The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-11-05
AN ELECr TRIO TABLE.
a Contrivsnce Which Threatens Waiter
dom.

! n SohtfivhnCo Nnicn a aIsAtcNS w Sitor-
dom.
Too vocation OF the waiter is imper.
illes, that mbjch threatens his livsli-
hood in ths lower ranks OF wAiterSom
| being IN invention styled the electric
djuing-lable. The inventor OF this IN Il
chine, for it 10 ss much machine rs a
taole, is German, and, having pat up
one Of his contrivsnces, no has in
vited sll those who are Interested Ia
such matters TO come and sea IL.
On entering the room in which the
electric dining-table has been erect
ed there is seen q double-row of small,
fiat, desk like tables, sot bhck to back
and divided one from another by n
brass railing. The table,, or compert
ments, do not touch each other at the
back, being separated by 8 raised shelf
about three feet wide. On sitting down
each diner finds himself given space
of about three feet square, with q por
ton or the raised SHELF on
which to place his empty dishes.
bottles, etc. On sitting down, too, the
customer will notice Dill of fare and
a puch ike those used by railroad CEN
ductOrs. The bill Of fare IL divided into
three columns-the first containing
the dish, tue second the prizes, and the
third " series CT blank spaces, ACROSS
which are printed the directions to
"please punch in this space Whatever
you want to order" Giving punches
for a plate Of soup. steak, auo n glass
OF wine, the Customer next "turns
over" tho bill OF fare, according
to "a f0ot-notc, and fiuds furtoer di.
punched, in from. OF htn and push
the button 10 his right. He does 40; an
electric bell is heard tinkling in The
kitchen, and then, AZ If by magic, til o
table in front OF him siips noisslessly
away, gIides under the raised shelf,
aud runs kitcbenward. The time for
filing the order elapses, and the1,
Slipping out from under tho shelf,
comes the table once more laden now
with tho coup, steak aud wine, and
settles itseif in front OF tho customer.
The nil o. fnre Is there Also, and as the
customer knous exactly what he
punched and what he has eaten, he
takes the bill of fare TO the countar as
u cheek and pays the anOuo5 due.
II the customer wer5 allowed ia the
kitchen he would lind . boy seated on
on bench, havisg 10 front Of him a
spoked wheel like that OF ruG0er.
OVGE bttt WHEEL rs Dlht1u 6clISk Va ~
numbers covered With black shades,
rbie hezide it are two handles like
levers. Another customer is heard en-
Jpriug the resEaursnt; he seats himself
81 table, punches OUT what he wants,
and presses Jhe electric outt0M at hia
side. Dawn falls the shade from over
the Nc. 2 wheel Tne boy pulls ont a
connecting switch marked Mo-, gives
= haul at one of the levers and turns
the wheel. The haul a. tho lever pulls
the No. 2 table under the shelf and
places 1t on a well-oiied tramway, and
the turns of tho wheel bring the table
along the framway until it rsaches the
kitchen. On tho table the cook PLACES
the order, the boy rsversss the wheel,
this time keeping his eye on p.iabio |
fiat wire which runs around the hub
Of the wheel aud which Is marked with
nNmpsrs up to sixteen. As soon az
No. 2, marked on this band, reaches an |
index, the wheel is stopped, the lever |
reversed, and the customer Ia served. |
All the tables san be moved ut once by |
the transfer Of tho switches, or as |
many as orders Came from. What IL
by the inventor IL economy of
time to the customer, expense to the
tho avoidance of COM
plnints, the absence of noise and
stric5 check on the kitchen. Several
restaurant keepers have been to see
the machine, but all hesitate to use 1t
for fear 1t might prove failure and of
tho boycetiing by the discharged
walters. A physician of the French
hospital, however, who has no such
fear before his eyes, has given his sp-
prevail to the contrlvance and will re-
Dom mend its adoption at that institu-
Hon. San Frsncis CO Chronicle.