Connecticut western news., 1885-03-04
THE FREE LUNCH.
Whnt a New Orleans Visitor Says He
 Found Down South.

The restaurant keepers complain of the free lunches. They have given up 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. Digni6ed 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 difIident or re- tiring about the New Orleans free luncher. He doesn't walk in with careless and nonchalant air and look with casual interest at the pictures over the lunch while he 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 hard-working at- tendants and growled:
 'Say, nigger, bring me cup of black coffee."
 Then the large man leaned against a pillar and ate g plate of olives while he waited for his coffee. As it did not appear he walked over to the bartender, after spreading 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, I'm blessed if that don't knock me silly. No coffee? What kind of place is this, any way?"
 Then he called down the wrath of all his ancestors on the house, and in- dignantly departed without spending 8 cent for drink.
 Before long," said the idle barkeeper, as he gazed at the hungry crowd in front him, "we]l 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 oi dishes in a 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 famboyapt and cheerful alac rity in taking the free lunch, elicits tho admiration of all visitors, the New York CTS, after their first attempts, succeed in holding their own.