Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-24
An ELECTRIC TADIE.
4 Censsfvanee which Thres,<ss
WaifefAsn.

Waiferden.
san Francisco Chronicle.
The vocation Of the waite. 10 I'm.
pesilsd, that which threatens his liveli-
hood N tie lower rznks Of vsitnrdou
neane an invention styled the eIsctrse
oinina tahss. The inventor Of this M.
chine. fof e ID a much Q machine e q
ssoie, is German, and having pot 10
one Of bis contrivanoes, hs has Invited
I'll thoss Who are Interested in saoh
matters 70 come and ZEE it. On sntsriza
the room In which the electric dining
table has been erected thsrs 10 seen 9
doebie row Of small. Eat. dssk- like
tables, Set back 10 back, and divided
oos from another By . brass railing.
ihe tabies. or oompartmsnts, do not
tooeh each other at the back, being
separated BY q raised shelf Of aboat
three feet vide. On sitting down each
diner nnds himself given q space Of
about three feet sQusrs, with Q portion
Of the raised shelf on which TO place
his empty dishes, bottles. etc. On
sitting down, toe, the customer vii
notice bill Of fare and punch like
thoee used by railroad conductors. The
bill OF fare is divided into shree col
umns-the drst containing the dish, the
second the price, and tbs third q series
OF blank spaces. across which are print
Cd the directions TO Please punch In
this space whatever yvu want 10 ORDER .'
Owing punches fer q plate Of soup, q
steak and glass Of wine. the customer
next turns over" the Hill of fare, 40
cordfne 10 foot note, and finds further
directions 70 put 10. when punched, in
front Of him and push the button 70 bis
right. He does 50. an electric bell is
heard tinkiing IN the kitchen. and then.
q II BY magic, ths table in froet Of him
slips noiselessiy away, Riides under the
raised shelf. and runs kitehenvard.
The time for filling the order eiapsss,
and then, siipping out from in under the
shelf, comes the table onoe more, laden
nov with the soup, steak snd vine, aud
settles itstlf In front Of the Customer.
The bill Of fare 10 there aise. an i as the
customer knows exactly What be punch
ed and What he has eaten. he takes the
bill of fare TO the counter az @ check
and pays the amount due.
II the customer we're allowed into the
kitchen be would find boy seated on q
bench having in front of him q speked
wheel like that sf q ruddef. Over the
wheel Is placed q series Of sixteen num-
bers covered with black shades, while
beside ii are two handles like levers
Another customer 10 heard entering the
restaurant; be seats himself at q table,
punches oot shat be wants, and presses
the electric button at his side. Down
falls the shade from number two over
the Wheel. The boy at once polls out q
connecting switch marked No. 2. gives
q haul At one of the levers and turns
his wheel. The haul at the lev, polls
the No. 2 table under the shelf and
pis0es it on veil eilsd tramvay. and
tDe tarns Of the wheel bring the table
along the tramsay outil it reaches the
kitchen. On the table the cook places
the order, the boy revefses the wheel,
this time keeping his eye on pliable
hat wire which runs around the hob OF
the wheel and which 10 marked
with numbers up TO Is. Az soon a. No.
., marked on this band. reaches an In
dex. the wheel 70 stopped, the lever re-
vsrsed and the eustomef 10 served. All
the tables can be moved at once By the
transfer of the switches, or as many a.
orders come from. What Is claimed by
the Inventor IN economy Of time to the
customer, expense 70 the proprietor, the
ave dance Of complaints, the absence of
noise, and strict check on the kitchen.
Several restaurant keepers have been to
zee the machine, but all hesitate to use
10 for fear IL might prove failure and
Of the boyootting By the discharged
walters. A physician Of the French
Hospital. however. Who has no sach
fear before his eyes, has given his ap-
peoval 70 the eontrivanoe and will re-
commend its adoption q that instito-
sieu.