Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-02


master without having a masters trou-
BILE. He can have whatever meat or re,
freshment be desires served up at all
hours. with luxury and dispatch. There
il a fixed place for everything, and II is
not customary to remain long at table.
You can dine alone, or you can invite a
dozen persons to dine with you, females
being excluded. From an account kept
At the Atheneum for one year, il appears
that 1923 dinners cost on an average
2s. 9qd. each (about 68 cents;) and the
average quantity OF wine drank by each
person at these dinners was a small
fraction more than pint Tor each. The
bath accommodations are the finest that
can be imagined. The kitchens Of the
London clubs cannot be equaled in the
world: and the chief cooks, who have
charge Of the kitchens, have each a
European fame. Alexis Soyer, the
greatest cook since Ude or Vatel had,
for a long time. the charge OF the kitchen
of the Reform Club; and the kitchen OF
this club. of which John Bright and all
the leaders of the English Liberals are
members, is the finest in London.
There is cheerful air, an air OF mag.
ficence about these superb kitchens
which would charm good housewife.
Here all the genius which can be brought
to bear upon cookery is concentrated;
and the head cook would not deign to
notice any person of less rank than a
baronet, while in superintendence., Al
though there are 200 members, he is
not responsible to any individual one;
and the only authority in the club to
which he has to bow is the eight or ten
members of the House Committee, whose
decrees, even to this great being, are ar
bitrary.
The pots and pans are Of an exceed
ing brightness; and the entire system IS
perfect In one corner of the kitchen is
a little stall, or counting-house-at the
desk of which sits the clerk Of the
kitchen. Every day the chief cook pro-
vides, besides ordinary provisions, which
are certain to be required, selected list
which he inserts in his bill Of fare--a list
which is left to his judgment and skill.
Say three or four gentlemen, members
of the club, determine to dine there at a
given hour; they select from the bill OF
fare, or make separate order II pre-
ferred, or leave the dinner altogether to
the intellect of the chef, who is sure to
be hattered by this dependence on his
Judgment. A little slip of paper on
which is written the names Of the dishes
and the hour Of dining, is hung on a
hook in the kitchen on a black board,
where there are number of hooks de-
voted TO different hours of the day or
evening. The cooks proceed with their
avocations, and by the time the dinner Is
ready the Clerk Of the Kitchen has cal.
culated and entered the exact value oi
every article composing it, which entry
is made out in the form of bill-the
cost price being that by which the charge
is regulated; nothing is ever charged for
the cooking. Immediately at the elbow
Of the clerk arelbells and speaking tdbes
by which he can communicate with the
servants in the other parts OF the build
ing.
Meanwhile asteam engine is Serving
III" the dinner. In one corner OF the
kitchen is a recess, on opening apdoor IL
which we see small platform, square
shaped, ca aculated to hold an ordinary
sized tray. This platform is connected
with the shaft Of a steam engine by
bands and wheels, so as to be elevated
through kind of vertical trunk leading
to the upper part of the buildings ant
here are the white aproned servants OF
walters ready to take out the hot anc
luscious smelling viands from the plat
form to the member or members OF the
club who are anxiously awaiting dinner