Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-05
AN ELECTRIC TABLE.
a Continuance Which Threatens
Waiterdom.
San Francisco Chronicle,

~
San Francisco Chronicle,
The vocation of the waiter is imper-
ilIed, that which threatens his liveli
hood IN the lower ranks of waiterdom
being an invention styled the electric
dining table. The inventor of this
machine, for it is as much machine
as table. is German, and, having
put up one of his contrivances, he has
invited all those who are interested In
such matters to come and see it. On
entering the room in which the elec>
trio dining table has been erected there
is seen a double row of small, fat, desk
like tables, set back to back, and divid-
ed one from another by brass railing.
The tables, Or compartments, do not
touch each other at the back, being
separated by raised shelf about three
feet wide. On sitting down each diner
fines himself given space of about
three feet square. with "a portion of the
raised shelf on which to place his
empty dishes. bottles, etc. On sitting
down, too, the customer will notice a
bill of fare and q 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 a
series of blank spaces, across which
are printed the dire ctions t o 'fplease
punch in this space whatever you
want to order" Giving punches for
plate Of soup, q steak, and glass of
wine, the customer next turns over"
the bill Of fare, according to foot
note. and finds further directions to
put it, when punched, ia front Of
him and push the button to his right.
He does so, an electric bell is heard
tlnkling IL the kitchen, and then, as
if by magic, the table slips noiseless-
ly away, glides under the raised shelf,
and runs kitchenward. The time for
filing the order elapses, and then,
slipping out from 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.
II the customer were allowed into
| the kitchen he would find boy seat
ed on a bench having in front of him
a spoked wheel like that Of a rudder.
Over the wheel is placed series OF
sixteen numbers covered with black
shades, while beside it are two handles
| like levers. Another customer Is
heard entering the restaurant; he seats
himsel at table, punches out what
he wants, and presses the electric but
ton at his side. Down falls the shade
from over No. 2 the wheel. The boy
pulls out connecting switch marked
No. 2, gives a haul at one Of the
levers, and turns the wheel. The haul
at the lever pulls the No. 3 table under
the shelf and places it on a well-oiled
tramway, and the turns of the wheel
bring the table along the tramway
until it reaches the kitchen. On the
table the cook places the order, the
boy reverses the wheel, this time keep.
ing his eye on a pJiable fiat wire which
runs around the hub Of the wheel and
which is marked with numbers up to
sixteen. 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 order as
come from the dining room.
What is claimed by the inven-
tor is economy Of time to the
customer, expense to the proprietor,
the avoidance Of complaint, the alb
sence of noise. and strict check on
the kitchen. Several restaurant-keep-
ers have been to see the machine, but
all hesitate to use it for fear il might
prove failure and of the boycotting
by the discharged walters. a physi-
clan of the French hospital, however,
who has no such fear before his eyes.
has given his approval to the contri-
vance and will recommend its adoption
at that institution