New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-20
DINING FOR FIFTEEN CENTS
CHEAP EATNG,HoUsE8 IN THE CITY.

|
CHEAP EATING HOUSES IN THE CITY. q
EXPERIENCE OF FRUGAL cOUNTRYMAN-HOW
| CoFFRE-AND-CAKE SALOONS" WERE STARTED
BIG RESTAURANTS ABOUT THE MARKETs-THR
| DIARIES.
A frugal rustic of inquiring mind visited
ths city recently The first time although he has lived
only short distance from NewYoFk all his life. He
spent several days for other purpose than to see
everything that was to be SEEN and In the most eco
nomieal way He walked all the CITY, from the Bat
terry the Harlem River, and from the Easi TO the
North yos and his total expense for car fare was 80
He would not ride the elevated roads, rearing
| that the cars would run of the track, and
| felt not a little tlmid when walking under the
structure, thinking that some train might fall upon him.
or all the subjects into which lac inquired lie took-tae
keenes interest IN the question, Where do the masses
eat a. and Bis experience IN cheap restaurants was
varied and curious one. The number and diversity OF
these places have become great that account OF
their origin and description OF their Characteristic
features may interest others beside frugal countymen
| desiring to be fed.
Some downtown hot, keepers were the first to esnO-
lish cheap eaiDFhouses in this city. These, in their
early days. confnedt TO the limits Of down town,
but may be found IN part Of the city from the
Harlem Bridge to the Battery COBteand-cake saloons
first supplied impecuuious hungry people with butter
soaked biscuit, black coffee tuow the French care
roir for It was made strong and black by coffee ex-
Tracts CncOry OF peisl' lOIA Dc'ho' OOANN
beef with without beans, the mysterious lnnce, GUS
lrd aud other pies Of the high rate, charged
In the regular dining saloons Tor plates OF meats the
price was Fix cents plate in the conference.-the sa
loom" cup of coffee with plenty OF SUGAR and plate
OF cakes were sold cents three cents cach and
pies three cents cut so with htee1 cents one
might make a hearty meal.
One the first to perceive the need Of cheap and
place Of the kind referred to was Pat
terson, who 1888 opened a small cOf'e-and.cake
saloon in Ann-st He did thriving business The sue
cess Of this saloon sp ediy encouraged rivals and The
number OF economical eaters rapidly increased One
man after another opened such eatnghouses including
Dan Sweeney, the founder Of sweeneys Hotel IN
haham-st Samuel Harvey and RUFUS Crook Foster
A. Petit and Ude & Hitchcock. In 1913 the few pro-
prieors combined together and increased their prices
sharp Opposition was aroused and after short time the
combination had to yield to the demand for return TO
the old prices Samuel Crook was the first to open a
cake saloon Fulton Market and was soon
followed by Othrrs. Samuel IT., and Harvey Crook uep
news OF Samuel Crook next opened largo and better
place In Washington Market Samuel, IT, Is now pro-
prieor of Crooks Hotel Cnathan-s, and president
OF Crooks Musical Union which gives free concerts In
the Battery Park during the Summer Harvey Is one OF
the proprietors OF Nash & Crooks restaurant
on ParkrOw. In 1916, Rufus Crook with
Foster a. Petit, opened restaurant ut Wall
and Water.sts. Rufus lett fortune OF 100000, and
Petit VINO SAID to be very thy, still remains N the
bushes waterst. Udell Hitchcock were formerly
In Brrkm,I-st. Ulen was prominent Ia the Order
Of the Sons Of Malta on The dissolution of partnership
Hitchcock to place where ne now Is oppO-
site The CITY Hall III, sous have interest in the
business but tue father shows no rgus OF growing pa
A. number oi larger restaurants increased, the
coffee and cake shops generally had TO give way: The
eating houses which have been opened ~ the Vclny
Of Fulton aud Washington Markets nave displaced the
cOiicc-dndcake sa"ons 10 "a great extent. D0rlOhs
oy sterro0us In Fulton Market have many BroOkyn as
well rs Nrw.YOIk patrons. Sweets restaurant, near
Futon Ferry. IA rrsored 10 by many marketmen aud
those who Duy from them Samuel ii. Everett, Assem-
blynan ec from Putnam county, has a restaurant In
Vrscy-s opposite Washington Market, which ~ said TO
he the largest but one m tue country: pr, EYrTeI ~
first occupied lille shop and gradually extended II
BY additions as tue demands OF Tue BUSHES m
extends nom Ncsey Barciny.sts and feeds daily
from 1000 10 0.O0O persons. smith hcNells reStaI
rant running from greenwich Ia Wa-hlngtonsts BACK
WAshnvtO Market ~ also very extensive and caters
TO grat numbers OF mArFetmen butchers iarnei ana
IN profits 10 the s,aurans where the regular price
for plates Is - cents much larger than the un
initiated would tmnk possible. Canning carVers VIII
from single pound of roast beef ten or noru plates
furnishes without extra charge bread butter ana poh
tors The services Of cook. dishwasners walters cash
icrs the wear and or material fuel light, rent and
interest original must also be considered
their patrons by Thousands are very lsrge. --.,-
A few years another variety OF cheap eating
nSine Of u,ker Daircs" Their dsnctiye feature Is
tue rgld exclusion vi all beverages which are forbidden
OF SWEET cider us from the press, mix, " Vienna cof
oatmeal nu.n and mllK cold rice ana other hriua-
ccous food with milk aud recently the diaries have
Girls are generally empoyed as walters ana cashiers III
these daifrH.
Inc lowest Of the catng-houses are the tye-cent
Dairirs Ihrse furnish mysteries Tor 700 "Hcm none
hears orders gwen - Brown the bucks Put
some more fire IN the hash" Woodcock on tue tor"
Markrrc ON tue ron."" beef big n.y." aud
other similar phrases he should not inquire INTO their
mcantng At places there Is prOmIscuOus
gathering daI}-brokendown men whO nave
been ruined by Their appetite Tor drink,
traBps. bOot-DacRs newsDoys, etc \ visit 10 the
Kite. would be apt destroy tho most craving Appe
thc stomach Every thing ~ and about
dirty appearance, tue walls are smoky ana cock
reaches to sen anywhere. The cooks are BE-
smrared with grease aud black with smoke, they
handle the fuOd-grncriY the refuse from the markets
tables OF large hOtris;ney seem To add 10 rather
than lessen It's unpaHtHn cnrSs In large iron assn
are SPECIALIZED btued ste k" waiting for the customer;
in bug kettcson he range hash soup made from old
BONES, aad other ingredients ahd the famous
soup dc bOulun" made after the recipe Of tue eco
nptnicdi FIrnchmtn-" two buckets or water aud one
queutly made irOm Straps collected by bcggars from
houses aud sold at the dairy" AID Hpple-pudding
from refuse apples, picked up around the docks,
apeCialLirs Of these vile places There u old
East River front picking hdtrottcd apples, aud
after hng her basket s0 sells the applies 10 one OF her
many restaurant customers. The coffee and tea nre
from the cheapest material, and frequently from
The fresh milk from farm " Il mixture or
condensed mix, water and chalk, prepared IN the
kitchen, and sold at d" cents a schooner"
The the cheap dining room Dust
trade sufficiently large TO ,cd0e aggregate
the small profits. Waste avoided ~ carefully as
possible but the means by which that Is effected IN
o: the larger saloon well AS the slnAler may
well be lett TO the maginatOn
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