Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-24
Hint for Restaurants.



1t was a popular restaurant.
The seedy customer who had fingered
for half an hour over a doughnut revel
brushed the crumbs off bis p~antaloons
with his 4x5 napkin, and approached
the cashier with an distracted air. As
he handed over his dime, be remarked:
mister, | think you aud | could do a
little business"
How so2' said the cashier.
why | have noticed that the folks
who p%atronize this hashery seem to go
in mostly for clam chowder, and beef.
and donghnuts. They ignore the more
recherche elements Of the meal, such as
qaail op toast and venison steak. You'd
realize more profit if the public partook
more extensively Of the Injuries of the
season, so TO speak, wouldn't your
Il reckon" replied the check-taker.
Have you ever noticed" continued
the seedy customer, that a man ia an
cumulative being2 He is guided and gov
erned by public opinien rather than his
own ideas"
Exactly"
NOW do you see what | am driving
att Public opinion, influenced by hard
times, says doughnuts and clam chowder.
You want to educate public opirion up
to the more elevated standpoint Of quail
on toast and %venison steak.
How are you going TO do it2'
That's just what am coming TO.
That's where my inventive genius comes
in. You and l put up "a job on EN-.
Every day about this time | come here
for dinner. look over the programme
aud yell out, Here, waiter, turtle soup,
fried oysters, pate de fol gras, and a pint
of RGderer, aud the waiter be sings out
the order so the whole room full can
hear. The folks that have just come in
say to themselves, Hello, this is a kind
Of stylish place. II won't do to eat
baked beans and Goldfish balls here and
then they follow my example; more es-
p%ecialiy if the waiter does his part we'll,
and a infuse q tone of sarcasm into
his voice when passing along the order
for clam chowder and hash, 80 as to
make the cheap feeders feel their insig.
n~iGcance. Things would soon work
around if some %enterprising man would
set the example"
well" said the cashier, you or any.
body else can order just what you like
providing you pay for it,"
I'm afraid you hardly appreciate the
importance of my idt.. In order to in.
augurate the system it will be necessary
to disregard the immediate pecuniary
outlay, Now, my proposition is that |
should oficiate as epicureAn exemplar.
| will soon rouse the spirit Of emolution
by my apparent reckless extravaganza.
| will, reveling in the delicacies which
would appease the appetite Of a Lucullus,
stimulate others TO like lavish indul-
gence. / shall assist the process by
casting around me g~lances Of s%cornful
depreciation at those groveling souls
who persist in partaking ofhumble fare.
Here, now, for instance, | assume an all
Of lofty disdain. Do you think you
could sit camly and eat clam soup wlilt
| was looking at you-o-and devourinl
boned turkeyI'
mo, l should probably get up anC
kick you" was the answer.
"Ah, but most men would take it diff
erently. They would say, i guess
can afford bonod turkey as well as tina
fellow and they would order all thi
Injuries they could think of. 1t woult
catch EN-, l tell you. Now. to come
right to business. | amt ambitious;
don't ask any salary. All that l wan
is to order what | want free gratis, an,
I'll set right to work and we'll brinI
about the biggest revolution in public
} opinion you ever saw. What do vol
, say2 Is it a bargainY'
II can't see as it would exactly pa,
me" said the restaurant man. Il CUES
things have got to work around gradu
ally"
, "You don't seem to have much enter
PRISE sadly observed the epicurean ex
emplar. What kind of a one-horsr
beanery is this anyhow You may pu.
down v%enison and quail in your lying
programme, aud hanged if | believ,
you've got any in your old chowder mill
I'll offer my services to acme first class
establishment"