The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-03-02
MYSTERIES OF HOTELS.
What i, Takes to Run One for n We,


This is not romance. No allusion
is intended to croton bugs in the larder,
nor to the polite clerks stony stare, nor
his well parted hair. On the contrary,
it is a peep into the commissarit depart
ment, which we are perfectly entitled to
class among the mysteries of hotels.
Bishop Colenso fancied himself fully
justified in questioning the Pentateuch
because Moses does not explain about
the supplies during the forty years of
Israel in the waste of Sinai; aud the
Hellenist W will satisfy the learned
world how the great gathering during
the Olympic games were provisioned,
will solve conundrum of classical pro-
portions. Here is the years bill of
fare of large and popular Western
hotel, which ventures to call itself
metropolitan, and which really does
entertain large number of wayfarers.
The hotel is kept by colonel" need
less to say, and, among the commercial
travellers who chiefly frequent the
place, is thought to be of the very
strain of Amphitryon-"a born hotel
keeper"
The first thing that strikes one, says
the New York World, from which we
copy, seems to account at once for the
prevalent dyspepsia of the Western
people. Here are 100,2 pounds of
beef, and tale of lamb, mutton, pork,
sausage, fish, ham, bacon, poultry, veni-
son, game, etc., amounting in all to
1888, 900 pounds of solid meats, against q
total of so, 108 pounds of -four aud fari-
naceous substances of all sorts down to
barley, vermicelli and corn starch. Two
and quarter pounds of meat to each
pound of bread is like Falstaff's crowns
worth of capon and anchories to ha-
penny of bread. The barbaroLs condi-
tion of the Western stomach may furth-
er be gathered from the fact that while
it took our Amphitryon's ,000pounds
of beef 10 feed his flock, they let him off
with 215} pounds of lamb. But, en- re-
Uanche, the mint sauce must have been
abundant, for there is account taken of
388 punches of mint The bill is heavy
in the way of sugars and sweetmeats,
but extremely light in respect OF salads.
This hotel only required 470 dozen let
tuce and seventy-six dozen cucumbers,
against l, $40 pounds of mincemeat, sew
eral thousand pounds of dried fruits and
conserves, 450 gallons of molasses and
$4,000 pounds of sugar. The guests
only ate 264 pounds of macaroni, but
they consumed 125 gallons of pickles,
667 gallons vinegar, seventy-five gallons
Worcestershire sauce and three and one
half barrels of sauerkraut. They used
1900 gallons of milk and 19, 900 pounds
of butter, but only 66S pounds of
cheese. No walnuts and only sixteen
bottles of olives, but 210 pounds of Pc
cans. Only 180 pounds of raisins, but
3,161 pounds of grapes. Green corn
was the favolite vegetable and straw
berries the favorite fruit, far above
peaches and melons.
All that beef, one would think, would
have called for more than 142 punches
of celery; but apparently they preferred
mustard and horseradish with it. The
surprising figures of IA pounds of CO.
coanut, show truly Western proclivity
for pie and pudding, and the immense
quantity of dessert in that form may be
gathered from the fact that the cuisine
demanded two barrels of cider, thirty
nine and one-half gallons of rum, sew
enty-four gallons cooking wine and
tifty-four gallons of cooking brandy.
One hundred and twenty six dozen ducks
required 440 pounds of Jelly; but there
were only used thirty bottles of capers,
against $50 pounds Of prunes. Lobster
in cans was eaten to the extent of
twelve dozen, but we only see sixteen
dozen prairie hens charged, though this
hotel is situated in the heart of that
birds habitat.
OF toothpicks the supply was 172
boxes, each probably containing gross
of packages, and H. 900 pieces of soap
would seem to be ample even for the
needs of the commercial traveller. The
guests only consumed $50 pounds of
tea, to 5000 pounds of coffee, but they
required thirty-two barrels and 1855
punches of onions. They drank ninety
seven pounds of chocolate and ate l 400
bushels of potatoes, and in one way or
another consumed 100000 pounds of
ice.