St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-14

In three or four of the leading hotels of
st. Paul it is estimated by competent
judges that six hundred persons eat three
square meals day. This does not include
the help in the hotels, which foots up to a
considerable figure, but simply the guests
who either from choice or necessity spend a
portion of their time at the hotels. These
six hundred Or so people, men, women and
children from all classes of society, and
with, on an average day, about
six. hundred different varieties and
styles of appetite glance at
the well laid-out bill of fare and selecting a
combination of say ten of the articles
thereon printed, name them to the waiter
who hastens to rob the larder that no slight
delay may cause break i'll the combination
of sensations that leads to the choice. 1t is
a rule in one of the largest hotels of st.
Paul, and in all well-regltlated institutions
of the kind-so the man that looks
after the supply department. or ''back
end of the house, as it is called, in distinc-
ton from the front end which the clerks a
tend to, told a GLOBE reporter the other
day-to instruct the culinary corps, to exer-
else their judgment in filling orders for
guests Guests that order numerous dishes
are by rule to be served with smaller quanti-
ties than those that order but two or three.
This rule had been made from the noticea-
BILE and recognized fact that the eyes are Oft
times larger than the stomach, and that when
many are ordered few are chosen, and the
consequent waste to be returned to the
kitchen and there disposed OF at much less
than the regular price per meal attached to
the bill of fare.
The above facts were brought out as
part of the answer to the reporters Ques-
ton Of what became of the odds and ends,
the refuse the crumbs as it were, that fell
from the hotel table.
THERE Is MUCH WASTE.
'sYes,' continued the hotel man, ''there
is great waste from the dining room,
though not everything that is taken from
the table is waste, for we get considerable
revenue from the odds and ends that the
walters bring back after the guests have
looked them over.' "What becomes of
them?" asked the reporter.
.'Well, different things" was the answer.
SIN the first place all the dishes that are
brought out from the dming-r00m are care
fully sorted over and divided into three
classes. All pieces Of bread, cake. ETC.,
are put i'll one place. the bits OF butter,
dishes Of gravy and pieces OF meat III an
other and the odds and ends of vegetables,
pie, ice cream, etc., etc, in third. The
last variety is the larger and IS the most
valuable"
but what becomes of them after being
sorted over?"
1.-THE pieces of bread, etc., that spoke
about are given away. We have
a standing arrangement with seven chart
table institutions, hospitals, ETC., to come
here one day in each week for these frag-
ments. They are glad of the offer, and q
representative calls promptly and takes
them to be served up to the inmates OF the
institution. Not quite all of this class of
the truck, for it is truck, is disposed OF in
this way. for we make it rule to supply a
certain class of tramps with meal when
ever they call for it. The calls are numer-
Gus, too, on an average half dozen day,
and they get something every time Very
likely they impose on us, but it doesn't cost
us anything, and is a custom we have gotten
into. The second class of the refuse from
the tables is sold to the soapmakers at from
about IA to cents pound, according to
quantity, and the rest goes into the swill. ;
The swill from good-sized hotel with
an elaborate bill of fare and house full OF
guests is something surprising. In some
hotels regular auction days are held once
month or once in two months, and it is sold
to the highest bidder A considerable rev.
enue comes from this. AT the Merchants
yesterday the reporter was told that their
receipts from this item footed up nearly OF
quite $1,000 in the course OF year. 1t is
shot down from the kitchen through large