News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-03-26
THE FREE LUNCH.
what New Orleans Visitor Says He
Found Down South.

1
The restaurant keepers complain of
the free lunches. They have given up
preparing much for the MONDAY meal,
and their tables are lonely, while the
crowds surge around the bar-rooms.
The most striking thing about it all is
to see the sort OF men who patronize
the free lunch. Dignifed and we'll
dressed men, gray haired and bald, walk
in and wait patiently until the luncheon
is announced at noon. Then they tuck
napkins under their chins and go to
work. There is nothing diffident or re-
firing about the New Orleans free
luncher. He doesn't walk in with a
careless and nonchalant air and look
| with casual interest at the pictures
| over the lunch while be dallies with the
| bologna sausage with the near hand.
He doesn't assume the free, easy, and
jovial mein that is sometimes affected;
and the conscientious man, very rarely
met with in the North, who takes drink
before attacking the lunch, is never
found here. Workmen in their shirt
sleeves stand side by side with Office
boys, gamblers. local swells, and there
is no conversation, but simple, stead
fast, and brisk endeavor to put away as
much luncheon as possible in a given
length Of time. It is on record in the
bar-room of the ST. Charles Hotel that
large, portly, and prosperous-looking
man, whose waistcoat was adorned with
several gold chains, walked in about
noon and put big bowl of green
turtle soup under the watch chains.
Then he took some veal stew, two slices
of rare roast beef with mashed potatoes
and pickles, plate of macaroni, and
some cheese and crackers. Then he
looked at one of the Woodworking at
tendants and growled:
"Say, niger, bring me cup of black
coffee"
Then the large man leaned against a
pillar and ate a plate Of olives while
he waited for his coffee. AS it did not
appear he walked over to the bartender,
after spreading a sandwich with mus
tard to carry him through, and repeated
the demand. The man behind the bar
said they didn't serve coffee with the
lunch.
"You DON'T" said the large man,
speaking thickly through heavy emo
ton and the sandwich; "well, Pm
blessed if that don't knock me silly. No
coffee? What kind of a place is this,
any way? ?"
Then he called down the wrath of
all MS ancestors Oh the house, and in
dignantly departed without spending a
cent for drink.
Before long," said the ID 'a hartrnror.
as he gazed at the hungry crowd III IIo...
Linn, "we'II have to give away billiard
tables and pianos with the beer to get
people to drink"
Nearly all the saloons have regular
bills of fare for every day in the week,
with a specially elaborate one for Sun
day.
A sample of what the free lunchers
get is furnished by the following list of
dishes in saloon by no means preten-
tious and not particularly prosperous in
appearance:
Monday-Gumbo soup, roast beef,
beef stewed with potatoes, stewed kid
ney, baked macaroni, corn, tomatoes,
lettuce, green onions, sweet potatoes,
beets, cold slaw.
Tuesday-Pea soup, dry hash, roast
beef, stewed liver, fish chowder, boiled
shrimps, baked beans, boiled rice.
Yet, though the native of New Or
leans, for famboyant and cheerful alac-
rity in taking the free lunch, elicits the
admiration of all visitors, the New York
ers, after their first attempts, succeed in
holding their own.