Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-09-29
FIRST EDITION.
The ss HHoIly-Tree Inns.

SOMETHING CONCERNING THE ORIGINAL ONES,
| EsTABLIsHED BY MRS. J. t. FIELDS, IN BOSTON
"DETAILS, HINTS, AND SUGGESTIONS.
| Two years ago, when the proposition to estab-
lis III this city, coffee-house, after the style OF
the l" Holly-.niee Inns of Boston, was being
| considered, Mrs. James T. Fields, of that city,
(she being one of the pioneers in the work,
there,) WAS applied to for information, and, in
reply, two interesting letters from her we're for
warded to one of our citizens, mr. Geo. W.
Stone.) At this moment, when the subject is
again being considered, we print their substan-
tial portions, thinking it may aid III more clearly
comprehending what may be and ought to be
done.
MRS. FIELDS FIRST LErTER-THE GENERAL IDEA
or THE ENTERPRISE.
MIR. Il. B. Perkins of the "Old and New
writes me of your interest in the Holly Tree
Coffee Rooms, and your desire to try one in Del
aware. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction
| than the power of assisting in these establish
ings, but iti difficult to judge of the details of
arrangement for distant cities where the life is
somewhat different from ours and the needs
different. The first step, of course is to secure
a shop in the worst locality for everything except
drinking. The place should be made to shine
with neatness and clean paint, (and am always
inclined to Use the gayest colors l can lindsay
red and white and black, these being effective, }
that the novelty of cleanliness may attract and
cause wonder of itself. The next step and the
most important is to find man and woman to
keep such pace-the man to purchase, to be
the police, keep accounts and carry on the busi-
| ness, in short the woman to cook and keep the
place clean if there be children old enough to
wait on the tables, all the better This
is the most economical plan and
in many respects the best. Then
the little income is divided in the family, as soon
as there is any to divide, instead of being paid
away for services to uninterested hands. OF
course it is highly necessary to find people of
high moral character who are pleased with the
idea, to say the least, otherwise liquor under
| various subterfuges might be sold.
The third step would be to fit up and furnish
| the establishment, taking the man and woman
into council oil the subject of how to do it, since
the business is to be theirs. or the money TO be
put into such shop before it is in running Or
der it is impossible for me to write even after
80 large an experience, each one differing from
the last.
OF course for the first year under the most fa-
yorable circumstances it would be out of the
question to expect to pay much rent out of the
receipts. In one case friend paid the whole
rent, 5000, for the first year. in another, half
the rent, (the rate being lower)
In addition to the rent, money is required to
buy stove, utensils, and in short, to prepare for
business. These expenses once betrayed, IL the
people who undertake the business steady,
Interested, and haze any ability, it has been my
experience, thus far that they succeed well, and
give an honest income
ANOTHER LETTER FROM MRS. FIELDs-sIMILAT
WORK IN OTHER CITIES.
| In another letter. about the same time, Mrs
| Fields gave some further details on the subject
She referred to the establishment of similar
"Coffee- Houses" in Hartford, and Chicago and
| then added:
'In one of Chambers Journals For The Peo-
| ple have heard there was all excellent history
| of this work, AZ carried forward in Glasgow.
| Mr.. Dickens, also, in the "Uncommercal Trav.
| eller' papers, has picture OF such an estab
| lishment in London. The article ls called "The
| Boiled Beef of Old England" and although
never read the paper, oddly enough, until oui
Holly Tree Inn had been long in running order
found tho description he gave fitted just suct
ali establishment as had in my minds eye, ant
such AZ we ought to see many of, in our Ameri
| can cities. This account is no minute that i
would be of great use to any one about to star
| "Holly Tree"
THE BILL OF FARE.
| 81 wish could find Chicago bill of fare Il
send you / thought it excellent, but hav'
| given all my copies away. The idea il to hav'
| AZ few articles of food AZ possible, in order t
simplify the work. The programme runs usual
ly much an follows;
| Tea......... 8 cts Baked beans ct
| Coffee 8 y" Pics per cut..... Is
| Bread and butter i" Gold roast beef 10 '
| Chowder with Potatoes. .........
bread ....... 10 Soups. s............. .
| Ham.,........10 10 I" Corned beef 8 or III p"
And a few other articles, say three or four, ma
be added such az are particularly desired. W.
intend all these things shall be the best of thei