Fortune Cookies (1901 for Halloween; 1926, Japanese party in Texas)

[Barry Popik]

These two "fortune cookies" cites are interesting. The Japanese use is
nothing new, but it's an early cite. Fortune cookies for Halloween?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_cookie
Origin
San Francisco and Los Angeles both lay claim to the origin of the
fortune cookie. Makoto Hagiwara of Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea
Garden in San Francisco is said to have invented the cookie in 1909.
while David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los
Angeles, is said to have invented them in 1918.
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2 November 1901, Prescott (AZ) Morning Courier, pg. 2:
Thursday evening, from 7 to 9 o'clock, Mary, Frank and Gail Gardner
entertained quite a number of their little friends at the home of
their parents with a Hallowe'en party. Many interesting and laughable
games were played. Then came the drawing for the seat of honor at the
table. Henry Adams drew the lucky number. He seemed particularly
fortunate, as he also drew the pen in the fortune cookies, which
denotes that he will be a famous writer.
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10 September 1926, Big Spring (TX) Herald, "Japanese Motif Expressed
in Parties for Visitor," pg. 11, col. 2:
Fortune cookies were served with the main course, and enclosed in each
one was a rhyme or fortune, and pretty Japanese parasols were other
plate favors.

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