The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-11-03
~ rLNCrRIC DINING TlBLE.
The Contrivnnce which Threatens 70
DO AwnN with Mniters.

The ContrivnnCc which Threatens TO
DO Away with walters.
The vocation of the waiter, gr0vcly
says the san Francisco Chr0Ricie, is
impcrillcd, that which threatens his
livelihood in the lower ranks of waiter
dom being an invention styled the
electric dining table. The inventor of
this machine, for it is rs much a
machine as n table, is German. and
having put up one of his Contrivanccs,
he has invited all those who are inter
ested in such matters to come and sec
it. On entering the room in which the
electric dining table has been erected
there is seen a double row of small,
fiat, desliikc 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 a raised shelf of
about three feet wide. On sitting down
each diner finds himself given space
of about three feet square, with por-
ton of the raised shelf on which to place
his empty dishes, bottles, etc On sit
ting down, too, the customer will no.
tice bill of fare and 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
series of blank spaces, across which
are printed the directions TO "Plcasc
punch in this space whateve you want
to order" Giving punches for plate
of soup, steak and glass of wine,
the customer next turns over the bill
of fare, according TO foot-notc, aud
finds further directions to put it, when
punched, in front of him and push the
button to his right lie does so, an
electric bell is heard tinkling in the
kitchen, and then, as if by magic the
table in front of him slips noiselessly
away, glides under the raised shelf
and runs kitchenward The time for
filing the order clapscs, and then,
slipping out from in under the shelf,
comes the table once more, laden now
with the soup, steak and wine, and
settles itself in front of the customer.
The bill of fare is there also, and, as
the customer knows exactly what he
punched and what he has eaten, he
takes the bill of fare to the counter as
a check and pays the amount due.
If the customer were allowed into
the Kitchen he would find Il boy seated
on bench having in front of him a
spoked wheel like that of ruddcr.
Over the wheel is placed a series of
sixteen numbers covered with black
shades, while beside it arc two handles
| like levers. Another customer is heard
| entering the restaurants he seats him
self al table, punches out what he
wants and presses the electric button
| at his side. Down falls the shade from
number two over the wheel The boy
at once pulls out connecting switch
marked No. 2, gives u haul at one of
| the levers and turns his wheel. The
haul at the lever pulls the No. table
under the shelf and places it on a we'll
oiled tramway, and the turns of the
wheel bring the table along the tram
way until it reaches the Kitchen. On
the table the cook places the order, the
boy rcverscs the wheel, this time keep
ing his eye ON pliabe flat wire which
runs around the hub Of the wheel
| and which is marked with num-
| bers up TO 1G. As soon as No. 2,
marked on this band, reaches an index,
the wheel is stopped, the lever reversed
! and the customer is served. All the
| tables can be moved at once by the
transfer of the switches, or as many rs
orders come from. What is claimed
by the inventor is economy Of time to
the customer, expense to the proprie-
tor the avoidance of complaints, the
absence of noise and a strict check on
the kitchen. Several restaurant keep,
ers have been TO see the machine, but
all hesitate to use it for fear 1t might
prove a failure and of the boycotting
by the discharged walters. 4 physi-
sian of the French hospital, however,
who has no such fear before his eyes,
has given his approval to the contriv-
ancc and will recommend its adoption
at that institution.