New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-29
CATERING FOR THE POOR.

IABORIyG CLAssEs-CHEAP MEALS AND CHEAP
LECTURES COMBINED.
Within the past few years the English col
feehou.e system has been the subject OF much STUDY
amoung phaDthrOpsts and others In TINS country
This system il is claimed by some, originated Win Mrs
HOye Smith while others claim that Robert Lochhar
OF LIVERPOOL was its founder. II is IN operation III
the chief cities Britain, and has proved very
successful from pecunary, moral and social point Oh
view in Liverpool There are thirty pubhc eonee-
houses situated principally along the docks and ire
quented daily by thousands OF laborers
The primary object of these houses Is to furnish whole
some food at cheap price to the outdoor laborers'
Coffee and cocoa are sold for or per mug, with
simple and nourishng rood AT the same low rates. NO
liquors sold. Excursion parties coming 10 LVerpoo
bring their food these houses. and by buying conce OF
cocoa are allowed TO eat their lunches in the rooms AT
some OF the houses social meetings are occasOhaiV
held The houses under the control Ola corporation
known as the " British Workman Public House COM
pany Limited" The capital is about 100000. IL
paid a dividend of 10 per cent during the second and
third years OF the enterprise.
In other cities OF Great Britain the cohee-houses
are said to have been moderately successful III
Bristol dnng-hall has paid well since ITS foundation
1868. In Leeds ball has been IN SUCCESSFUL opera
ton since November, 1877.
London gentleman letter to prominent citizen
= New-York saws that the partial failure Of the system
In London was account OF lack OF systematic or
ganzlTiOn aud because methods which succeeded IN
Liverpool not adapted TO London III Manchester
the largest co ehOuses the docks and abOrers
are allowed to bring their fOod and after eatlhg 10
smoke IN them. The wOringmen Of the North OF Eng
land regard cocoa rs much nourshng than coffee
and in many cities the amount Of drunk 1t is sald
equals that of both coffee and tea Connected with most
OF these houses are reading and OOms adapedfor
games and amusemens; the question OF opening billiard
rooms Is being discussed.
About three years ago pubic-sprited ladies OF
this cry founded cOfFcc-hOuse at the upper end OF
sixave.. Central Park. On account OF the hign
rent 81 O0O which they paid for their rooms. and their
reoteues from any OF the centres trade, the under
taking proved failure In other cities coffeehouses
have been established and are now paying we'll Id
P iladcphia Joshua L. Bailey is at the head OF several
OF them A readug-room and lecture-room are con-
neced ath house. and meetings OF various kinds are
held on certain evenings In the week
There is not at present in New-York single coffee
house conducted upon principle Of the Liverpool or
Philadelphia houses There several cheap eating
houses-places which workingmen frequent and which
clam to be cOffre-hOUsesbut there Is no attempt ade
t improve the social standing the by fur
niShing them with cItalnmcnt or with IeaulhG LaV
ter. In half dozen coffee and cake shops III tHe
vicinity Of the Wholesale meat markets, between Forty
foprth and Forty-seveuth.sts on Frstave., liquor
stronger than cider Is Sold and in several OF them not
even cider Is allowed Coffee and cake OF various KINDS
are sold for II - cents az all hours from or -
a. H. 10 or & o'clock .. M. In the carry morning
these houses frcduented by butchers rom e negh
bnug slaughter-AOuses During tGe day the tables are
occupied by men. costly Germans, who play cards Iof
sport or for some hight wager. cigars or coffee In
,not Of tie houses however, cigars are sold and no
smoking IL allowed one Of these houses has Deeh III
operation eight years and as far rs can pe ledrne Jh'
little bunch ccfcehou-es Is peculiar to that quarter
In tho basement OF building at Nassau ana Fulton
sts IL a so-callcd Model Coffee House, conducted
upon much the same principle as the cofteehouses III
Philadelphia except that there Is no TeddingrOOm CON
urctrd with it, The proprietor, John ~ FOrney, was
city missionary for time, when he saw the need OF
cheap eating houses 10 be conducted on temperance
PRINCIPLES In 1876 he opened an eating house IN Pha
dcrhia and during the exhibition he made enough
money and became sufficiently acquainted with the
cOneehOuse system that city, TO warrant him making
a similar experiment IN New-Ycrk. year ago he
op.ned "A temperance coffee house Chatham-st, and
last February fitted the At Nassau anu Fulton
sta The latter accommodates abOut 10, ana during
tie past week 1000 persons have been sord ddlp wan
two dishes There are forty 5cent dishes on the
bill OF fare No liquors tobacco are sold For cents
a pint Of coffee Mocha aud Java miNed-and roll are
furnished SIR. Forney employs four bakers and htty'
five men, and during the middle OF the day DIS restau-
rant Il crowded by all classes OF people This fact is In
trrrstng IN with tie proposed establishment
of certainly probably several other coheehouses
on "a more extended scale.
For over a year the scheme OF a worsingmens clnO'
intended 10 combine the features or the Liverpool
and Philadelphia organizations and to be adapted TO tEe
peculiar wants Of the aDOrng classes OF Newfork mas
occupied the minds Of several gentlemen IN New-Iork
AT the head the movement the Rev. James Mar
shall pastor Lebanon Chapel, and William Abbott In
order to lay the matter proper hight before the pub
he four meetings were held last season In various
churches and through these meetings and individual
subscription about 81 100 raised toward starting
workIngmen's club with cOnee-fouse attached. Tie
association Ia TO be called the Lebanon CiuD ana o.
forts are max ng club house IN the Thirteenth
Ward near Columbiat. The object OF tho club will be
10 furnish wholesome food cheap price to all 10 az
ford the members opportunity to use the reading
room aud library which to be the ground floor and
TO supply monthly OF various kinds in the
hall which will be the second floor. Thocofee-rooms
Will be in basement and are TO be made rs attractive
rs possible IL hoped that the clue VIII have men,
bershp OF five hundred. There will be an initiation fec
OF 30 cents 81 and annual dues Of 81 or 3d. Adm:s
sion 70 the coffee-rooms viii be free all. Only men,
bers OF tho eun have the privileges OF the readngroom
and library scientific and political econo
mic topics are to form feature OF the cuL. Admission
10 the lectures will be at small rate Tor
members and double the amount for non-mem-
bcrs the object being 10 put premium on member
ship to induce outsiders to join the club Several lead
ing publishing houses have signed their Willingness TO
supply the library with books the gentlemen inter
ested hope similar offers may DO received from other
houses.
The government of the club will res; with the Execu-
tive Committee consist OF nine members. eight OF
whom are the Rev. James Marshall, the Rev. Conrad
Doench Andrew Dow, William Abbott, James AIKEN. W.
H. Hatherly, John Rdgeway and q. W. Martin. The
various departments Of the club are TO be under the
charge " special committees. The committee expects
toopen the house by November with an entertainment
10 which thousand free tickets will be- dis
triluted among the workngmen In the vicinity. AS
experience suggests changes aud additions ia the man.
acement of the ooee-room and the other departments
tbe committees will make them.