises the distinction of having cooked for Pershing. He rarely talks about it. But he is obviously proud of the association. 25 YEARS AT SEA To-day, Lo is much the same as he was •in the Philippines. Placid, contented. he likes his life at sea. W'th the crew he is popular. He is always smiling blandly. His age? Well, that is one secret he keeps strictly. But he will tell an inquirer that he has been 25 years at sea. He can’t say with accuracy how many ships he has been on. And so Lo works through easy years. He thinks of his native BongKong, of Pershing. Lo Chichin, when he is juggling earnestly -with pots, pans, meat and vegetables, makes a picture which cheers the hearts of the officers and the crew of the Golden Cloud. They know they have a cook in a thousand. One suspects that the excellence of Le's Irish stews, his special “low chickens,” and his bacon. and eggs, is known in most ports in the seven seas. His cooking is an institution.