"Rufus-Estes"(1857-

Worked for the Pullman company,as a chef after unimaginably luxurious private Pullman railway cars that travelled across America in the second half of the 1800s.He had worked his up from a porter.Rufus later became a cookbook author.His early childhood years were caught  up in the American Civil War (1861-1865).Rufus was born in Murray County,Tennessee.Rufus was given the last names Estes,because that was the last name of the man (DJ Estes) who owned his family.Rufus had two younger sisters,and six older brothers (two of which died during the civil war) making a total of 9 children.

In 1867,his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be with his grandma where he he was able to attend one term of school,while being expect to do many chores around the household.In 1873,at the age of 16,he started working in a restaurant in Nashville,and stayed there until he was 21.In 1881,Rufus went to Chicago,where he worked for 2 years (it is presumed he worked in a restaurant).

In 1883,he began work for Pullman.Rufus travelled between 1894 & 1897,going up to Vancouver and sailing as far Tokyo.From 1897-1907 managed a private car for the United States Steel Corporation.

Over the course of his career,the people the people Rufus managed a Pullman car for included American Presidents Benjamin Harrison (1889-1903) and Grover Cleveland 1884-1888,1892-1896,Spanish Princess Eulalie (in 1893),Sir Henry Morton Stanley,the British expolorer ("Dr.Livingston,I presume" fame),and Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860-1941),the Polish pianist and statesman.

In 1911,he published his recipe book,"Good Things to Eat,as Suggested by Rufus: A Collection of Practical Recipes For Preparing Meats,Game,Fowl,Fish,Puddings,Pastries,Etc.," containing over 600 recipes.

The book shows the two halves of his personality,varying between his southern rural roots,and the elegant,private,ultra-rich world that he became a part of.He give recipes to use up uniripened tomatoes,grapes,and melons that in the late fall would otherwise perish and go to waste when the frost came.Rufus gives fancy recipes that drew on trufflies,clearly aimed at the carriage-trade.And,he give some simple recipes that would be enjoyed by anyone: corncakes,fritters,steamed breads,crumpets,muffins,fried corn,and fried cauliflower.

He starts the book off  with "Hints to Kitchen Maid" section,in which you can tell he's used to having staff to direct from his Pullman years-- staff who knew the exact order in which Rufus expected things to be done.