Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-01

q Cnurrtvanfs Whltb g hrea tens Naiter3ou
san Frapcfsco ghrur irleT

q Caurrtvanse whirb hreasens waiter3om.
san Francisco Chroniele.1
The vocation OF the waiter is i'm
perilled, that which threatens his live
hhoOd in the lever ranks Of wsiterdom
being an invention styled the electric
dining-table. The inventor OF this ma
chine-for il is rs much a machine as a
tablets & German. and having put up
one Of his contrivances he has invited
all those who are interested IN such
matters 10 come and see 1t. On enter
ing the room in which the electric
dining-table has been erected there Is
seen q double row Of small, fat, desk
ike tables, set back TO back and divided
one from another by a brass railing.
The tables, or compartments. do
not touch each other at the back.
being separated by raised shelf about
three feet wide. On sitting down each
diner finds himself given 8 space Of
about three feet square. with q portion
Of the raised shelf en- which to place his
empty dishes. bottles. etc. On sitting
down. too. the customer will notice
bill Of fare and a punch like those used
by railroad conductors. The bill Of
fare is divided into three columns-the
first containing the dish. the second the
price. and the third q series Of blank
spaces. across which are printed the
directions to "please punch IN this
space whatever you want to order. 80
Giving punches for plate OF soup. a
steak, and a glass Of wine, the Gus
toner next turns over" the bill
Of fare. according 10 foot
note. and finds further directions
TO put ii. when punched, in front Of
him and push the button TO his right.
lie does so. an electric bell Is heard
tirklng IN the kitchen, and then, as if
By magic. the table ID front Of him
slips noiselessly away. glides under the
raised shelf. and runs kItchenward.
The time for filing the order elapses,
and then, slipping out from under the
shelf. comes the table once more, laden
now with the soup. steak. and wine.
ard settles itself in front Of the Gus
toner. The bill Of fare Is there also.
and, as the customer knows exactly
hat he punched and what he has
eaten. be takes the bill Of fare TO the
counter as a check and pays the amount
due.
If the customer were allowed into the
kitchen be would find q boy seated on
a bench having il front Of him q spoked
heel like that Of a rudder. over the
heel is placed Q series Of sixteen num-
bers covered with black shades, while
beside II are two handles like levers.
Another customer Is heard entering the
restaurant: he seats himself at a table.
punches cut what he wants, and presses
TIE electric-button at his side. Down
falls the shade from over No. the
vheel. The boy pulls out a con-
Meeting switch marked No. 2,
gives q haul at one Of the levers,
ard turns the wheel. The haul
at the lever pulls the 10. ? table under
the shelf and places i on q well-olled
trsmvay. and the turns OF the wheel
bring the rable along the tramway until
il reaches the kitchen. On the table
the cook places the order, the boy re-
verses the wheel. this time keeping his
eye on a plisble fat wire which runs
around the hub Of the wheel and which
is marked with numbers up to sixteen.
As soon as No. >, marked on this band,
reaches an index, the wheel ls stopped,
the lever reversed, and the customer Is
served. All the tables can be moved
at once by the transfer Of the switches, OF
as many as orders come from. What
if claimed by the inventor is economy
OF time TO the consumer, expense 70
the proprietor. the avoidance Of com
plants, the absence Of noise, and 3
strict check on the kitchen. Several
restaurant-keepers have been to see the
machine. but all hesitate TO use II for
fear II might prove failure and Of the
boycOtting by the discharged waters.
A physician Of the French Hospital,
however. who has no such fear before
his eyes, has given his approval to the
continuance. and will recommend It's
adoption al that institution.
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