On December 3, 1898, Robert Burton in Dayton wrote to his sister Matilda Dunbar in Washington, D. C. Matilda was the mother of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Burton was his uncle.
It is too bad that Paul isn't well yet, but we hope he will be all right in a short while. Matilda, you just ought to be here. I have got two barrels of chitlens. We cleaned them all today and I have got some on cooking now. We are going to be in chitlens up to our eyes.
Robert Burton to Matilda Dunbar, December 3, 1898. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 1).
Chitterlings are pig intestines that have been stewed or boiled. The word is often spelled as it is pronounced, such as "chitlens" or "chitlins." At the time, Paul was on a recitation tour of New York and Ohio, while Matilda and Paul's wife Alice were in Washington. Alice wrote to Paul about his uncle's cooking and also mentioned what she had for dinner.
Your dear letter has just come, or rather I have just come in and read it. When ma came in I read parts of it aloud to her and we had such a laugh. Ma brought me some pig snout and beer. Oh, I know you want to fall all over yourself. By the way, your Uncle Robert writes that he has two barrels of chitlins, I guess that's the way it's spelled. So you'd better stop by Dayton. When I finish this, I'm going to eat some chicken. Who dat etc.
Alice Moore Dunbar to Paul Laurence Dunbar, December 7, 1898. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 8).
Alice referred to "Who Dat Say Chicken in Dis Crowd?", a humorous song that Paul wrote with composer Will Marion Cook. In the song, some Black delegates are discussing important issues when they suddenly become more interested in a chicken.
There was once a great assemblage of the cullud population,
All the cullud swells was there.
They had got themselves together to discuss the situation
And rumors in the air.
There were speakers there from Georgia and some from Tennessee,
Who were making feather fly,
When a roostah in the bahn-ya'd flew up what folks could see,
Then those darkies all did cry:
Who dat say chicken in dis crowd?
Speak de word agin' and speak it loud --
Blame de lan', let white folks rule it,
I'se a lookin fu a pullet,
Who dat say chicken in dis crowd?
Excerpt from "Who Dat Say Chicken in Dis Crowd?" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. From the musical Clorindy, or The Origin of the Cakewalk (1898).
Years later, when Paul was once again traveling, Alice wrote to him about the meals she and Matilda ate, and chitterlings were on the menu.
We are just thru dinner and it was such a good one that ma and I were unanimous in wishing you were here to enjoy it with us. We had chicken smothered in mushrooms, potatoes au gratin (whatever that may mean), rice, salad, tea, ice cream and pound cake. Aren't you jealous of such eatings? Yesterday we had chitlins and pig-head for lunch and for dinner pig-feet smothered in vinegar and dandelion salad. We are going to have cabbage sprouts tomorrow. Yum-yum! Guess you'd better come home and join us.
Alice Moore Dunbar to Paul Laurence Dunbar, April 14, 1901. Alice Dunbar-Nelson papers, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library (Newark, Delaware). MSS 0113, Box 4, F103.