, 1885-01-28
HOW 1He POOR LNe.


A Good Meal for Ten c~cnfs-Cheap Res
tanrans Of the Hssfer claA4-
IchicaEo Tribunell
Attracted by q rough crnyon drawing OF
Ben Butler adjoining a placard on which
was written The Boss Workingman's Din
ner for Ten ceutzr a reporter desronded TO
a BASEMENT restaurant on west Madison
street, determined 70 see for himrrlf what
sort Of a dinner could really DO served for 10
cent? b room had the ordinary appear
anco Of the cheap restaurant but IL wns
eieaner than Is usually the case. and fhsrs
was mono Of that "frowsyH smell that Is 30
prevalent In places OF this description Din
nor was -on' when tho reporter entered, and
the room was crowded with both mon and
woman.
The man were all evidently Of the decent
artisan class. while tho woman were mostly
work-girh from the n~oighbor1nr stores.
Seating himself ntn taIie nsx- -=r=-1abio-
looking woman, tho reporter called for his 10
cents worth. In moro aristocrntic rcstau-
rants he had often bccn obliged 10 wait for a
quarter Of an hour baforp he was served, but
here time was evidently money, for the or
der wal hardly out Of his mouth before tho
meal was before him. The dinner consisted
OF n large bowl mol cup OF excellent cofeo,
a. much brad a. he could eat. that article
being supplied I'D llbitum, and a good large
cut Of beef Oh the joint with q fair share Of
potatoes There was just as much as any
healthy man would caro- 10 cat and 10 was
a. well cooked and almost a. claaniy sorved
a. at a much more ~prntsntious restaurant
and all for a dimsi
In conversation the proprietor saids II
food about 300 70 1000 people n day; hut not
- many now az Ia summcr, for when win
ter comes nearly all tho lumbcrmen and
dock hands 20 south What profit do I
make. did you sayi We'll, never morn than
q cent a dish; somstimes not that It's the
number we serve that makes IL pay. 1t is
a great mistake 10 suppose that the leavinga
OF other restaurants are used up In cheap
restaurants Come with me into the Kitchen
and butchers pantry and l viii show you"
The reporter accordingly followed the pro-
pristor, and was astonished 10 SEQ tho neat
ness and order that prevailed. In the
butchers pantry were hung up joints Of
meat rs good and as fruah-looking as ono
could wish 70 see. At last the visitor thought
he would have an opportunity Of learning
the mystery Of Hhnsh.u 80 he requested the
proprietor to inform him as to the manu-
fhctura OF that compound. Nothing oasiar.n
wns the reply; you 500 we make nothing
hero but 'cornsd- beef hnsh.' and here is the
corned-boef that It Is made from, " at tho
same time taking up n piece OF excellent
~ u AAAN N-|AAk ~
tho reporter foit that no could order hash
with safety. the dread OF eating hnshed
pussy cat being removed.
what class Of people frequent your
placer
-chiony mechanics aud clerks. Bomshow
or nnother We never catch trnmps. Now and
ngnin we get a stray one, but as a rule a
tramp goes 10 n more expensive place. l
have had customers coming hero for years.
Did you SEQ that old man with gray hniri
Wen, he has bean a customer OF mine for
years Hn was worth his million once, but
be has often told me that he enjoyed the din.
ner that ho pays 10 cents for now bettor than
he did tho ones he used 10 pay az many dol
lars for. He had dyspepsia then, but he
hasn't that now. They may talk about tho
high rate Of living IN Chicago, but I dom
him they have much TO complain Of when
a man can board we'll for sL.50 a week"