19th Century NYC dinners not recorded??

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

THE NEW YORK TIMES
To the Editor:

   "19th Century people didn't write down what they had for dinner."--archaeologist Diani diZenga Wall in _The New York Times_, 8-18-2001.
   I'm a scholar on food history, and this is news to me.
   _The Cook, a weekly handbook of domestic culinary art for all housekeepers_, published by Connelly & Curtis in New York City in 1885, of which I've read every issue, must not have existed.
   _The Epicurean: A complete treatise of analytical and practical studies on the culinary art, including table and wine service, how to prepare and cook dishes, etc., and a selection of interesting bills of fare of Delmonico's from 1862 to 1894_, published by Charles Ranhofer in New York City in 1894, must not have existed either.
   I've gone through every 19th century menu in the great collections of the New York Public Library and the New York Historical Society's library, but they must not exist, either.
   Citations for "hamburger," "club sandwich," "martini, "manhattan" and more that I've found--I made it all up?
   I realize that you'll never publish this letter.  My last letter was on hot dogs and "dachshunds," and you didn't correct that or even acknowledge it.  Ten years ago, of course, I solved the origin of the "Big Apple," and four years ago I dedicated "Big Apple Corner" after that was signed into law by the mayor, and you never covered that, either.
   But I'm a scholar, the statement made in today's _New York Times_ is completely wrong, and it should be corrected immediately.

Barry Popik
225 East 57th Street, Apt. 7P
New York, NY 10022
(212) 308-2635
Bapopik at aol.com