The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-22
The White House Kitchen.

SteWaru Wilkins ht Iue 'aA AouSu
the other day and asked to be shown
through the culinary department.. The
steward kindly accompanied him.
There are two kitchens, n much lar
ger than the other. with mammoth
ranges and boilers. The walls are hung
with copper-cooking utensils OF every
character. bright and in order. In the
centre of the big kitchen q permanent
uncovered table, at which most al the
manipulating is done. Chief EUrtin
about as broad rs 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.
Glow much warning do they give you
when a state dinner is to be prepared?"
asked the reporter Of Mr.. Williams.
"About four days, to give us, plenty
of time to get things 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 o FLOW.
ers in Europe. partially because flowers
are scarce. We endeavor always to have
a 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 d little while, it
was opened and an excellent goddess OF
liberty was produced, looking Us well
as many of her marble sisters.
"You see,' continued the steward,
"such figures are made the center
pieces for cold meats and the like,
which are usually served in a sort of
pyramid. One Of the rules is that no
dish must be served fiat. 1t 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 we'll
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 q 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. I
4 np111rf do orv haitian ff hol ~sf
seen such dishes prepared time and
ag',n, for they are very deceptive"
How do you go to work to prepare
. big dinner?" asked the reporter.
"We get word that there is to bea
dinner for so many persons OIL such an
evening. l know that the dinner is to
be the best that can be prepared, andI
go to work accordingly to procure the
best, not only that the Washington
market affords, but that can be secured
in New York, where l telegraph at once
for the choicest game and other things
that can he 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, und they first go to
work on the tallow ornaments, and Mr..
Ptister 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 characteristic of the oc-
casion, they are either suspended so
that the guest can see under them, or
else raised on pillars far enough apart
not to obstruct the view. At the judi
cial dinner last year the. chief floral
piece was a temple of justice, with the
book of laws i'll the interior. It takes
the ingenuity of all of us to secure a
variety, and at the same time maintain
excellence in all branches. The menus
must be entirely different. Not n dish
must be brought on the table that APP
peared at the previous dinner, so you see
we haye to keep scheming."
'How many persons does it take to
serve a state dinner?" asked the repor-
ter.
IF there are fifty persons at the table
or a few more OF less, it takes twelve
servants"
"Why SO many?"
We'll, there are five services for
every course; by that | mean that five
dishes of everything are served at once.
Ii 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 in serving the main
uisa OF the course, each one helping
about ten persons, and five more follow
With the vegetables or The accompanying
dish. Two more walters are kept busy
serving the wine which belong to the
course"
The whole dinner is prepared hers
In the White House, is it note" ~.
Everything but the ice cream that
we get outside. OF course we haven'ta
large enough force Of servants regularly
IN the house to serve the dinner. and 50
have to get outside assistance. but the
dinners are truly White House dinners
outslde the Kitchen are two refriger-
ators, big enough for q mammoth hotel,
u they do not suffice, and a new one
with all the modern improvements is
about to be built. Mr.. Williams has a
comfortable office in the basement, from
winch openst the Presidents wine cellar.
Inc STOCK OF wines has not been replen-
lshed since the seasons gaities were
oyer, but the shelves are pretty well
filed yet.
Mistakes in the Pig Business.
From the Iowa Homestead
Some of our farmers are yery likely
TO make q mistake Just now, in The man
aSement OF their pigs. They have an
loea mat because an old hog will thrive
~ Clover q young pig will. This is
aoout as sensible an idea as that of fat.