Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-08-15
The White House Kitchen.

4 ~ - -',
There are two kitchens, one much lar
ger than the other, with mammoth
ranges and boilers. The walls are hung
with copper cooking utensils of every
character, bright end in order. In the
centre of the big kitchen permanent
zinc covered table, at which most OF the
manipulating is done. Chief Forth,
about as broad as long, was standing at
it hard at work. He speaks English
very we'll, and kindly assisted in ex
planning the manner of doing business
IN his department.
"How much warning do they give you
when state dinner is to be prepared ?"
asked the reporter of Mr.. Williams.
about four days, to give us plenty
Of time to get thingsi in shape. Lots Of
preparations, too are necessary. In
the first place, the ornaments are to be
made, and the chief here likes to make
an early start in that branch"
"What do you make them from ?"
"Grease. Yes, we take old candles
and melt them over time and again, and
mould figures, etc., of various designs.
The chef tells me that such ornamen-
tation is largely taking the place of flow
ers in Europe. partially because flowers
are scarce. We endeavor always to have
good supply Of both, and the effect is
very satisfactory"
The chef was busy with some broken
ornaments when the reporter entered,
| These he melted and poured into plas-
ter-of paris mould. Placing this in a
pan of ice water for a little while, it
was opened and al excellent goddess OF
liberty was produced, looking as we'll
as many of her marble sisters.
you see," continued the steward,
"such figures are made tho center
pieces for cold meats and the like,
which are usually served in sort Of
pyramid One of the rules is that no
dish must be served fat. It must be
raised in some way, and there are
various plans followed. A big base Of
rice is sometimes made to raise the
birds or meats or whatever is to be
served. Sometimes they are well
raised, and then are SO we'll concealed
by tallow ornaments and disguised
that it is pretty hard to tell where to
start in, I have seen some Of the Western
congressman, when such dish is passed,
look all around it, kind of uncertain
! where to strike, and then shake their
heads and let it pass. That is not say
ing anything against the gentlemen. /
couldn't do any better if 1 had nj
seen such dishes prepared time and
! again, for they are very deceptive"
CHOW do you go to work to prepare
big dinner?" asked the reporter.
eve get word that there is to be a
dinner for so many persons on such an
evening / know that the dinner is to
be the best that can be prepared, and
go to work accordingly to procure the
best, not only that the Washington
market affords, but that can be secured
in New York, where telegraph at once
for the choicest game and other things
that can lie obtained. The president
gives corte blanche. and never grumbles
at expense, SO we are never hampered
The chief always has an assistant on
such occasions, and they first go to
work on the tallow ornaments, and Mr..
Pfster begins on the floral ornaments.
Great care must be taken in ornament
ing not to obstruct the view Of any of
the guests, and while floral designs are
intended to be charac teristic of the oc-
casion, they are either suspended SO
that the guest can see under them. OF
else raised On pillars far enough apart
not to obstruct the view. At the judi
cial dinner last year the chief floral
piece was temple pf Justice, with the
book of laws in the Interior Tt takes
the ingenuity Of all of us to secure a
variety, and at the same time maintain
excellence III all branches. The menus
must be entirely different. Not dish
must he brought on the table that ap-
peared at the previous dinner, SO you see
we have to keep scheming."
"How many persons does it take to
serve state dinner?" asked the repor-
ter.
IF there are fifty persons at the table
or a few more or less, it takes twelve
servants"
"Why so many?"
''Wel1, there are five services for
every course; by that l mean that five
dishes Of everything are served at once.
If the course is fish, five plates of fish
are served simultaneously, and SO on
through the dinner. This is to prevent
delay. So you see there are five of the
servants engaged III serving the main
dish of the course, each one helping
about ten persons, and live more follow
with the vegetables or the accompanying
dish Two moro walters are kept busy
serving the wine which belong to the
course"
"The whole dinner is prepared hera
in the White House, is it not?"
<GEverything but the ice cream; that
we get outside. OF course we haven a
large enough force of servants regularly
in the house to serve the dinner, and SO
have to get outside assistance, but the
dinners are truly White House hinncrs.'
Outside the kitchen arc two rcfriger-
ators, big enough for mammoth hotel,
but they do not suffice, and o new one
with all the modern improvements is
about to be built. Mr.. Williams has
comfortable. office in the basement, from
which opens the Presidents wine cellar.
The stock OF wines has not been replen-
ished since the seasons gaities were
over, but: the shelves ore pretty well
filled yet,
Mistakes in the Pig Business.
From the Iowa Homestead
Some of our farmers are very likely
to make a mistake just now, in the man
agement5 Of their pigs. They have all
idea that because an old hog will thrive
on clover, young pig will. This is
about as: sensible an idea as that of fat
tening q newly weaned calf by turning
it to a straw stack. A ton Ct clover has
1860 pounds Of water and anly sixteen